Green Biotechnology

About this programme

Green biotechnology is defined as the application of plants and other photosynthetic organisms to improve agricultural crops or to produce useful products for industrial sectors such as detergents, paper, biofuels, textiles, and pharmaceuticals. The course covers the molecular biology of the plant cell, and focuses on biotechnology applied to photosynthetic organisms. The biotechnologies presented during the course include functional genomics and proteomics, plant breeding (such as marker-assisted selection) and quantitative genetics, genetically modified plants, phytoremediation, and the use of bioactive compounds. Moreover, the course discusses the role of plants in industry – for example, how plants can be used to develop new products and eco-technologies. The theoretical part of the course is followed by a practical component using up-to-date methods in biotechnology. The teaching given in the Green Biotechnology course is a combination of plenary lectures, group discussions and seminars. A list of the learning outcomes can be found in the syllabus. Please find the link to the syllabus on the right side of this page. Assessment in the Green Biotechnology course includes written exams, oral presentations and written reports. Study literature associated to the Green Biotechnology course include a compendium of articles provided in the course's Athena site – this resource includes both the latest breakthrough in Green Biotechnology as well as foundation articles (research articles and reviews).