521-306 Plant Biochemistry & Biotechnology

Biochemistry 521-211, 521-212 and either 521-220 or 521-221; or biochemistry 521-211 plus botany 606-205. Other combinations that provide a similar background will be considered by the coordinators.

BBiomedSc students: 521-213 and 536-250.

By the end of the program the student should have acquired an overall appreciation of the application of biotechnology to agriculture, horticulture, forestry and the food industry; and a detailed understanding of those aspects of biochemistry and cell biology which will contribute unique properties to plants and current techniques for their investigation and manipulation including genetic engineering and plant transformation.

The subject content also includes cellular and molecular processes underlying the regulation of basic plant functions, including the modes of action of plant hormones; knowledge of carbon and nitrogen metabolism associated with plant growth and development; a detailed knowledge of structure and functions of plant lipids and of cell wall carbohydrates; an insight into cell-cell recognition and signalling during plant development and the response to pathogens and symbionts; and an understanding of the organisation of the genome in plants and its modification by biotechnology.

3-hour end-of-semester written examination (70%); one short oral (10%); written assignment of no more than 2000 words (20%).