Seminar in Plant Molecular and Cell Biology

Seminar in Plant Molecular and Cell Biology Syllabus Biol 639. Spring 2016

Instructors: Dr. Alan M. Jones Mondays 2:30-until done Room Genome Sciences Bldg - Rm 1377

Instructor contact: Office 312 Coker Hall Email: [email protected] Telephone: (919) 962-6932

The course will meet weekly in an interactive seminar format. Each week, we will discuss the background, methods, and results of a paper from the recent scientific literature, and interpret these in the light of current knowledge. Students will practice reading and interpreting scientific papers, and present information to the group. Each week, one student will have primary responsibility for presenting to the group the background needed to understand the paper, and the main points presented in the paper figures. All students should read the assigned paper before class, and be prepared to discuss it.

For students taking the course for credit, grades will be based on attendance and class participation (40%) and preparation and presentation of a topic (40%), and a short take-home exam (20%) to be handed in by 12:00 on Monday, April 27th. This will be handed out in the last class, and will consist of a written analysis and interpretation of a paper chosen from the literature.

Topics will include patterning in plant development, plant hormones, plant signaling, and others to be chosen. A list of interesting papers, many of which we will discuss, is below. During the organizational meeting, we will choose from among these or other topics and assign students to present on particular dates.

When the topic of this course corresponds to a seminar topic presented at the departmental seminar series, students will be assigned a publication from the outside speaker to read and discuss prior to the department seminar. Students will be required to attend that particular seminar.

Throughout the semester, students will get to meet researchers from local universities working in the indicated topic areas. Task history Oct 12th 2016 Emailed Ross Sozzani, Zeng-min Pei, Terri Long, for invitation, Tom Mitchell-Olds, contacted Philip Benfey for a postdoc speaker suggestion he wrote I would try Cara , Louisa or Erin . Oct 12th Zhen-min agreed Oct 13th invited Eric Rogers, Peter Balint-Kurti, Ross agreed but has not chosen a date. Oct 14- realized that Philip meant Erin Sparks so emailed her, waiting to hear from Ross, Terri Long and Tom Mitchel-Olds Oct 14 Erin Sparks agreed. Oct 18 re-emailed Tom M-O and Terri Long. Terri agreed, Tom agreed/ picked a date, Ross picked a date OK, stop inviting so as to leave 5 slots for students to present a paper. Oct 23 Terri picked Mar 20th Class Schedule

Jan 16th no class Holiday

Jan 23rd Organizational Meeting. Paper assignments, class expectations, grading

Jan 30th no class

Feb 6th Dr. Zhen-min Pei Duke University

Feb 13th Ross Sozzani, NCSU

Feb 20th Peter Balint-Kurti, NCSU

Feb 27th Tom Mitchell-Olds, Duke Univ.

Mar 6th

Mar 13th SPRING BREAK

Mar 20th Terri Long, NCSU

Mar 27th

April 3rd Erin Sparks, Duke University

April 10th

April 17th

April 24th FINAL Exam

Discussion Leaders

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