This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

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    SES # TOPICS KEY DATES
    Week 1
    1 Introduction; IMOG Bremen  
    Week 2
    2 Acetogenic lipids and their fossil counterparts in petroleum and bitumen; e.g. alkanes, fatty acids; chain-length, branching systematics and isotopic compositions of fatty acids and hydrocarbons; overview of identification techniques; biological sources; algeanans; functional roles; geological occurrence.  
    3

    Student led discussion (20 min presentations)

    Plant waxes

    Waxes from invertebrates

    Waxes from vertebrates

    Acetogenic lipids in the environment

    Acetogenic lipids for paleoenvironmental reconstruction

    First term paper due: 4-6 X 1.5 spaced pages including diagrams; Subject: Report on a recent (post 2005) discovery of novel acetogenic lipids from a microbe or from natural environmental samples: structures and isotopic compositions.

    Second term paper due: 4-6 X 1.5 spaced pages including diagrams; subject: discerning and minimizing contamination in lipid biomarker investigations.
    Week 3
    4 Isoprenoid lipids; biosynthesis; isomerism and other structural aspects; archaeal and non-archaeal sources; structure vs physiology; bicyclic and tricyclic isoprenoids; other cyclised polyprenoids; geological record.  
    5 Student-led Discussion: Isoprenoidal lipids as environmental markers or in paleoenvironmental reconstruction.  
    Week 4
    6 Mono-, sesqui-, di- and triterpenoids 1; biosynthetic issues; bacteria and eukaryotes; bacteriohopanepolyols; analytical issues; phylogeny & physiology vs structure; BHP to hopane diagenesis; biomarkers for source, maturity of OM.  
    7 Student-led discussion on hopanoids  
    Week 5
    8 Steroids; biosynthetic issues; role of oxygen; physiological roles; formation by bacteria and eukarya; sterol to sterene to sterane diagenesis; biomarkers for source and maturity in fossil OM; age-related changes in occurrence and paleoenvironmental indicators.  
    9 Student-led discussion: Steroids  
    Week 6
    10 Triterpenoids 2 including plant-derived terpenoids; biomarkers for an evolving ocean plankton. Biomarkers diagnostic of geological age.  
    11 Student-led discussion: Hopanoids and their precursor organisms  
    Week 7
    12 Lecture: Analytical techniques for biomarker analysis; isolation and ractionation protocols; Gas chromatography; mass spectrometry; IPL and pigment analysis by LC-MS.  
    13 Introduction to laboratory exercise: Protocols for sample preparation; internal standards; ASE extraction; flash chromatography; derivatization; GC-FID and GC-MS analysis; First term paper due
    Week 8
    14 Lab exercise: Sample preparation  
    15 Lab exercise: Sample extraction  
    Week 9
    16 Lab exercise: Flash chromat  
    17 Lab exercise: Preparation of analysis aliquots  
    Week 10
    18 Progress reports Second term paper due
    Week 11
    19 Progress reports and biomarker laboratory
    Week 12
    20 Biomarker laboratory  
    21 Progress reports and biomarker laboratory  
    Week 13
    22 Biomarker laboratory  
    23 Progress reports and biomarker laboratory  
    Week 14
    24 Laboratory final reports 1  
    25 Laboratory final reports 2