Molecular Plant-Pathogen Interactions
 
Prof Dave Berger Teaching

    

 

For more information about Plant Biotechology at UP please click here


 

Undergraduate

  • BOT161 (Plant Biology):

    Applications of Plant Molecular Biology.

    Topics: Plant traits are coded for by genes, Genetically modified crops in agriculture.

     

 

  • BOT357 (Crop Biotechnology):

    Methods for Crop Genetic Modification

    Application of Model Plants to Crop Biotechnology  

    Functional Genomics and Plant Transcriptomes

 

 
 Dr. Maretha O'Kennedy, CSIR Biosciences, explaining "biolistics", a method for plant transformation using particle bombardment
 
 
BOT357 class members (2010) visiting the laboratories at CSIR Biosciences

 

Postgraduate (Honours)

 

An important component of the Honours degree in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences in the RESEARCH PROJECT (50 credits out of 160 required). The choice of which Honours course to do is usually based on the courses offered plus choice of supervisor to do the Research Project.

 

Honours students interested in carrying out their Research Project in the "Molecular Plant-Pathogen Interactions" group in the Microarray Lab under supervision of Prof. Dave Berger have three options:

Laboratory-based Honours projects:

  • Option 1: Honours (Plant Science, specializing in Plant Physiology and Biotechnology).

    For more information on this Department of Plant Science course and to apply please go to this page

 

  • Option 2: Honours (Biotechnology, specializing in Plant Biotechnology)

    This is an interdepartmental course (Plant Science, Genetics, Biochemistry, Microbiology) focused on molecular Biotechnology and includes exposure to issues related to commercialization of biotechnological inventions. For a description of the course please click here.

    To apply please contact Lucille Hermann

 

Bioinformatics-based Honours projects:

  • Option 3: Honours (Bioinformatics).

    The Microarray lab has research projects on Microarray data analysis and data mining for students wishing to specialize in Bioinformatics (ie computer science, mathematical or statistical background). These projects are linked to the wet-lab projects being carried out in the Microarray lab, and offer real data to develop skills in Bioinformatics. Students are supervised by Prof. Berger and co-supervised by Bioinformaticists, Computer Scientists or Statisticians.


    Two examples of ongoing projects are:
    >> SSHscreen software package for analysis of cDNA libraries:
    Follow the links to the publication.
    >> Plant module of the MADIBA software for interpretation of Microarray data.
    For more information about the Bioinformatics Honours Degree at UP and how to apply please consult the bioinformatics unit webpage

Students interested in either of these three options for Honours should contact Prof Berger by email in September of their final Undergraduate year for information on Research Projects in the Microarray lab for their Honours year.  

 

Back to the Molecular Plant-Pathogen Interactions (MPPI) Group

 
FABI