Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Plants
Code: 100913Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry | OP | 4 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Jordi Moreno Romero
- Email :
- jordi.moreno.romero@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Laia Armengot Martinez
- Jordi Moreno Romero
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
There are no mandatory prerequisites but knowledge in Molecular Biology is highly recommended.
Objectives
The general goal of this subject is to provide the required knowledge to understand the molecular bases of plant biology, as well as the techniques and basic aspects of plant biotechnology, with important social implications as well as the use of transgenic plants or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
At the end of this subject, students should be able to have their own criteria on issues of plant biotechnology with social repercussion, based on contrasting knowledge.
Learning outcomes
- CM16 (Assess new methodologies and approaches in molecular biology research applied to the study of cancer.) Assess new methodologies and approaches in molecular biology research applied to the study of cancer.
- CM17 (Design experiments using molecular biology techniques to address complex problems in the field of biochemistry.) Design experiments using molecular biology techniques to address complex problems in the field of biochemistry.
- CM18 (Make an oral presentation on a topic related to molecular biology.) Make an oral presentation on a topic related to molecular biology.
- KM21 (Describe the molecular mechanisms involved in the maintenance, variability and transmission of genetic information, as well as in the regulation of gene expression.) Describe the molecular mechanisms involved in the maintenance, variability and transmission of genetic information, as well as in the regulation of gene expression.
- SM18 (Apply computing resources to visualize and understand the three-dimensional structure of proteins, search for information in databases, and use molecular tools.) Apply computing resources to visualize and understand the three-dimensional structure of proteins, search for information in databases, and use molecular tools.
- SM20 (Apply the basic techniques of recombinant DNA technology to molecular biology and protein engineering.) Apply the basic techniques of recombinant DNA technology to molecular biology and protein engineering.
Contents
The course is divided into two parts. The first part introduces the fundamental concepts of Molecular Biology and Plant Biotechnology, while the second part focuses on experimental tools and applications in Plant Biotechnology, Cell Biology, and Molecular Biology. The course combines lectures with problem-solving sessions.
Part I
The first part covers the following topics:
- Organization of plant genomes.
- Gene expression analysis.
- Gene function analysis: forward and reverse genetics.
- Fundamentals of Plant Biotechnology.
- Introduction.
- In vitro plant culture.
- Classical plant breeding.
Upon completion of this part, students will be able to:
- Describe the structure of a plant gene, from transcription to the production of a functional protein.
- Understand high-throughput techniques for studying gene expression regulation.
- Apply the principles of in vitro plant culture.
- Explain the use of Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism and compare it with other plant model species.
- Understand the generation, applications, and relevance of mutant plant collections.
- Use bioinformatics platforms for molecular biology studies.
- Describe molecular tools used in classical plant breeding.
Part II
The second part covers the following topics:
- Plant genetic engineering.
- Introduction and key concepts.
- Tools and methodologies for plant genetic engineering.
- Genome editing in plants using CRISPR-Cas technology.
- Applications of plant biotechnology in research.
- Cell biology techniques.
- Protein-protein interaction studies.
- Agronomic applications.
Upon completion of this part, students will be able to:
- Understand plant transformation methods, including Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, biolistic transformation, chemical mutagenesis, and related approaches.
- Describe the generation of transgenic plants through gene overexpression or RNA interference (RNAi), from cloning to selection.
- Apply the principles of genome editing using CRISPR-Cas technology.
- Understand cell biology tools used in plant biotechnology and plant molecular biology.
- Describe methods for detecting protein-protein interactions.
- Evaluate the social and economic impact of transgenic crops.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| laboratory training | 12 | 0.48 | CM17, KM21, SM18, SM20 |
| seminars | 12 | 0.48 | CM16, CM17, CM18, KM21, SM20 |
| lectures | 28 | 1.12 | CM16, CM17, KM21, SM18, SM20 |
| Tutoring | 5 | 0.2 | CM16, CM17, CM18, KM21, SM18, SM20 |
| Practical case preparation | 8 | 0.32 | CM16, CM17, KM21, SM18 |
| Personal study | 61 | 2.44 | CM17, KM21, SM18, SM20 |
| Elaboration of practical report | 5 | 0.2 | CM17, KM21, SM18, SM20 |
| seminar elaboration | 5 | 0.2 | CM16, CM17, CM18, KM21, SM20 |
| Examination (seminars and theory) | 7 | 0.28 | CM16, CM17, CM18, KM21, SM18, SM20 |
The training activities will consist of theorethical classes, seminars and laboratory.
Theorethical classes
The teachers will explain the contingut of the subject with the support of material accessible to the internet. These expositive sessions will constitute the main part of the course. The connections of some parts of the subject matter have to be an object of in-depth study by the students, through autonomous work. To facilitate this task, information will be provided from textbooks, web pages, scientific articles related to the subject…
Seminars
The seminars will be given by the students themselves, individually or in groups, depending on the number of students enrolled and the availability of time.
The students will have to explain in a period of 10 minutes the resolution of a case study in the molecular biology of plants and propose some objectives aimed at its resolution. In addition, apart from the seminar and the question-and-answer discussion, the students will have to deliver a poster.
The seminars will be subject to evaluation, having an impact on the final grade.
Practical laboratory classes
The practical laboratory classes will consist of 3 sessions of 4 hours each. The protocols for carrying out the practices will be made available to students at the beginning of the academic year. During these sessions, some of the basic topics of plant biotechnology will be explored at an experimental level.
The practices will be mandatory and subject to evaluation, having an impact on the final grade.
The language of the laboratory practical sessions will be English.
Use of AI
For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, or translations. For seminar/case study submissions, students must clearly identify which parts weregenerated using AI technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced both the process and the final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding AI use in this assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in partial or full penalties to the grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical case | 25% | 0 | 0 | CM17, KM21, SM18, SM20 |
| Poster presentation | 10% | 3 | 0.12 | CM18, SM20 |
| 1st Part Test | 15% | 1 | 0.04 | CM16, CM17, KM21, SM18, SM20 |
| 2on Part test | 30% | 3 | 0.12 | CM16, CM17, KM21, SM18, SM20 |
| Laboratory training | 20% | 0 | 0 | CM17, SM18, SM20 |
Continuous assessment
Assessment of the course is based on laboratory practicals, seminars, assessment of theoretical knowledge, and the completion of a practical case study.
Attendance at laboratory practical sessions is compulsory. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in the loss of the right to be assessed in the remaining assessment activities of the course. Students will receive a Not Assessable (NA) grade if their absence from laboratory practical sessions exceeds 20% of the scheduled sessions.
Once passed, laboratory practicals will remain valid in subsequent academic years and will not need to be repeated if the student re-enrols in the course.
The laboratory practical assessment will consider: (1) attitude and participation during the practical sessions; (2) the experimental results obtained; and (3) the laboratory report. The report will consist of the presentation of the student's own results together with their interpretation and critical discussion.
Laboratory practicals account for 2 points out of the final grade (20%).
The language of the practical sessions will be English (this is the only part of the course that will be taught in this language).
Seminars will be assessed through the preparation of a project and its oral presentation to the class (typically in poster format). This activity accounts for 1 point out of the final grade (10%).
Knowledge acquired from the lectures will be assessed as follows:
- The first part of the course will be assessed halfway through the teaching period by means of a written examination (first midterm), worth a maximum of 1.5 points towards the final grade, together with the submission of a practical case study, worth a maximum of 2.5 points.
- The second part of the course will be assessed by a written examination (second midterm) at the end of the teaching period, worth a maximum of 3 points towards the final grade.
The final course grade will be calculated as the sum of the marks obtained in the different assessment activities.
To pass the course, students must obtain a final grade of at least 5.0 out of 10. In addition, they must obtain a minimum grade of 5.0 out of 10 in the combined theoretical examinations (first and second midterms). Otherwise, the course will not be passed, even if the weighted average of all assessment activities is 5.0 or higher.
To be eligible for the resit examination, students must have completed assessment activities accounting for at least two-thirds (67%) of the final course grade. Otherwise, they will receive a Not Assessable (NA) grade.
Students may also take the resit examination to improve their theoretical grade, even if they have already passed the course. In this case, the grade obtained in the resit examination will replace the previous theory grade.
Single assessment
Students who choose the single-assessment option must attend all scheduled laboratory practical sessions.
The single assessment consists of a comprehensive examination including multiple-choice questions and essay questions covering both the first and second parts of the course. This examination accounts for 70% of the final grade.
The laboratory report accounts for 20% of the final grade, while the preparation of a poster and the submission of a recorded oral defence account for the remaining 10%.
The laboratory report, the poster and the recorded presentation may be submitted on the same dates established for continuous assessment or on the day of the comprehensive examination.
The single-assessment examination will take place on the same date scheduled for the final continuous-assessment examination.
To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum grade of 5.0 out of 10 in the comprehensive examination and a final course grade of at least 5.0 out of 10.
The review of grades will follow the same procedure established for continuous assessment.
Students will receive a Not Assessable (NA) grade when the assessment activities completed account for less than 67% of the final course grade.
Academic misconduct
Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity (academic misconduct, plagiarism, or improper use of AI, unless such use is expressly authorized in the course syllabus) that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade will result in that activity being graded as 0. If the course syllabus stipulates that obtaining a minimum mark in this assessment is an essential requirement to pass the course, or if multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0. Furthermore, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student who incurs any of these irregularities.
Bibliography
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants (Buchanan, Gruissem and Jones) 2015 ASPP.
- Biology of Plants (Raven, Evert, and Eichhorn) 2012 Worth publishers,Inc.
- Plant Physiology (Salisbury and Ross) 1992 Wadsworth Publishing Company
- Plants, Genes, and Agriculture (Chrispeels and Sadava) 1994 Jones and Bartlett Publishers
- Fundamentos de Fisiología Vegetal. Joaquín Azcón-Bieto y Manuel Talón (2000). McGraw-Hill Interamericana y Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona.
- Huellas de DNA en genomas de plantas (Teoría y protocolos de laboratorio). Ernestina Valadez Moctezuma y Günter Kahl (2000). Mundi-Prensa México.
- Biotecnología Vegetal. Manuel Serrano García y M. Teresa Piñol Serra (1991). Colección Ciencias de la Vida. Editorial Síntesis. Madrid.
- Papers and reviews from different scientific journals. Practically all of them in english.
Student will find all the required theory information through the online tools that are available at the University.
Software
The websites of interest will be provided during the course.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE