Plant growth and development are highly plastic
and adaptive, as well as remarkably resilient and perpetual, primarily
due to their ability to sense and respond to a wide range of environmental
stimuli (such as light, nutrient, temperature, water, gravity, touch,
wounding and pathogens) and a broad spectrum of chemicals and peptides
as plant hormones. The development of model plant systems and new
cellular, genomic and computational tools has facilitated the dissection
of plant signal transduction pathways. This course will provide
a general introduction to several plant model systems (Arabidopsis,
maize, rice, Medicago truncatula, Chlamydomonas, and cyanobacteria)
and new cellular and genomic tools for probing the molecular mechanisms
underlying plant signal transduction pathways. Each student will
choose one specific topic and make a presentation on the background
and recent discoveries during the course. All students will participate
in the discussion of 2-3 recent papers each session. The course
is open to all members of the research community (graduate students,
undergraduates, post-docs, etc.) with or without Harvard affiliation.
Topic Suggestions:
1. Systems and tools for studying plant signal transduction:
genetic, genomic, cellular, molecular and biochemical approaches
2. Plant hormone sensing and signaling
3. Nutrient sensing and signaling
4. Light sensing and signaling
5. Stress sensing and signaling
6. Plant-microorganism interactions: defense & symbiosis
7. Plant stem cell signaling: embryogenesis and organogenesis
Quarter Course
Spring Term (First Session)
Meeting Dates: January 29, 2003; February 5, 12, 19,
26; March 5, 19
Meeting Time: 2:30 - 4:30 pm, Wednesday
Location: Wellman 1100, Massachusetts General Hospital
Jen Sheen (Medical School) 3892
Note: Please send e-mail to Jen Sheen for registration
before the first meeting on January 29, 2003.
PowerPoint Presentations
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