Plants: Genes to Environment

Life on this planet depends upon the oxygen and food provided by plants. Food security, loss of habitat and biodiversity, land clearing, fish kills in inland waterways due to nutrient runoff and improving the efficiency of photosynthesis are some of the important hot topics relevant to plant biology. So what makes plants “tick”, and can they be improved so that the negative environmental impacts of intensive cropping can be balanced with ensuring food security? Modern plant science holds unprecedented opportunities to link processes at the genetic, molecular and physiological level to patterns at the overall plant level so that future food security can be achieved without compromising the environment. This multidisciplinary course encompasses molecular biology, genetics, plant physiology and development, as well as how plants respond to abiotic stress. This course exposes you to an exciting breadth of contemporary plant sciences so you can develop an understanding of this rapidly changing and fundamental field. You will develop skills and techniques important in contemporary plant science. You will apply your newly honed plant science skills to a detective problem - an intensive research project diagnosing the consequences of specific genetic mutations to plant growth, physiology and development. This research project gives students a taste of a real research environment and is one to consider should you be contemplating a career in plant science. Note: This course is co-taught with undergraduate students but assessed separately.