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Each lecture addresses an aspect of plant biology and how this is related to a future challenge faced by humanity. You will learn: how plants capture the resources they require from the environment, how plants can maximise productivity and fitness in their environment and how they are adapted to tolerate extreme conditions. You will find out how this knowledge is being used to address major societal and environmental challenges such as sustaining our food supply, providing renewable energy, and protecting the environment.

 

To provide a knowledge and understanding of: 
• The role of plant research to promote our food security in the near future 
• The role of plant research in adapting to climate change 
• The role of GM approaches to understand and modify plant responses 
• The sophistication of plant responses to environmental parameters

Upon completion of this unit, students will have knowledge and understanding of:

• The contribution of plant sciences to solving major societal and environmental challenges: examples of links between basic plant sciences, sustaining our food supply and improving the environment.
• How plants continuously monitor and respond to environmental stimuli such as plant neighbours, seasons, temperature and the availability of nutrients.
• The physiology behind the predicted impact of climate change on crop production.
• Ethical and practical aspects of using GM crops.
• The knowledge base for the third year unit: Green Biotechnology.

Lectures address various aspects of plant biology and how these are important to address challenges faced by humanity within the next 50 years. The course will give an overview of the regulation of plant growth, the biology of flowering, seeds and plant nutrition. Lectures will illustrate how understanding each of these principles allows to meet some of the challenges caused by climate change and increased world population. These challenges include flood tolerance; better climate change models; adapting crop flowering time to climate change; tailoring plant architecture to increased yield; enhancing wood formation in trees for biofuel, improving drought, cold and salt tolerance of crops; allowing bioremediation of contaminated soils using plants; developing biofuel using algae. Some solutions involve GM approaches, and some don’t.

1.    Coursework: Assessed mini-exam on one example of plant domestication or on GM approaches (20%), 
2.    In-person written examination (80%): Section A: One short essay out of 2 questions, and Section B: one figure analysis out of 2 figures.
 

Written feedback on the mini-exam coursework with advice to help improve marks at the written examination. Feedback clinic for the written exam

 

Background reading
•    Taiz, L. Zeiger E. Møller I.M. and Murphy A. (2023) Plant Physiology and Development (7th edition). Sinauer Associates Inc. with online resources.

Further reading
•    Slater, A, Scott, N, Fowler, M (2008) Plant Biotechnology: The Genetic manipulation of plants (2nd edition). Oxford University Press
•    Smith, A. et al (2009) Plant Biology. Garland Science.
 

 

The year studying abroad is an integral part of the course and must be completed. Some costs, such as tuition fees, are substantially lower. Other costs can vary and are not included in the tuition fee. For example, living costs may be higher or lower than the UK, and there are travel-related costs to consider, such as paying for a passport, visa fees, health insurance, and (if needed) vaccinations.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's (PDF document, 91KB).

Students participating in placements outside the UK may be able to apply for funding from the depending on eligibility. Priority will be given to students from low income households.