Michael Schläppi 
michael.schlappi@marquette.edu 
MW 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM 
This course is taught in Fall semesters of uneven years (2007, 2009, ...) 

In this part of BIOL 244 we will discuss aspects of developmental genetics of plants. All material is based on primary literature. The first lecture will start with a general introduction to the three topics I will cover during the next five weeks: cold acclimation, vernalization, and flower development. First, I will present cold acclimation as an environmental signal that changes the genetic program of many plants as preparation for winter. Next, I will address vernalization as an environmental cue leading to an epigenetic, developmental switch (vegetative to reproductive development). And last, I will discuss the developmental/genetic changes during flower development that lead to the transformation of vegetative structures into reproductive organs. The learning outcomes for this section are as follows: students will understand the addressed genetic and epigenetic concepts of plant development; students will have a theoretical understanding of the experimental approaches and techniques used to address scientific questions of plant development; students will be able to formulate critical questions regarding the lecture material and literature.