This team-taught, 3-unit graduate course focuses on current concepts, strategies and experimental approaches to contemporary problems in plant development.
As a foundation for preparation for future qualifying exams and selection of research problems, the intention is to:
The first section of the course will take an in depth look at embryogenesis, axial polarity, vascular ontogeny flowering and developmental phase shifts. The middle section will emphasize the molecular mechanisms of meristem function, organogenesis and patterning, reproduction and the evolution of plant form. The final section will cover the recent advances in understanding the mechanism of action of the various plant growth regulators and their role in plant development. We will focus on the progress that has been made using model organisms such as Arabidopsis, maize and snapdragon, and also discuss evolutionary perspectives on important developmental mechanisms.
The format is uniform and emphasis is placed on utilization and evaluation of the primary research literature. A seminar/discussion format will be used. Students will devote about 10 hours per week to reading from the primary literature followed by one weekly meeting of 2-3 hours for lecture/discussion of the material. The final grade for the course will be based on a 25 minute oral examination and on class participation in lectures and discussions.