PhD in Organic Chemistry of Natural Products in Syracuse United States | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Graduate students specializing in organic chemistry of natural products complete a year-long sequence covering mechanistic organic chemistry, followed by another year focusing on synthetic organic chemistry. They must also take semester-long courses in advanced physical chemistry and natural product organic chemistry. With faculty guidance, students can choose supplementary courses in biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, statistics, and specialized chemistry or biology topics. Research in this field follows three main directions: discovering and analyzing novel natural compounds, developing new or enhanced synthesis methods for known natural substances, and examining how molecular structure influences biological activity. Each research area incorporates biological evaluation. Students working on isolation and synthesis projects must master separation methods, including various chromatography techniques and molecular identification through spectrometry. Those studying structure-activity correlations need to develop proficiency in statistical analysis approaches.