The course aims to provide knowledge to skills in the areas of Agricultural Biotechnology, where the plant tissue culture is considered a pillar of the discipline. Thus, micropropagation and adventitious regeneration as vegetative propagation methods play a key role in the mass propagation of plants in genetic and phytosanitary plant breeding and the production of secondary metabolites.
In animal production molecular genetics opens the door to molecular marker assisted breeding, and also allows genotyping and diagnosis of many diseases.
The practical component allows students to learn the know-how culture media, subcultures, meristem culture, serological and molecular phytosanitary diagnostics, PCR.
The course also encourages the search for information in an autonomous way through the presentation of papers and discussion of scientific papers.
Introduction to plant tissue culture; historical aspects: Haberlandt and the theory of the totipotency of the cell; The Muraskige & Skoog cycle; Phytosanitary problems of plants propagated vegetatively; Phytosanitary Breeding; Preparation of meristems and in vitro thermotherapy; The micropropagation and the establishment of germplasm banks; The plant tissue culture for the restoration of ecosystems;
Organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis; Genetic transformation and obtaining genetic variability through somaclonal variation; Bases of molecular genetics; Recombinant DNA technology; Methods of analysis of nucleic acids; Molecular markers for genotyping and evaluation of genetic variability; Population genetics; Molecular markers and identification of QTL; Some examples of genetic disorders of pathologies; Molecular diagnosis by PCR versus serological diagnosis.
Lectures in the classroom on the syllabus. Part of the lectures are complemented by short films that help the understanding of biological processes, and slides with research projects of content developed by the research group where are involved methods that correspond to the different chapters presented in class.
Practical classes in the laboratory that allow students to contact with different techniques on tissue culture and genetic engineering.
Alberts B, Bray D, Lewis J, Raff M, Roberts K, Watson JD (1994) Molecular Biology of the Cell. 3th Edition, Garland Publishing.
Canhoto JM (2010) Biotecnologia Vegetal: da clonagem de plantas à transformação genética. Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra.
Lewin B (2000) Genes VII. 7th Edition. Oxford University Press.
Lodish H, Berk A, Zipursky LS, Matsudair P, Baltimore D, Darnell J (2000) Molecular Cell Biology. 4th Edition. WH Freeman and Company, New York.
Videira A (2001) Engenharia genética: Princípios e aplicações. Lidel.
Watson JD, Caudy AA, Myers RM, Witkowski JA (2007) Recombinant DNA: Genes and genomes – A short course. 3rd Edition. WH Freeman and Company, New York.
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