Learning goals
After this course you can:
- describe the characteristics of various interactions of the plant with beneficial and harmful microbes and insects,
- describe the most important cellular and molecular mechanisms of attraction or defense between the different interactors (plant-microbe/insect and vice versa),
- explain how defense and virulence mechanisms have developed during evolution, and understand the basic principles of the plant immune system,
- describe the main regulation mechanisms by plant defense hormones and how these are influenced by multiple stress stimuli,
- understand the functional relationship of the plant with its microbiome,
- understand how bioinformatic analyses of high-throughput genomics data (at transcriptome and metagenome levels) can elucidate plant-microbe relationships,
- define opportunities to translate fundamental scientific findings into the design of (disease) resistant crops,
- explain how the above learning objectives can be studied experimentally,
- critically interpret (own) experimental data using theoretical knowledge,
- conduct a literature review, formulate a research question, devise scientific experiments, perform experiments, and present research plans and/or results (oral and written)
Skills
- ─ formulating a research question,
- ─ carrying out the research cycle (experimenting, interpreting results and critically discussing),
- ─ systematically analyzing a complex biological problem based on scientific literature and processing it in a research proposal and essay,
- ─ using bioinformatic methodologies to analyze and visualize genomic data of plant-microbe interactions (using the command line and R),
- ─ verbal and written reporting, discussing and peer reviewing of results and syntheses
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Entry requirements
For Biology students level 2 course “Moleculair Genetische Onderzoeks Technieken” and/or “De Cel” is compulsory. It is recommended to have completed the courses “Microbiële Interacties” or “Plantenfysiologie”. MLS students can also enter this course.
Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions is a core course of the Plant Biology and Microbiology study paths. Moreover, the course is a (optional) part of the Bachelor Molecular Life Sciences. The course provides a good preparation for the Master's programs Environmental Biology, Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, Science and Business Management, and Bio Inspired Innovation.
Content description
The aim of this course is to understand how the immune system of plants functions, how plants and beneficial or pathogenic microbes interact with each other, and what the determinants are for their success in these different interactions. In the course several integration levels of plant-microbe (and -insect) interactions are discussed: from genes, signal molecules, defense products, whole organisms, to (microbial) population effects.
In the first half of the course, lectures and tutorials convey the theoretical underpinning of plant-microbe/insect interactions. Next to that, students write a short popular scientific article based on primary literature and carry out experiments in the laboratory. In the laboratory practical the students perform plant disease tests with microbes and insects and measure molecular reactions to understand the complexity of the plant-microbe interactions.
In the second half of the course, students follow computer practicals in which they learn how to analyze genomic and transcriptomic data using R. The course is concluded by a key stone assignment in which students formulate a research question and experimental approach, based on their personal interest, in an in-depth MSc research project proposal.
Educational forms
Lectures, tutorials, wet lab and computer practicals (groups of 2 or 4), writing and peer-reviewing of a popular scientific article and a research proposal (groups of 2 or individual). Oral presentation of the wet lab-practicals at a mini-symposium. The essay and proposal are pitched and/or (peer-)reviewed.
Grading
Active participation in practicals and presentation assignments is mandatory. The final mark consists of a weighted average of: exam (50%), (computer) practicals (25%), assignments (essay and research proposal; 25%). For each of the three components you must get a grade of at least 5.50. We provide the option to repair a course component if this is graded below 5.50, provided the course average is at least 4.0.
Study material
Lab coat, lab/anatomy set, laptop, syllabus (provided at the start of the course), study material available on blackboard.
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