Biology of Reproduction

Code:

BIOL4015

Acronym:

BIOL4015

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Biology

Instance: 2023/2024 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Biology
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Functional Biology and Biotechnology of Plants

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M:BCM	1	Official Study Plan until 2023/2024	1	-	3	21	81
M:BFBP	4	Plano de Estudos M:BFBP_2015_2016	1	-	3	21	81

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

 

The main objectives of this course are to provide students with ability to handle all bio-informatics tools available to the plant that is considered a model in molecular biology.
Familiarize themselves with advanced processing plants, handling of single and double null mutants and mutants with genes labeled with different tags. Employ techniques of emasculation and pollination of plants, studies semi in vivo of the pollen tube growth and visualization of molecular markers by fluorescence microscopy and electronic microscopy. Evaluation of results of Real Time-PCR and evaluating the results of RNA-seq.

Learning outcomes and competences

The students will be able to go onto a scientific stay in any Molecular Biology lab, as well as they will have knowledge about Plants reproductive Biology.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Program

 

 

The program of this course aims to acquaint the students with the current state of knowledge about sexual plant reproduction in Arabidopsis and other important species, namely rice plants.  Arabidopsis thaliana is an excellent genetic model plant used in many reproduction studies, since the knowledge obtained with this species might be easily transferred to crop species. Crossings between different plants is usually essential for these kinds of analysis: to introgress different marker lines in a line of interest, to get double or higher order mutants, or to visualize the reproductive process by using several fluorescence marker lines.

Students will learn detailed flower structure and gametophyte development and will be involved in the topic of signaling processes during the interaction of pollen with the pistil, a topic present in the European Marie Curie projects that are present in the lab, students will have access to the most recent results obtained by the entire consortium, related to the sexual reproduction of plants. They will also have available all the results of the national FCT projects, taking place in the laboratory. Students will also benefit from the material resources and equipment of the group, and from the knowledge already obtained and published in scientific journals.

In the lab, students will perform the most UpToDate techniques related to sexual plant reproduction.

 

Mandatory literature

Scott R. J. Rod J. 340; Molecular and cellular aspects of plant reproduction. ISBN: 9780521455251

Teaching methods and learning activities

 

Continuous evaluation during all the lab work, evaluating participation, punctuality, integration in the team, autonomy, motivation, organization of working time, initiative, rigour, method and organization skills.

Written report following research paper standards, of the lab works and an oral presentation from one of the focused subjects.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho escrito	60,00
Prova oral	40,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	60,00
Frequência das aulas	21,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

The students obtain frequency, attending 75% of all classes.

Calculation formula of final grade

Participation + Report (up to 12) + Oral presentation (up to 8) = 20

Classification improvement

The student can improve the grade of the written report