240028 Molecular Plant Biochemistry and Physiology

Details
Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology
Earliest Possible YearMSc. 1 year
DurationOne block
 
Credits7.5 (ECTS)
Course LevelMSc
 
ExaminationFinal Examination

written examination


Written Exam in Lecturehall

All aids allowed

Description of Examination: 4 hour written examination based on curriculum from textbook and scientific articles presented during the course.

Weight: 100%



7-point scale, internal examiner

Dates of Exam:
29 October 2009
 
Organisation of TeachingLectures and journal clubs
 
Block PlacementBlock 1
Week Structure: C
 
Teaching LanguageEnglish
 
Optional Prerequisites240042 Thematic Course: Experimental Molecular Biology
Tema: Eksperimental Molecular Biologi or similar course.
 
RestrictionsNone
 
Course Contents
Frontiers of international research in plant science will be elucidated with newest scientific literature and related to the text book knowledge. Examples of selected topics are:

1. Photosynthesis and its regulation
How do the photosystems of plants respond to different light conditions (intensity, wavelength, duration) and to changes in other environmental factors?

2. Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism
How is whole plant growth tuned by the key steps of carbohydrate metabolism on the cellular level?

3. Molecular physiology of mineral nutrient acquisition, transport and utilization
Plants use a wide range of mechanisms and responses to acquire essential mineral nutrients from the soil. How are these mechanisms working together?

4. How do plants store and sense nutrients?
How can we reduce the footprint of agricultural production on the environment?

5. Plant hormones: Signal perception and transduction
Phytohormones can initiate a wide range of contrasting responses. How can different stimuli give rise to different responses all use the same messenger?

6. Responses to abiotic stresses
Progress in understanding plant responses to stress has been impressive. The problem of how plant homeostasis is maintained in a changing environment still raises many new questions.

7. Reproductive development
The onset of flowering represents a major developmental shift in the plant life cycle and a myriad of genes control this developmental process.

8. Plant cell polymers and cell wall elongation
The plant cell wall is not a dead coat. Recent research shows that it is a complex and dynamic entitity controlling many vital plant processes.
 
Teaching And Learning Methods
Lectures and discussions based on a modern comprehensive textbook supplemented with recent articles from the scientific literature and case studies. The presentations based on recent scientific papers will demonstrate how important molecular biological methods are being used to solve current scientific problems.
 
Learning Outcome
The aim of the course is to give the student a thorough knowledge of important research topics within modern plant biology. The course will illustrate how novel technologies within plant biochemistry and physiology are used to produce coherent knowledge of complex biological systems which previously were diffucult to understand. The use of the new knowledge in designing crop plants for the future using classical breeding in combination with genetic engineeering will be discussed.

After completion of the course the student should be able to:
Knowledge:
- describe the a frontiers of international research in plant science within a range of core areas.
- identify molecular methods and approaches which can be used to solve specific problems within plant biology.

Skills:
- interpret the results persented in scientific articles and take a critical and creative standpoint to the presented scientific problems.
- use basic knowledge from other disciplines in an integrated manner when analysing current problems in plant biology.
- discuss ethical problems related to the latest developments in plant science.

Competences:
- evaluate critically the limits and possibilities of new theories and the solidity of experimental evidence.
- transfer theories and principles from advanced state-of-the-art molecular plant biology to solve new questions posed by the research community, industry and the society.


 
Course Litterature
15-20 scientific papers will be part of curriculum
Basic text book suggestion:
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants
Buchanan BB, Gruissem W, Jones RL
American Society of Plant Physiologists, 2000

The final choise of textbook will be announced a week before the corse starts.


 
Course Coordinator
Birger Lindberg Møller, blm@life.ku.dk, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology/Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Phone: 35333352
Michael Gjedde Palmgren, palmgren@life.ku.dk, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology/Plant Physiology and Anatomy Laboratory, Phone: 35332592
 
Study Board
Study Committee NSN
 
Course Scope
lectures32
theoretical exercises32
preparation138
examination4

206