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Plant Biotechnology
Plant Biotechnology is one of the most fascinating, and fast moving fields of biological science in current times. In addition, it provides some of the most hotly debated issues world wide: hardly a week passes in which GM-crops, do not make their way into our newspapers or on the television news.
But what are these crops, and what is the technology behind them? In this module, we will explore the often complicated technology that enables genes from different organisms to be expressed in plants. Moreover, we will discuss the potential of genetically modified (GM) plants to provide solutions for current problems. In doing this, we will focus on agricultural crops.
Plant biotechnology is, as the word suggests, a technology - nothing more and nothing less. However, the problems addressed with GM-technology are usually of an ecological and/or socio-economical nature. If we want to understand the impact of GM-technology and participate in the debate around it, we need to have background knowledge and insight in the problems for which GM-technology may (or may not) provide a solution.
This module is not meant to develop students into either "pro-GM" or " against-GM" .Plant biotechnology and GM plants in particular, are complex - both concerning their background, and their potential place in our world. It is up to us, as biologists, to at least convey that message of complexity.
In this module we will make use of lectures, practicals and tutorials. In most of the lectures, there will be sessions in which students will be asked to work independently or in small groups on a problem for some time.
The assessment of this module is by coursework (50%) and exam ( 50%))