Fall Semester 2005                                                        FOR6934-5811 

Lecture Notes

Problem Sets

Reference Materials

Exams

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology provides an integrated overview of the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms enabling plant growth, development, and function.  The lectures are designed to transition from textbook knowledge to the current primary literature in plant biology.  Students will learn how to critically evaluate published work and how to expand molecular and cellular concepts to laboratory practice through the design of experiments and interpretation of results. This is an excellent course for graduate students that desire a fast-paced, up-to-date introduction to plant molecular and cellular biology.

The course is comprised of four major sections: 1) Recombinant DNA Technology and DNA replication, 2) the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology, 3) Plant Cell Signal Transduction, and 4) Plant Cell Biology.  Specific topics include: molecular cloning, the cell cycle, DNA replication, transcription, translation, protein targeting, hormone signaling, light signaling, organelle biogenesis and function, and cellular development.  Prokaryotic and other non-plant examples are used when they better illustrate a particular concept or molecular model.

Learning Objectives- Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Explain current knowledge of fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms that mediate plant growth, development, function and adaptation

2. List and explain experimental methods and strategies used to elucidate molecular and cellular mechanisms

3. Apply principles of molecular and cellular biology to the interpretation and design of experiments that elucidate molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling plant growth, development, function and adaptation

4. Be able to read and analyze the primary literature in molecular and cellular biology

Links to Instructors:

Mark Settles