Ateneo - UPO

Domestication traits introgressed into cultivated plants, plant genomes evolution and their features, approaches for generation of biodiversity, biofortification, plant-microbe interactions with special focus on beneficial micro-organisms and their exploitation, relationship between human population, plants, and food

No texts are available. Scientific papers, whose references will be provided during the lessons, and the slides will represent the teaching materials

Understanding the complexity of genetic changes that allowed evolution of plant useful traits, features of crop genomes, approaches to generate useful biodiversity, genetics-genomics approaches for biofortification, the complexity of the interactions between plants and microorganisms, as well as their possible applications, to keep science based discussion on problems linked to food production by biotechnological methods, also from a mediatic point of view

Basic knowledge in genetics, plant cell biology, botany, microbiology, micology, basic plant physiology

Frontal lessons in the classroom

Module Plant Genetics: The final exam will be written. The test will be based on questions with multiple answers concerning the topics presented during the course. If allowed by the exam procedure, also a limited number of open questions will be foreseen, allowing the students to develop a theme and to demonstrate the level of their in depth understanding. An a priori maximum score will be assigned to each question. The final marks will be the sum of the marks of each question. Module Botany: The final exam will be oral. The interview will start with about three questions on general topics, concerning the subjected presented during the course, allowing the students to develop a theme and demonstrate the level of their in depth understanding. Detailed questions may follow, in order to explore unverified topics and to verify the skills in establishing connections. The final marks
will be the average of the marks of each question. Module Plant Physiology: the student will discuss a further elaboration of an assigned topic. The final
score is achieved through a weighted average of the evaluations for the single modules. The final evaluation is agreed and shared among all the teachers of the three modules

Plant Genetics: Domestication traits, from wild to cultivated species: genes that contributed to the modification of plant architecture, including spike/panicle shape, plant height. Genomes evolution and crop genomes features: genomes duplication and fate of duplicated genes, polyploidy, impact of transposable elements on traits evolution, genomics databases. Advanced approaches for generation of biodiversity: TILLING; EcoTilling and analytical approaches; plant genetic transformation (agrobaterium-based and biolistic); Genome editing. Genetics-genomics for biofortification: target genes for plant breeding and metabolic engineering in biofortification; strategies for increasing carotenoid in crop plants; Golden rice I and II; metabolic
engineering strategies to increase and stabilize folic acid content in rice; Iron biofortification in rice: single and multiple genes approaches. Botany: Plant microbe interactions in a Plant Biotechnology frame. Types of interactions. Definition of symbiosis. Plant structural and chemical defenses. Plant
constitutive and inducible defenses. Pathogen recognition. Pattern triggered immunity and Effector triggered immunity. Plant growth promoting bacteria: generalities. The case of nitrogen fixing bacteria with special reference to rhizobia. The NFC clade. Mycorrhizal symbioses. General introduction, types of mycorrhizae. Orchid, ericodi, arbuscular and ectomycorrhizae. The common symbiosis signalling pathway of rhizobial and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Signalling in ectomycorrhizae. Case studies: the interaction of beneficial soil microbiota and plants, effects on the quality of products. Plant Physiology: Some consideration on demography and evolution of human population; the need for food during the history; born of agriculture and its development; domestication plants for agriculture; physiology and genetics of domestication; the green revolution; why we need a biotechnology approach to further develop agriculture; examples; plants and global climate changes

Knowledge and understanding: it is expected that a Plant Biotechnology course, characterized by several specific and characterizing topics, the obtained specific knowledge level will be in agreement with International standards. This will allow the student to deal with concepts related to genetics traits related to yield and quality of the final products, together with the main types of plant-microbe beneficial interactions, the possible exploitation in agriculture and environmental sciences, the mechanisms controlling the main interactions between plants and microorganisms. Finally, the student should be able to discuss in a critical form relationships among the need to produce food, environment and technology.
Applying knowledge and understanding: several course sections have been focused on different practical cases related to sectors related to genes involved in the evolution of useful traits, features of plant genomes, approaches for the generation of useful biodiversity and biotechnology for plant
biofortification; it is therefore expected an increased problem solving aptitude in plant genetics problems related to the explained sectors, correlated to
increased skills towards practical application of the acquired knowledge. Expected are also ability to integrate the knowledge and abilities acquired during the class with those derived from other courses, together with ability to comprehend the functioning and aims of some plant-based applications of environmental biotechnology.
Making judments: it is expected an increased knowledge-based and personalized judgement capability on the plant genetics topics as well as ability to interpretate experimental results concerning the biology of applied plant-microbe interactions and advanced topics related to plant physiology.
Communication skills: a knowledge-based increased skills in communications are expected about plant biotechnology-related topics, as well as is expected increased ability in using an appropriate scientific language during oral and written communication and ability to identify and present essential information.
Learning skills: knowledge in plant biotechnology will offers a robust cultural base for understanding several other subjects; as an exemplification it can
be mentioned disciplines related to botany, plant physiology, plant biochemistry, plant-microbe interactions and to learn how they could be exploited. Such ability will be developed by involving the students in discussions during the lessons.