FSEM 135   Molecules that Rock Your World: Medicinal

Faculty Profile for Professor Peeler

One of the great applications of chemistry and biology is the treatment of disease. Students consider the scientific and societal issues surrounding medicinal molecules that shape our world. Through readings, discussions, writing projects, and some hands-on modeling students explore a series of pharmaceuticals, from small molecules like birth control to more complex biological drugs like insulin and mRNA vaccines. Students also consider the scientific and social processes through which medications are developed in the lab, tested in clinical trials, and approved by the FDA. Students who successfully complete this seminar will receive credit for CORE 158S and satisfy the Scientific Perspective core requirement.

Jenny Peeler is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. Her educational background and current research interests bridge the gap between chemistry and biology. Her research is focused on using genetic code expansion to explore the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine.