Natural Product Biosynthesis and Engineering
CHEM520
Focuses on the structural diversity and production of natural products
Course Directors: Ben Shen
Term: Fall (every other year)
Credits: 3.0
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will focus on the biosynthesis of natural products and genetic engineering of natural product biosynthetic pathways for structural diversity and production. The following topics will be discussed: (1) natural products in drug discovery and development; (2) methodologies for establishing biosynthetic pathways; (3) the principal biogenetic and biosynthesis theories, and basic bioorganic chemistry and enzymology for natural products biosynthesis; (4) unified biosynthetic pathways for the major classes of natural products; (5) emerging technologies in engineering natural product biosynthetic pathways for structural diversity and production. The following classes of natural products will be covered: polyketides, peptides and β-lactams, metabolites of shikimate origin, terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, and carbohydrates.
