Aims and objectives
The aim of this module is to introduce students to aspects of plant biochemistry which may be relevant to the use and exploitation of plants. To achieve this, the lectures/seminars will focus on the biochemical processes of primary production and secondary metabolism which are specific to plants, treating them in terms of what we already know, what the potential for manipulation is, and what the problems with such manipulation might be.

Content
The bulk of the lecture/seminar sessions will be based on the research interests and experience of the lecturer giving the course, and is not intended to be encyclopaedic. Subjects to be dealt with include the following:
Chloroplast development
Pigments and energy capture
Organisation of photosynthetic complexes
The C3 cycle compared with C4 photosynthesis and CAM
Oxygen toxicity and protective systems
Regulation of carbon partitioning and nitrate assimilation in leaves
Regulation of sucrose metabolism
Surcrose metabolism and nitrogen fixation
Plant phenolics
The metabolism and regulatory functions of chlorophyll
Programmed cell death
Lectures and directed reading of original literature will be complemented with a workshop on some of the biochemical methods used to study secondary products of pharmaceutical interest.

Learning outcomes
After attending this module, the student should:

have gained experience of poster presentation of selected primary data in scientific journals
be able to make a reasoned appraisal of aspects of plant biochemistry which may inform the debate on the potential for, and practice of; plant manipulation and exploitation.