PCOL416

043752

This course investigates the evolutionary origins of secondary metabolites across the tree of life and explores how these compounds shaped ecological interactions, animal behavior, and the rise of human pharmacology. We will trace the natural history of secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways, explore the co-evolutionary arms races that gave rise to diverse natural product classes; including terpenes, phenolics, alkaloids, polyketides, glycosides, and non-ribosomal peptides, and study how animals self-medicate (zoopharmacognosy) and humans developed traditional medicines based on these behaviors. Finally, we will investigate how the use of these compounds was shaped by the evolution of modern science, especially chemistry,
leading ultimately to modern drug discovery and pharmaceutical science. This course will focus heavily on the structures, chemistry, and pharmacology of natural products.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Undergraduate

018850