PS 454/554 Plant Biotechniques
Instructor: Janice Zale
Office:
346 PBB
Lab: 343 PBB
Phone Office: 974-8596
Phone Lab:
974-8834
Email:
jzale@utk.edu
Office Hours: drop by or schedule an appointment
Course description:
454/554 Plant Biotechniques (3). Lectures will discuss recombinant DNA technology,
molecular assisted breeding of economically important crops, gene cloning and
transformation technologies. Examples will be given of food and ornamental crops,
pharmaceuticals, and renewable sources of energy produced using biotechnology as well
as potential risks of this technology. Labs will include electrophoresis, tissue culture,
plasmid preps, genomic DNA preps, plant transformation and genomic techniques.
Prereq: Biology 240 or Plant Sciences 353 or consent of the instructor. 1.5 hours of
lecture and 3 hours of lab or equivalent.
Obectives: To educate students in Plant Biotechnology particularly as it relates to
agriculture.
Required Textbook: Analysis of Genes and Genomes. 2004. Richard J Reece. John
Wiley and Sons Ltd.,West Sussex, England.
Handouts will also be supplied.
Lecture and Lab Lecture:
Labs:
most Tuesdays 8:10 A.M.-10:55 A.M., Dec 1
most Thursdays 9:30 A.M.-12:25 P.M., Nov 22 and Nov 29
Attendance at all classes and laboratory sessions is encouraged. Some laboratory
sessions are contingent on results from the previous lab. Absences due to extenuating
circumstances will be allowed after consultation with the instructor. Without an excused
absence, a score of zero may be given for exams and/or assignments. Lab
books/assignments handed in late will be penalized.
University’s Honor Statement:
“An essential feature of the University of Tennessee is a commitment to maintaining an
atmosphere of intellectual integrity and academic honesty. As a student of the University,
I pledge that I will neither knowingly give nor receive any inappropriate assistance in
academic work, thus affirming my own personal commitment to honor and integrity.”
Evaluation and Grades
Mid-term exam 150 pts
Final exam
175 pts
Lab book
75 pts
2 Quizzes
100 pts
500 pts total
Note: Graduate students will have to submit an essay after consultation with instructor
and will be marked separately from undergraduates.
Grading (%) ≥ 92
86
80
76
75
69
≤ 59
=A
= B+
=B
= C+
=C
=D
=F
460 pts
430 pts
400 pts
380 pts
375 pts
345 pts
295 pts
Expected Outcome:
This class will aid in equipping students with the skills to work in a Life Science
Laboratory, the field of Biotechnology, or continue research at the graduate level.
Lecture/Lab Schedule
Week
Lecture
Book
Lab Lecture
Chapter
Aug 25
Aug 30
Review
Macromolecules
1, 2.4
Sept 1
Restriction Enzymes
Modifying Enzymes
Gel Electrophoresis
2
3&
handouts
Sept 15
Sept 20
Vectors
Selectable Markers
Recombinant DNA
Technology
PCR and its
Applications
4&
handouts
Sept 22
Sept 27
PCR and its
Applications
Sept 6
Sept 13
Gene Cloning
Sept 8
Sept 29
5
Oct 4
Oct 6
Lab
Overview of Class
Review Making Solutions, Sterile
Technique, Pipetting, Pouring Plates
Centrifugation
DNA Quantification
Bacterial Transformation
Determining Transformation Efficiency of
Competent Cells
Plasmid Minipreps
DNA Quantity/Quality Check
Restriction Digests
Gel Electrophoresis
Gel extraction
Directional Cloning,
Bacterial Transformation –Blue/White
Selection
Miniprep cultures and check for
recombinants
PCR
Run PCR Products
Midterm
Oct 11
Oct 18
Oct 25
Nov 1
Fall break
Molecular Markers in
Mapping and
Selection
Creating Mutations in
Bacteria and Plants
handouts
7 and
handout
Oct 27
Plant Transformation
Applications
Ethics
11 and
handouts
Nov 3
Oct 20
Genomic DNA Preps
RNA preps (handouts)
Southern Blotting
Northern Blotting (handout)
Hybridization (handout)
Gene Gun-Transient Expression of Lc/C1
in dissected wheat scutellum
In Planta Transformation
Genomics
9 and
handouts
Nov 10
Post-Genomic
Analysis
10 and
handouts
Nov 17
Lab
MicroarrayPurification of
labelled products and
hybridization
Lab
Microarray-Slide
washing and scanning,
Brief Intro to Data
Analysis
Intellectual Property
Rights, PVP
Laboratory Books
Submitted for Grades
handouts
Nov 8
Nov 15
Nov 22
Nov 29
Dec 6
Last Class
Final Exams weeks of Dec 9, 12, 13 and 15
Databases
Blast Searches
Sequence Alignment in Computer Lab
Microarray
-RNA labelling
Nov 24
Thanksgiving
handouts
Dec 1
Applications of Biotechnology
Biotechnology - Risks
And Benefits