Download Plant Cell Biology and Biochemistry

Plant Cell Biology and Biochemistry
Faculty
Paula Duque Santos, PhD (Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal)
José Feijó, PhD (Univ. Maryland, EUA)
Jorge Marques da Silva, PhD (F. Ciências, Univ. Lisboa, Portugal)
Américo Rodrigues, PhD (F. Ciências, Univ. Lisboa, Portugal)
Learning outcomes
This module will provide an understanding of the unique features of plant cells and a general grounding on plant physiology and
growth. In addition it will provide a brief introduction to the various physiological, molecular, and biochemical mechanisms plants
use to respond to environmental stresses like extreme temperature, drought, salt, and pathogens. The basic physical and
physiological principles will be covered in combination with recent research progress in these fields.
In this module the students are expected to (1) learn the major principles of plant physiology and the crucial processes behind it
(e.g. water and nutrient transport, photosynthesis, key regulatory hormones); (2) gain understanding on the interaction between
plants and the environment (3) become familiar with basic methodologies employed in these fields (4) develop the skills to read
relevant literature, to follow research seminars in these fields and to critically assess the presented information.
Syllabus
1) The Plant Cell
- Cellular organization
-Cell division
2) Biochemistry and metabolism
-Photosynthesis
-Respiration and lipid metabolism
3) Nutrient acquisition
- Water and solute transport
- Mineral nutrition
4) Control of plant growth and development
- Cell walls
- Phytochrome and light control of plant development
- Plant hormones and signalling
5) Adaptation and stress response
- Environmental stress, acclimation and adaptation
- Secondary metabolites and plant defense
Course Structure
The course will consist both of lectures and practical exercises. Lectures will present an overview of basic principles and current
research areas of plant biology and will be based on reference textbooks complemented with updates on current research efforts in
these fields. This will be in the form of research seminars by local and invited faculty members directly involved in research.
Practical exercises will focus on examining plant growth and developmental responses to hormones and environmental factors. In
addition to performing experiments with a known outcome, the students will also perform experiments on mutant plants, which
have not previously been characterized in detail. This will allow students to develop their own ideas on how to identify and study
the function of the components possibly affected and to relate their findings and thoughts to current literature. Evaluation will be
based on the participation of students in lectures, research seminars, and practical exercises and will be in the form of project/topic
assignments (written/oral), laboratory books and reports, discussion groups and journal clubs.
The learning outcomes of this course will be met by providing students with a comprehensive yet dynamic overview of this field and
by promoting critical, independent and creative thinking. This will be achieved through the described combination of lectures on
the basic principles of plant biology with cutting-edge research seminars and laboratory exercises with established and unknown
outcomes. Together with the previous module on Aquatic Plants and Algae, this module will complement previous units on more
general Cell Biology, Physiology, and Molecular Biology, and will facilitate student´s participation in the following unit on Plant
Biotechnology. The module is designed to provide preliminary training in the scientific method and in the analysis and presentation
of scientific literature and results to their peers. Altogether this will provide basic training for the subsequent engagement of
students into their own thesis research.
Main Resources
1) Taiz and Zeiger 2010. Plant Physiology. 5th Edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, MA
2) Buchanan, Gruissem, and Jones. 2000. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants. Wiley-Blackwell-ASPB, Rockville, MD,