The Danish and global plant production is facing major challenges. The rapid population growth, the increased consumption of animal products and the use of crops for energy purposes demand an increased production. In addition, climate change is expected to have pronounced effects on plant production. At the same time there is also a strong wish among the public that future plant production can take place with minimal applications of pesticides and fertilizers. Plant biotechnology is expected to play a major role in meeting the demands created by this scenario through knowledge on plant genomes, advanced molecular breeding and development of genetically modified organisms (GMO). The course intends to provide the students with experience in state of the art molecular techniques and methods used in modern plant science and biotechnology including the genetic basis of several important plant properties and the use of molecular genetics and genetically modified organisms (GMO).

Period
11-08-2014 - 22-08-2014 (2 weeks)

Target group
Master's students. It is also relevant for PhD students

Course aim
Through an intensive two week course, the student will gain an understanding of the practical use of and theory behind the newest techniques within the field of plant science and will be able to employ that knowledge to solve problems within agricultural plant production through biotechnological approaches. The course includes:rnrn- Transformation/genetic modification of crop plantsrn- Microdissection of plant tissuesrn- Advanced gene expression studiesrn- Reporter genes for localization of gene productsrn- Plant protein expression, purification and characterization in Pichia pastorisrn- Storage protein composition in barleyrn- Phytase content in wheatrn- Metabolic engineering of plant quality traitsrn- Cisgenesisrn- Molecular based breeding methods, including selection based on phenotype and genotypern- Mutagenesis using the TALEN system.rn- Molecular genetic methods within genomics and transcriptomicsrn- Development of DNA markers, including functional markersrn- Bioinformatic and statistical tools to handle complex parameters and dataset in plant genetics and breeding, including genetic mapping, QTL-analysis and association studiesrn- Genomic selection in plant breeding



Credits
5.0 ECTS credits

Course fee
EUR 0[Convert to USD]ONLY Free-mover students and Tomplads students MUST pay for the course: rnrnDanish and EU/ES (tomplads): 133 EURrnrnNON-EU-ES students (free-mover): 1275 EURrnrnBooks, course materials, social programme, and housing are not included in the tuition fee. Also be aware of course specific expenses mentioned in the description.

Course leader
Sren Borg, Aarhus University

Aarhus University International Centre
Address: Hoeg Guldbergs Gade 4, building 1650 Aarhus C
Postal code: 8000
City: Aarhus
Country: Denmark
Website: http://www.au.dk/summeruniversity
E-mail: SummerUniversity@adm.au.dk
Phone: +45 8942 2320