BIOSCI 752 : Plant Genomics and Biotechnology

Science

2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

How genomics and gene transfer technologies could be used to achieve improved plant growth and to develop food with new traits. Includes: plant genomics methods, engineering fruit colour, control of fruit ripening and texture, biotechnology project design. A sound understanding of BIOSCI 354 or BIOSCI 340 or equivalent is assumed.

Course Overview

This paper explores how genomics and gene transfer/editing technologies could be used to achieve improved plant growth and develop food with new traits. Topics may include: biotechnology project design to improve a particular plant trait, plant genomics and transcriptomics approached, secondary metabolism in plants and implications for human and animal health.
The course is divided in 3 topics covering important research areas in Plant Science: (i) Transgenic plants projects (ii) Genomic technologies and their use in plants and Secondary metabolism in plants and implications for human and animal health.

The course involves a mix of lectures, groups and class discussions as well as individual work.

During the course, students will become familiar with the current literature and critical issues in selected topics in plant genomics and biotechnology.

Students will learn how to read papers carefully and critique them properly, including assessing the experimental methods used, determining the key experimental findings of the paper, assessing the contribution the paper makes to the field and defining the experiments that should be done next.

Students will gain experience in designing a strategy to develop a successful crop using a transgenic approach and write it up as a proposal and gain experience in designing and giving seminars to a scientific audience.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Describe and discuss plant genetic engineering methodologies (Capability 1, 2 and 6)
  2. Describe and discuss current strategies used in plant functional genomics (Capability 1, 2 and 5)
  3. Design and write a proposal to develop plants with new traits, using genetic engineering (Capability 2, 3, 5 and 6)
  4. Critically evaluate scientific papers for methodology and analysis in current biotechnological techniques (Capability 1 and 2)
  5. Select relevant scientific papers for a specific topic. (Capability 2 and 5)
  6. Present in a clear and concise manner, both orally and as a written summary, the main findings of a scientific paper and propose future work. (Capability 2, 4 and 5)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Plant Biotechnology Proposal 25% Group & Individual Coursework
Group discussions 10% Group Coursework
Seminar 15% Individual Coursework
Paper summary 10% Individual Coursework
Exam 40% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Plant Biotechnology Proposal
Group discussions
Seminar
Paper summary
Exam

Learning Resources

No TextBook required

Special Requirements

Compulsory attendence to Lectures and group discussions.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures or  tutorial/discussion per week, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 6 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.

You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.

At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.

Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 12/02/2020 08:13 p.m.