Module Identifier | BSM0810 | ||||||||||||||
Module Title | MOLECULAR PLANT PHYSIOLOGY | ||||||||||||||
Academic Year | 2006/2007 | ||||||||||||||
Co-ordinator | Dr Ian M Scott | ||||||||||||||
Semester | Semester 1 | ||||||||||||||
Course delivery | Lecture | 18 Hours. | |||||||||||||
Practical | 20 Hours. | ||||||||||||||
Assessment |
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1. Mechanisms of action of plant hormones, The topic is reviewed in the light of recent advances in the understanding of the perception of hormonal signals and the various ways in which these signals may be transduced. Hormone signalling will encompass knowledge of hormone receptors, intracellular cascades and ultimately effects on gene expression.
2. Stress responses in plants. The understanding and hence improvement of stress tolerance in plants is a research priority of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research. The prospect of climate change has in recent years enhanced the importance of this topic. The lectures will cover physiological, molecular and genetic aspects of plant responses to the major environmental stresses such as cold, heat and drought.
3. Growth and senescence. Local research interests will be used to illustrate modern approaches to the study of these fundamental processes. The dramatic effects of the gibberellin-related growth systems in dicots and monocots will be used to explore the value of such experimental modification in transgenic plants will also be discussed.
The pracitcals provide an introduction to the important modern techniques of plant genetic transformation and tissue culture, analysis of hormones by HPLC and GC/MS, hormones binding assays, protein purification and identification using Western Blots.
This module is at CQFW Level 7