Crop Biotechnology

Course Outline

The duration of the course is 12 months, full time, and consists of:

• 5 Advanced courses:
 Crop Biotechnology Fundamentals
 Crop Biotechnology Research Skills
 Crop Biotechnology Dissertation
 Crop Biotechnology Applications
 Crop Biotechnology Research Project

Several of the taught courses are shared with other postgraduates and undergraduates.

Advanced Courses

Crop Biotechnology Fundamentals

This course is taken in Semester 1 and aims to introduce students to the major crops and fundamental issues in crop biotechnology and to provide knowledge of the molecular biological approaches that are employed in crop biotechnology. There is also a business skills course that will introduce topics relevant to the commercial aspect of crop biotechnology.

There are 5 elements to the course:

• Lectures on molecular genetic methods, transgenics, genomics and proteins.
• Laboratory sessions on molecular genetic methods.
• Lectures and tutorials introducing key topics in crop biotechnology.
8 approximately 3-hour sessions will address the following topics:
       Crops and crop production
       Prospects for crop improvement
       Abiotic stress – light and temperature
       Abiotic stress – water
       Pests and pathogens I
       Pests and pathogens II
       Breeding new varieties
       Transgenic crops
• Lectures and tutorials on plant molecular biology.
10 approximately 3-hour sessions will address the topics below.
      Plant genomes
      Plant gene expression
      Molecular basis of plant defence against pathogens
      Small RNAs in plants
      Regulation of flowering
      Plant circadian rhythms
• Business Skills course. This is an intensive one-week course consisting of lectures, tutorials, facilitated group work, seminars and discussions which is also taken by M.Sc Biotechnology students. The course will include: IP issues, market research, regulatory frameworks, commercial contexts, business plans, SWOT and PEEST analysis, ethics

Crop Biotechnology Research Skills

Students will learn how to evaluate scientific data and to critically appraise and summarise scientific publications. They will attend tutorials designed to discuss and appraise scientific papers and write an essay critically evaluating a scientific paper, each of which will contribute to the assessment.

Crop Biotechnology Dissertation

Students will write a dissertation on a selected topic in crop biotechnology with advice from a dissertation supervisor. They will discuss the dissertation in a viva.

Crop Biotechnology Applications

• Laboratory work and associated tutorials on methods in plant biotechnology.
The aim of these laboratory sessions is to give students experience of producing transgenic plants, of both barley and Arabidopsis, and undertaking transient expression.
• Lectures and tutorials on key topics in crop biotechnology plus additional tutorials and seminars relating to ethical issues and strategic approaches.
These aim to provide information on the major applications of crop biotechnology and to identify the skills needed to develop and evaluate new potential applications. The course also encourages students to think about the ethical aspects of crop biotechnology.
 There are 10 approximately 3-hour sessions plus additional tutorials on the following topics:
      Pest resistance
      Herbicide resistance
      Low temperature stress
      Nutrient stress
      Cereal genomes
      Pathogen attack in potato
• Private study for production of a poster on an application of crop biotechnology and an essay on an ethical/social aspect of crop biotechnology, both of which are assessed.

Crop Biotechnology Research Project

Students undertake their project within the University of Glasgow.  To maximise the time available for practical work, students will be asked to identify their supervisor at the start of Semester 2. Hence there will be ample time for planning the work and pre-growing experimental material if necessary. Students will normally write an Introduction to their project before they start experimental work.

January         Identify project supervisor
May               Discussion of project plan with supervisor. Write Introduction to project.
June-August  Practical work on project. Complete report for submission by the end of August.
Sept              Project assessment.

Seminars

Throughout the year, there will be many research and review seminars, some directly relevant to the programme.

Those organised for the Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology are likely to be of particular interest. You will find that information from these can be very valuable in broadening your horizons.