Plant biotechnology and molecular breeding

About the course

The course aims to provide knowledge on biotechnological applications in agriculture and forestry as well as how modern molecular biological methods can be used in plant breeding. The course has several elements. Part 1 deals with the genetic transformation of plants with Agrobacterium system, but also with other techniques and tissue culture propagation. Specific problems regarding e.g. grasses and trees are discussed, and the laboratory sections illustrate the transformation and tissue culture of plants. Part 2 deals with how plants but also to some extent bacteria can be utilized as production systems for example, chemicals, fuel, drugs and antibodies, as well as how plants can be genetically modified to have an altered nutrient content (e.g. Golden rice) or to become more resistant to stress. Practical exercises are also included in this subsection. Part 3 concerns with various genetic techniques used in plant breeding, e.g. various molecular markers, genetic maps and even some population genetics / studies of natural variation. Molecular breeding work of various crops are also raised, and the laboratory exercises demonstrate such the use of molecular markers. In Part 4 the social aspects of plant biotechnology is dicsussed, for example, legislation of GMO plants in Sweden and the EU, patent legislation, risk assessment and ethical aspects of GMO plants and similar substances.
 
The course is divided into three phases: theory (10.5 credits), literature studies and seminarium presentation (1.5 credits), laboratory exercises (3 credits)