PMB4516W

In this course, we will cover current important research topics in plant cell biology. We will cover many plant-specific topics such as gravitropism, plant cell wall biosynthesis, structure and function, plasmodesmatal connections, signal transduction, tip growth, plant cytokinesis, cell energetics. We will also cover some topics that are important for both plant, fungal, and animal cell biology such as cell polarity, the cytoskeleton, protein sorting, and the secretory system. Since we will be using recent literature as the course text, some important and classic cell biology topics will not be covered. In the field of cell biology, new discoveries are often the result of improvements in technology especially in imaging, so we will cover some recent advances in methodology. This is also a writing class with the goal of helping students become familiar and comfortable with writing in a scientific style. There will be writing instruction and there will be some reading assignments on scientific writing.

There are no enforced prerequisites. Introductory courses on plants, genetics, and biochemistry are helpful.

02960