Industrial and Commercial Aspects of Plant Biotechnology

Code

BIOS4126

School

Biosciences

Level

4

Credits

10

Semesters

Spring UK

Summary

The module will cover the application of the latest and emergent biotechnology options for crop improvement. In relation to crop production, this will involve consideration of the genetic engineering of plant species to introduce new traits and new genetic mapping techniques as an aid to conventional plant breeding programmes. The students will visit research institutes and Agri-Biotech companies to see the latest technologies in action. The visits will include days spent at Rothamsted Research, NIAB, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and several plant breeding companies. Instruction will be in the form of lectures and practical demonstrations including cereal transformation, molecular approaches to varietal analysis and image analysis for varietal profiling.  A visit to Elsoms Seeds will enable students to see seed quality testing, breeding strategies for vegetable crops, trialling and tissue culture for homozygous plant production.

Target Students

MSc Plant Biotechnology stream of MSc Biotechnology Course but also available to students on MSc in Crop Improvement.There is a limited number of places on this module. Students are reminded that enrolments which are not agreed by the Offering School in advance may be cancelled without notice.

Assessment

• 100% Exam 1 (2-hour): Exam (essay style question, 3 out of 5 questions)

Assessed by end of spring semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

• To gain first-hand knowledge of how plant biotechnology, genetic engineering technology and plant breeding is being exploited by Agro-industry.

• To synthesise related information from industrial visits in a concise written form (tested by essay style exam questions).

Conveners

• Dr Stella Edwards