Assignment:
Research one aspect of molecular biology or genetics as it pertains to plants and write a 6-10 page paper describing this area of research. Use the format of questions below to help guide you in your research and writing. I expect you to use at least one review of that field and 3-4 research papers.Examples of topics:This paper will be due on May 6, 2004 in class and will count for one-third of the total grade. . I will be glad to help you with choice of topics, literature research strategies, and reviewing your paper outlines.
Topics may focus on certain aspects of plants that have practical applications (i.e. applied biotechnology), such as:Questions to be addressed in paper:
-improvement of food quality by changing seed storage protein
-engineering tomato fruit ripening or softening (e.g. the Flavr Savr (TM) tomato, Endless Summer (TM) tomato)
-production of medicinal or industrial proteins in plants (e.g. vaccine production, antibody production, phytase)
-modification of plants in production of secondary metabolites for insect or herbivor protection
-altering the production of secondary metabolites (e.g. alkaloids) in plants for foods or medicines (e.g. decaffinated coffee, scopalamine)
-construction of herbicide-resistant plants
-engineering insect resistance, Bt toxin
-production of plastics in plants
-population genetics in conservation of rare speciesTopics may focus on basic aspects of plant biology, such as:
-regulation of flowering by light (circadian rhythm, daylength control of flowering, phototropism)
-control of motion (e.g. venus fly-trap, tendril or stem movements in vines)
- sucrose transport in plants
- heat shock proteins
- adaption to cold (e.g. winter hardening)
- genome mapping in Arabidopsis
- regulation of plant growth by hormones (e.g. auxins, cytokinins, abscisic acid)
-flower development
-DNA markers in determining plant relationships (Molecular Systematics)
-PCR amplification of fossil or mumified specimein DNA (e.g. pre-columbian maize)
Literature research:
To choose topics of interest and to get an overview of an area, it is
best to look through short review articles. The following journals are
found in McKeldin library unless otherwise noted. Current issues are
found on the
first floor reading room arranged alphabetically, older issues are in
the
stacks under the call number. In the chemistry library, older issues
are
arranged alphabetically on the lower two floors.
short reviews:Literature Search Engines to find primary papers and review:
Trends in biotechnology. TP248.2.T7(chemistry library)
Trends in genetics. QH426.T7 (Folio)
Trends in cell biology QH573.T74(chemistry library)
Trends in ecology & evolution. QH540.T73 (Folio)
Trends in biochemical sciences QH345.T7 (chemistry library)
Trends in Plant Science
Current opinion in cell biology QH573.C87 (chemistry library)
Current opinion in genetics & development QH426.C88 (Folio)
Genetic Engineering QH442.G454 (chemistry library)
Longer reviews:
Annual review of plant physiology and plant molecular biology QK711.A51
Annual review of cell and developmental biology QH573.A54 (chemistry library)
Annual review of genetics QH431.A1A54
Annual review of plant pathology (diseases)
Annual review of ecology and systematics
Current advances in genetics & molecular biology QH426.C78 (chemistry library)
Journals on-line (some
may require that you be at a University of Maryland Computer)
Plant Cell
Plant Physiology
Plant Cell Reports
Planta
Proceedings of the National
Academy of Science
Science
Journal of
Agricultural Genomics
WEB sites on Plant Biology
and Biotechnology to give you ideas:
BSCI
124- Plant Biology
BSCI442- Plant Physiology
PBIO485-Medicinal Plants
Topics/Abstracts
from a recent meeting of the American Society for Plant Physiologists
Biotechnology Web links- Extensive site on many aspects of
biotechnology in plants
Iowa State Biotechnology Links
Hort250,
Purdue- Biotechnology in Agriculture
Seed
and Plant Biotechnology Companies-from Purdue
Regulation of Biotechnology Iowa State University Biotechnology
Information Series
Biotechnology Information Center-National
Agricultural Library (USDA)
Plant WWW sites list
Genetics and Biotechnology in the News- from Yahoo
Genetically Engineered Foods in the News- from Yahoo
Vegtables in the News- from Purdue
Sample Papers from earlier semesters
These represent papers which explore a topic well. Note how the second
paper addresses questions for which there are no current answers by
folding in results from other systems.
Jay
Taylor, Small Heat Shock Proteins
Magdalena
Malek, Flavonoids in Camellia sinensis
Last revised: April 17, 2003- Straney and Liu