Chemistry

Biographical Info

Our group is interested in how organisms use small molecules to communicate information. Caenorhabditis elegans (a small roundworm) is a genetically tractable organism that relies on a fine-tuned sense of smell and taste when interacting with other members of its species and with its environment. Thus, C. elegans represents an ideal system for studying the role of environmental cues, such as pheromones and nutritional signals, in modulating development and other complex processes. Our group will use NMR-based small molecule structure elucidation, chemical synthesis, chemical genetics, and biochemical/biological assays to identify the chemical nature of these cues and their mechanism of action. This work will provide fundamental new insights into how environmental signals influence development, metabolism, behavior, and aging in C. elegans and in higher organisms.