Plant Molecular Physiology

In this course we will study inside a plant where there are many highly active, dynamic processes by which a plant senses aspects of its environment and initiates complex responses that allow it to defend itself, alert its neighbors, or overcome harsh environments. We will focus on multiple aspects of plant molecular physiology, including major hormonal responses, developmental stages, vascular transport, nutrient acquisition, and metabolism, all in the context of building our understanding of the genes and proteins that catalyze these essential processes. The lab portion of this course will introduce students to common methods used by plant geneticists to test gene function, including mutational analysis, molecular cloning, and plant transformation, among others. Prerequisites: BIOL 0145 and BIOL 0140. 6 hrs lecture / 9 hrs lab each week.