Doctoral education at the Department of Plant Protection

Analytical methods in chemical ecology

Analysmetoder inom kemisk ekologi

Time: Summer 2024, 10 June - 20 June 

Maximum participants: 8-12

Application deadline: May 10

Higher education credits: 6.0

Language: English

Entry requirements

The course is intended for PhD students in chemical ecology, analytical chemistry, ecology or related fields. Postdocs and M.Sc. students are also welcome.

Compulsory introduction on Zoom ca two weeks in advance. All participants are also required to do some homework before the first day on campus.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course, the students should:

• Demonstrate practical knowledge of methods for sampling of organic compounds
• Understand gas chromatography and liquid chromatography analytical techniques
• Have a good practical knowledge how to choose methods, columns and detectors for chromatographic separations
• Apply suitable methods for identification of organic compounds
• Be able to individually analyse samples by GC-MS and illustrate a good practical knowledge how to identify and quantify organic compounds with GC-MS

 Objectives and content

The course contains a combination of online training, lectures, workshops, practical exercises and literature seminars.

The lectures will cover methods of extraction of organic compounds, such as aeration, SPE, SPME and choices of organic solvents, as well as chromatography techniques such as liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. Modern identification methods in chemical ecology, including HR-GC/MS and MS/MS will be covered.

The practical exercises include workshops, covering for example sample preparation, analysis of samples using GC-MS and interpretation of electron impact mass spectra.

Pedagogical form

The course has a practical focus with hands-on laboratory exercises, while also containing preparatory online exercises and major elements of lectures, student-run workshops literature seminars and tests.

Time table

The course is scheduled full time for two weeks (minus the last Friday). Generally, there are lectures in the mornings (ca 9-12), followed by workshops, seminars or practical laboratory exercises in the afternoons (ca 13-17). About two weeks before the first lecture, there will be a two-hour Zoom start-up meeting where pre-study material will be handed out.

Examination

The students will be continuously examined throughout the practical moments of the course. All students are required to pass diagnostic tests throughout the course. At the end of the course, they must be capable of individually operating GC-MS instruments and demonstrate knowledge gained through the practical exercises.

Furthermore, they are required to present their results from the workshops and practical exercises, and discuss each other’s results.

Contact for application and further information 

Björn Bohman, bjorn.bohman@slu.se

Time

Fall/Winter 2021, exact dates to be announced

Number of higher education credits

3.0 Credits

Entry requirements

The course is intended for PhD students in chemical ecology, analytical chemistry, ecology or related fields.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course, the students should:

• Understand combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
• Know how to prepare and handle samples of volatile substances
• Know the possibilities and limitations of quantitative analysis with GC-MS

Contact for application and further information 

Björn Bohman