Plant development

This course is a specialization module in Functional Plant Biology that addresses the mechanisms underlying the major stages of plant development.

It draws on knowledge derived mainly from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and addresses the following concepts from a molecular, cellular, and physiological perspective:

• Roles and functioning of the main plant hormones.
• Development of male and female gametes, fertilization.
• Development of the embryo, seed, and fruit.
• Functioning of root and shoot meristems (vegetative and floral).
• Flower architecture.
• Adaptive development mechanisms in response to abiotic factors: light, gravity, cold.

Certain aspects of development will also be analyzed from an evolutionary perspective by studying the role of developmental genes in the diversification and evolution of developmental processes in terrestrial plants (evolution of the root system, floral architecture, etc.).

• Knowledge:
• Learn strategies for studying plant development: techniques for studying gene expression (concept of reporter genes) and gene function (mutant approaches, transgenesis).
• Acquire the key physiological, biochemical, and molecular foundations of plant development.

Understand the role and modes of action of phytohormones.

• Expertise:
• Know how to phenotype and genotype mutants.
• Analyze molecular mechanisms related to development.
• Mastering the scientific method: hypothesis, experiments (replicates), observation, description, interpretation, synthesis, conclusion (deduction, proposal of a general model).
• Know how to search for scientific information, synthesize it from multiple sources, and prioritize it according to its credibility.
• Acquire some basic scientific writing skills.

• Interpersonal skills:
• Rigorousness, curiosity.

Acquisition of critical thinking skills

L2 EU Fundamentals of Plant Physiology

Recommended prerequisites: Fundamentals of molecular, cellular, and genetic biology