Chemical Research
While our faculty members often teach in only one of the above traditional areas, modern research often focuses on research problems or themes that demand expertise in several of these subfields, along with ideas and skills drawn from other scientific and engineering disciplines.
In the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech we look beyond petroleum as the raw material for the production of fuels and chemicals. We research how to efficiently use renewable resources, such as lignocellulosic biomass, for the production of biofuels and bio-based chemicals. Research in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech focuses on three key areas in the conversion of renewable biomass into biofuels and bio-based chemicals.
RNA, DNA, and proteins are complex macromolecules that carry out biological processes. Proteins are exquisitely shaped to achieve their functions. DNA and RNA are involved in maintaining and transducing information. With structural knowledge we can begin to understand how biological macromolecules function in a living organism and gain insight into how abnormal structures cause disease.
The development of new catalysts and catalytic methods is central to addressing important issues in the small-scale synthesis of organic and inorganic compounds, large-scale chemical production, generation and storage of energy, and development of a sustainable way of life. The school's work on catalysis includes biological, heterogeneous, and small-molecule approaches.
Production techniques (e.g., irrigation management, recommended nitrogen inputs)
Improving agricultural productivity in terms of quantity and quality (e.g., selection of drought-resistant crops and animals)
Minimizing the effects of pests (weeds, insects, pathogens, nematodes) on crop or animal production systems.
Agronomy Research
The School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech has a strong interest in complex systems, including chemical evolution, nanoparticle-cell interactions, brain tumor diagnostics, and the chemical defenses of seaweed. Understanding these systems requires the spatial resolution provided by chemical and biological imaging.
Chemical biology brings the synthetic and analytical skills of chemistry to the study of living systems and harnesses those systems for the production of useful molecules. At Georgia Tech, chemical biologists work closely with chemical and biomolecular engineers to convert fundamental insights into practical applications.
Chemical biology brings the synthetic and analytical skills of chemistry to the study of living systems and harnesses those systems for the production of useful molecules. At Georgia Tech, chemical biologists work closely with chemical and biomolecular engineers to convert fundamental insights into practical applications.
Chemical biology brings the synthetic and analytical skills of chemistry to the study of living systems and harnesses those systems for the production of useful molecules. At Georgia Tech, chemical biologists work closely with chemical and biomolecular engineers to convert fundamental insights into practical applications.