Logo UAB
2020/2021

Plant Physiology and Metabolism

Code: 43863 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
4316231 Plant Biology, Genomics and Biotechnology OB 0 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Carlota Poschenrieder Wiens
Email:
Charlotte.Poschenrieder@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)

Other comments on languages

English is used in all lectures, seminars and lab sessions

Teachers

Isabel Corrales Pinart
Benet Gunsé Forcadell
Roser Tolra Perez

External teachers

Silvia Busoms

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge in Plant Physiology and Plant Metabolism

Objectives and Contextualisation

Acquisition of an integrative view of how  different organisation levels (molecular,  metabolic, and physiologic) cooperate in  the functioning of the whole plant, with special emphasis on the metabolic diversity of plants and its regulation by internal and external factors

Competences

  • Apply biotechnological cell factory methods to plants and fungi to obtain new products.
  • Apply knowledge of functional mechanisms of various different organizational levels in plants to the characterization of growth and development processes of the whole plant organism.
  • Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  • Propose and analyze ad hoc solutions derived from plant research, in accordance with the situations and needs of each case.
  • Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  • Use and manage bibliographical information and computer resources in the area of study.
  • Use scientific terminology to argue the results of research and present them in English both orally and in writing in an international environment.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply knowledge of plants' secondary metabolism to industrial biotechnological uses.
  2. Choose and apply experimental tools for plant phenotyping.
  3. Choose and apply model plants for the study of functional mechanisms in plants.
  4. Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  5. Describe the metabolic processes of plants and apply techniques to study these.
  6. Describe the processes for transporting plants and apply techniques to study these.
  7. Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  8. Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  9. Use and manage bibliographical information and computer resources in the area of study.
  10. Use scientific terminology to argue the results of research and present them in English both orally and in writing in an international environment.

Content

Plant cell compartmentation

Energy transformation

Transport processes in plants and their regulation

Primary metabolism

Diversity  of secondary metabolism

Regulation of plant metabolism

Industrial use of plant secondary metabolism

Experimental techniques in Plant Physiology and Metabolism

    -Growth analysis and phenotyping

    -Membrane stability

    -Water and ion relationships

    -Chlorophyll fluorescence

    -Analysis of metabolism

 

 

Methodology

Presencial activities are lectures, seminars,  lab. practice, and visit to research institution. Attendance is required; absence  should be justified. Lectures are held by the academic staff. Seminars include an individual oral presentation of a selected reserach article by each student and discussion. For lab practice students are divided into 3 groups. Part of the lab practices are demostrative. For each practical session students have to prepare a report presenting and discussing the results.

Elaboration of seminar presentations and lab reportare supervised activities; 

Autonomous activities include  scientific reading and personal study

Students can ask the academic staff for personal turorial session

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lab practice 9.5 0.38 6, 5, 8, 9, 10
Lectures 18 0.72 1, 6, 5, 2, 3
Seminars 10 0.4 7, 8, 4
Type: Supervised      
Preparation of seminars and reports 24 0.96 1, 6, 5, 7, 8, 4, 2, 3, 9, 10
Type: Autonomous      
Personal study, consult and analysis of articles and reports 87.5 3.5 1, 6, 5, 7, 3, 9

Assessment

Final qualification is composed by the following items: attendance and participation in lectures and seminars (10%), report of laboratory activities 20%, individual oral presentation at seminar 30%, and written exam of lecture contents (40%)

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Attendance and participation in lectures and seminars 10% 0 0 1, 7, 8, 10
Lab report 20% 0 0 7, 4, 3, 9, 10
Oral presentation 30% 0 0 7, 4, 9, 10
Written exam 40% 1 0.04 1, 6, 5, 8, 2

Bibliography

Barceló J, Nicolás G, Sabater B, Sánchez R (2001) Fisiología Vegetal. Pirámide, Madrid

Barceló J (2010) Perspectivas y retos de estudio en Fisiología vegetal, Boletin de la Sociedad Española de Fisiología vegetal 51: 35-44

Taiz L, Zeiger E, Moller IM, Murphy A (2014) Plant Physiology and Development, 6th edition. Sinaurer Assoc. Oxford Univ Press. http://6e.plantphys.net/

Buchanan BB, Griessen W, Jones RL (2015) Biochemistry & Molecular Biology of Plants. 2nd edition; Wiley, Blackwell, Chichester, U.K.

Jones R, Ougham H, Thomas H, Waaland S (2013) The Molecular Life of Plants, Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, U.K.

Grierson CS et al (2011) One-hundred Questions Facing Plant Science Research. New Phytologist 192: 6-12. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03859.x/full