Modern Applications of Plant Biotechnology
Agriculture has long shaped human civilization and remains central to modern society. This course examines how humans have transformed plant biology—from early domestication and selective breeding to modern genetic and genomic engineering. Students will explore the scientific principles behind crop improvement and the social, environmental, and technological contexts in which these advances occur. The course includes two midterms and a final assessment as a group project that encourages critical thinking, collaboration, and exploration of career pathways in agriculture and biotechnology.
Topics
- Explain how classical methods of crop domestication and breeding laid the foundationfor modern plant biotechnology. •Demonstrate a strong conceptual understanding of current molecular and geneticengineering techniques used to modify plants. •Describe major subdisciplines within plant biotechnology and articulate their practicalapplications. •Develop their own opinions on scientific, societal, and ethical challenges andcontroversies associated with agricultural biotechnology.
Official catalogue course objectives and student learning outcomes
Prerequisites & course information
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Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027