Power Point Lectures Slides

The main themes of the book were developed over a 3 year period when I taught a final year module to students at the University of York. Although taught in the Biology Department, the module was open to any student and it did indeed attract students from several other departments. The module was had one of the highest participation rates of the 30+ third year modules on offer, proving that the study of NPs can appeal to a wide range of students.

One popular aspect of the lecture course was the use of real samples of NPs in the class. Samples of NPs, or NP-containing plant material, were handed round at the start of the lecture and at appropriate intervals during the lecture. Where possible these were related to the lecture content. The motivation for this was to ensure that the class members really linked their studies to their own experiences. I wanted them to think about NPs as they sucked their mints, tasted horse radish sauce, smelt a rose, rubbed a rosemary leaf, peeled an orange, lemon or grapefruit, enjoyed peppermint, had a sip of beer or cola, etc., etc..

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Lecture 1. What are Natural Products (NPs)? Which organisms make them? What kind of chemicals are they? How do they differ from primary metabolites?

Lecture 2. The commercial importance of NPs. The role of NPs in art, science, politics and economics. After the lecture you really should appreciate why I maintain that NPs have shaped the world.

Lecture 3. Past and current theories as to why organisms make natural products.

Lecture 4. The Screening Hypothesis. The model is based on the simple concept that biological activity is a rare property for a molecule to possess.

Lecture 5. Evidence in favour or against the Screening Hypothesis.

Lecture 6. The implications of the Screening Hypothesis. Why, despite the views of many conservationists and economists, bioprospecting might never yield large rewards to developing countries.

Lecture 7. The implications of the Screening Hypothesis. Chemicals in the environment - should we worry about them? What ecotoxicologists have missed by not understanding NPs.

Lecture 8. The implications of the Screening Hypothesis. What might happen if we genetically engineer a plant or a microbe to change its natural product composition?

Lecture 9. The implications of the Screening Hypothesis. Why and how might it inform studies of plant-insect or plant pathogen interactions? Was does it imply about inducibility? What does it imply about cross-talk?