PLNT*6230 Colloquium in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry

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The following description is for the course offering in Winter 2023 and is subject to change. It is provided for information only. The course outline distributed to the class at the beginning of the semester describes the course content and delivery, and defines the methods and criteria to be used in establishing the final grades for the course.
 

An open discussion course designed to review and critically analyze contemporary issues in plant physiology and biochemistry. 

Instructors:

Teaching Assistant:

Credit Weight:

.25

Course Level:

  • Graduate

Academic Department (or campus):

Plant Agriculture

Campus:

Guelph

Semester Offering:

  • Winter

Class Schedule and Location:

Please refer to WebAdvisor for class schedule and location.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

  1. Identify strategies for elucidating the structure of the metabolic pathways in plants through assigned readings and in-class discussion;
  2. Identify mechanisms for controlling and/or engineering metabolic pathways in plants through assigned readings and in-class discussion;
  3. Critically assess experimental design and evidence for the structure and control of plant metabolic pathways;
  4.  Create/deliver case studies and direct discussion on metabolic pathways in plants through appropriate review of literature and independent preparation of a presentation(s)

Lecture Content:

There is no lecture content for this course. Students will lead discussion on seminal literature topics related to discovery of the structure and control of plant metabolism.

Labs & Seminars:
Labs:

Nil

Seminars - Choice of presentation topics and dates

At the first class meeting at 10:30 am on Thursday Jan. 9 (location TBD), students will be asked to volunteer for a seminar date and topic. Volunteers will be accepted in weekly order, starting with the first presentation on February 13. The first volunteer will have his/her first choice of available topics, etc. If no one volunteers, a name will be pulled from a hat until all slots are filled

Seminar Dates: Depending upon class size there may be two presentation(s) in certain weeks.

 

 

Course Assignments and Tests:

Assignment or Test Contribution to Final Mark (%) Learning Outcomes Assessed

Presentation Outline     

  10%

 1, 2, 3

Presentations

  50%

 1, 2, 3, 4

Participation

  40%

 1, 2, 3, 4

 

 

Final examination:

There is no final exam scheduled for this course.

Course Resources:

Required Texts:

None

Recommended Texts:

The students are expected to use peer-reviewed scientific information for this course, including their specific presentation topics. Journals such as Plant Physiology; Plant Cell; Plant Journal; Journal of Experimental Botany; Plant, Cell & Environment; Plant & Cell Physiology are available on-line through the University of Guelph's library subscription. 

In addition to these resources, students can consult the following for respective background information on natural product metabolism and biochemical control of metabolism:

  • Plant-Derived Natural Products: Synthesis, Function and Application, Edited by A.E. Osbourn, V. Lanzotti, Dordrecht, Springer (2009) Available on-line through University of Guelph Library via the following link: http://link.springer.com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/book/10.1007%2F978-0-38...
  • Understanding the Control of Metabolism by D. Fell (QP171.F46), One copy in library, but not on reserve. Instructor has a copy.
  • Any introductory Plant Physiology or Plant Biochemistry text
Lab Manual:

There is no lab manual for this course.

Other Resources: 

Nil

Field Trips:
Nil
Additional Costs:

Nil

Course Policies:

Grading Policies:

Late penalty for submission of preliminary outline is 10% per day unless academic consideration has been granted.

Please note that these policies are binding unless academic consideration is given to an individual student.

Course Policy on Group Work:

There are no group work projects.

Course Policy regarding use of electronic devices and recording of lectures:

Electronic recording of classes is expressly forbidden without consent of the instructor. When recordings are permitted they are solely for the use of the authorized student and may not be reproduced, or transmitted to others, without the express written consent of the instructor.

The materials provided in this course are the property of the course instructors unless otherwise stated.   Third party copyrighted materials (such as book chapters and articles) have either been licensed for use in this course, or have been copied under an exception or limitation in Canadian Copyright law. 

The fair dealing exception in Canada's Copyright Act permits students to reproduce short excerpts from copyright-protected materials for purposes such as research, education, private study, criticism and review, with proper attribution.  Any other copying, communicating, or distribution of any content provided in this course, may be an infringement of copyright if done without proper license or the consent of the copyright owner, the course instructors.  Examples of infringing uses of copyrighted works would include uploading materials to a commercial third party web site (such as CourseHero or OneClass), or making paper or electronic copies of works for commercial purposes. 

For more information about students’ rights and obligations with respect to copyrighted works, consult the Fair Dealing Guidance for Students document on the Library’s Copyright website

Other Course Information:

University Policies

Academic Consideration

When you find yourself unable to meet an in-course requirement because of illness or compassionate reasons, please advise the course instructor in writing, with your name, id#, and e-mail contact. See the academic calendar for information on regulations and procedures for Academic Consideration:

Academic Misconduct

The University of Guelph is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and it is the responsibility of all members of the University community, faculty, staff, and students  to be aware of what constitutes academic misconduct and to do as much as possible to prevent academic offences from occurring.

University of Guelph students have the responsibility of abiding by the University's policy on academic misconduct regardless of their location of study; faculty, staff and students have the responsibility of supporting an environment that discourages misconduct. Students need to remain aware that instructors have access to and the right to use electronic and other means of detection. Please note: Whether or not a student intended to commit academic misconduct is not relevant for a finding of guilt. Hurried or careless submission of assignments does not excuse students from responsibility for verifying the academic integrity of their work before submitting it. Students who are in any doubt as to whether an action on their part could be construed as an academic offence should consult with a faculty member or faculty advisor.

The Academic Misconduct Policy is detailed in the University Calenders:

Accessibility

The University of Guelph is committed to creating a barrier-free environment. Providing services for students is a shared responsibility among students, faculty and administrators. This relationship is based on respect of individual rights, the dignity of the individual and the University community's shared commitment to an open and supportive learning environment. Students requiring service or accommodation, whether due to an identified, ongoing disability or a short-term disability should contact the Student Accessibility Services (SAS), formerly Centre for Students with Disabilities (CSD), as soon as possible.

For more information, contact CSD at 519-824-4120 ext. 56208 or email sas@uoguelph.ca or visit the Student Accessibility Services website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/csd/.

Course Evaluation Information

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Your responses will not affect your grade.  Course evaluation data are distributed to individual instructors after final grades have been submitted to the Registrar, following the completion of each academic semester.

Please be honest, respectful, constructive and thorough.  Instructors and review committees place great value on student course ratings and read all comments provided in course evaluations. It is helpful to provide comments on the strengths of the course, in addition to the areas for improvement.  Please refrain from personal comments unless they relate to teaching and learning.

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