BIOL-6720

Molecular Biology of Plants

The course will cover several topics that are currently at the forefront of study of the molecular biology of flowering plants. These include: (1) the organization of DNA sequences in nuclear chromosomes and in those of mitochondria and chloroplasts; (2) the regulation of transcription and translation of tissue-specific and environmentally-sensitive genes; (3) gene expression in the development and functioning of chloroplasts and mitochondria; (4) methods of transformation of plants and the use of transgenic plants to answer questions of basic plant molecular biology and development; and (5) the engineering of new traits in plants. The course assumes a familiarity with basic biochemistry and molecular biology. Taught jointly with the State University of New York at Albany. Fall term even-numbered years.

3 credit hours