The integration of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics and cell biology has had an enormous impact on plant science in recent years. This course will present current understanding in several key areas and demonstrate how conceptual and technical advances provide new insights in plant biology and new approaches for crop improvement and agriculture. Two introductory lectures will be given on plant structure and function prior to the major topics, which will include plant growth and development, regulation of gene expression, nutrient acquisition, photosynthesis, and disease and defence. Each topic will be presented by a researcher from the School of Biology or CSIRO Plant Industry. The course will include laboratory experience with equipment and techniques used in plant molecular research.

Honours Pathway Option (HPO)

Entry to this option will be subject to the approval of the course conveners. Students who take this option will be required to present a seminar on a research paper. The seminar will be assessed and will contribute to 16 per cent of the total assessment for the course, with the assessment for the essay reduced to 16% of the total and tutorial quizzes to 8%.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand and describe the problems being addressed and the advances achieved in molecular plant science
2. Understand and describe several advanced  molecular techniques and how they are being used to achieve advances in molecular plant science
3. Search bibliographic databases to identify papers reporting recent advances in specific areas of molecular plant science and to distill, integrate, evaluate and discuss the important findings of these papers in writing
4. Use a selection of plant-science-related molecular techniques and to present and interpret data generated by these techniques in writing

Assessment will be based on:

• Essay on research papers (24%; LO 1, 2, 3)
• Tutorial quizzes (16%; LO 1, 2)
• Laboratory reports (10%; LO 4)
• Final examination (50%; LO 1, 2)

Contact: 36 lectures, 8 one-hour tutorials and 4 two-hour laboratory sessions. Non-contact: essay - approximately 30 hours; laboratory reports - approximately 12 hours

BIOL2121 or BIOL2151 or BIOL2161 or BIOL2171. BIOL3177 is an advanced course that requires a basic understanding in one, or preferably more, of the areas of biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics or plant structure and function.