Composition and structure of organic matter, organic matter accumulation. Lipid biochemistry and stereochemistry.  Factors controlling preservation of organic matter in sediments, methanogenesis, diagnetic alterations of carbon skeletons, fossil fuel production and degradation and biomarkers for ancient life.  Introduction to different techniques used in organic geochemistry including optical methods applied to source rock study, vitrinite reflectance, elemental composition of kerogen. Rock-Eval pyrolysis, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Applications of organic geochemistry in different fields e.g., environmental geochemistry, astrobiology, and petroleum exploration.