Fall 2008

 

Biology 325:        Special Topics in Plant Molecular Biology (Schläppi)

Topic:                  Genetic Engineering

 

Participants:

Anjali Gupta

Jasvinder Kaur

Xi Li

Tianyi Wu

Lihui Yin

Chao Zhang

 

Learning Outcome:

Students will be able to:

-         select relevant topics and literature for public presentation

-         understand the difference between journal club and seminar courses

-         engage in peer-review-style discussions to critique each other's presentation

 

First meeting: August 29, 2008

 

Order of business:

  1. Meeting time; meeting schedule
  2. Seminar structure
  3. Discussion of suitable topics:
    1. Genetic Engineering in Plants:

-         Biofules

-         Virus resistance

-         Disease resistance

-         Nutritional value (e.g. "golden rice")

-         Public perception of plant genetic engineering

    1. Genetic Engineering in animals:

-         Invertebrates (e.g. drosophila P-element)

-         Vertebrates

-         Ethical issues (e.g. stem cells, human cloning)

 

Schedule:

 

            August 29  discussion

            September 05   Tianyi: intro to biofuels

            September 12   Tianyi: paper on biofuels

            September 19   Lihui: intro to bio fortification

            September 26   Lihui: paper on bio fortification

            October 03       Anjali: introduction to edible vaccine

            October 10       Anjali: paper on edible vaccine

            October 17       Jasvinder: introduction to virus resistance

            October 24       Jasvinder: paper on virus resistance (miRNA mediated)

            October 31       Xi: introduction to disease resistance

            November 07   Xi: paper on virus resistance (Bt)

            November 14   Chao: introduction to animal cloning

            November 21   Chao: paper on animal cloning