Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this module students should be able to:
Evaluate the agricultural and social consequences of transgenic plants and crops.
Evaluate the agricultural and social consequences of genome editing.
Evaluate the potential of reproductive and therapeutic cloning.
Discuss biotechnology and agricultural biodiversity.
Discuss new genomic technologies and their relevance for agriculture and the food industries.
Experience a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory practical for human genetic identification and forensics.
Indicative Module Content:
This module provides an overview of modern biotechnology, particularly as it applies to plant and animal agriculture. The module covers the following topics: Genetic engineering and agriculture (transgenic crops and food products); Genome editing of plants and animals; Reproductive and therapeutic cloning (including stem cells); Biotechnology and agricultural biodiversity; New genomic technologies relevant to agriculture (bioinformatics, structural, functional and comparative genomics); Students taking the module will also produce a literature review on a biotechnology topic of their choice. In addition, there is a laboratory practical and write-up that demonstrates basic principles of DNA-based biotechnology.
On completion of this module students should be able to: Evaluate the agricultural and social consequences of transgenic plants and crops. Evaluate the agricultural and social consequences of genome editing. Evaluate the potential of reproductive and therapeutic cloning. Discuss biotechnology and agricultural biodiversity. Discuss new genomic technologies and their relevance for agriculture and food. Explain the role of biotechnologies in livestock disease. Experience a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory practical for human genetic identification and forensics.
This module is a seven week module and will be examined during the Spring Break in March.