Unit PLANT BIOTECHNOGY
- Course
- Biology
- Study-unit Code
- GP004100
- Curriculum
- Bionutrizionistico
- Teacher
- Luisa Ederli
- Teachers
-
- Luisa Ederli
- Hours
- 47 ore - Luisa Ederli
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2019
- Offered
- 2019/20
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Discipline del settore biomolecolare
- Academic discipline
- BIO/04
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- Plant cell and tissue culture techniques. Somaclonal variation. Micropropagation ; organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. Germplasm conservation. Plant genetic modification: transgenes and transformation. Genetic silencing. Molecular bases of plant adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress. Engineering resistance to herbicides, insect pests, pathogens and hostile environments. Plant biotechnology and food quality. Metabolic engineering of plant secondary metabolism. Plants as a source for pharmaceutical protein and antibody production.
- Reference texts
- "Biotecnologia Molecolare" Glick e Pasternak, Zanichelli
"Biologia cellulare & Biotecnologie vegetali" G Pasqua, Piccin
Additional material provided by the teacher - Educational objectives
- By completing this course, together with the previous studies, the student is expected to have amplified and integrated his knowledge of physiology, genetics and biology relating to the plants and their interactions with the environment. The student will gain a profound understanding of the theory and practical use of the newest techniques within the field of plant biotechnology and will be able to employ that knowledge in future engineering of crops for improved agronomic traits, and in the development of crop-based production systems for molecular farming in plants. The student will also be able to critically assess the potential impact of plant biotechnology on the environment and human health.
- Prerequisites
- In order to be able to understand the topics of the program, students must have acquired basic knowledge of Molecular Biology, Plant Biology and Plant Physiology.
- Teaching methods
- Lectures on all subjects of the course.
Practical training in laboratory. - Other information
- Optional but strongly advised frequency.
The powerpoint slides are available to students in the "UniStudium" platform. - Learning verification modality
- The exam includes only the final oral test.
- Extended program
- Introduction to plant biotechnology. Plant cell and tissue culture techniques. Media preparation. Plant growth regulators. Callus and suspension cultures. Cell viability test. Somaclonal variation. Micropropagation ; organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. Germplasm conservation. Plant transformation technology: Agrobacterium-mediated and direct transformation. Genetic silencing and control of transgene expression. Study of gene function. Plant genomics: Arabidopsis as a model plant. Molecular bases of plant adaptation to biotic stress. Genetic basis of plant-pathogen interactions. Biochemistry of plant defence reactions. Control of plant pathogens by genetic engineering. Engineering resistance to herbicides, glyphosate resistance. Plant responses to abiotic stresses. Stresses involving water deficit. Osmotic adjustment and its role in tolerance to drought and salinity. Genetic approaches to enhance tolerance to hostile environments. Plant biotechnology and food quality. Metabolic engineering of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins. Molecular biology of fruit maturation and ripening. Metabolic engineering of plant secondary metabolism. Plants for molecular farming. Plants as a source for vaccines, pharmaceutical protein and emerging production systems for antibody.