M.Agr. 0044 Molecular Diagnostic and Biotechnology in Crop Protection

Coordinator
Prof. P. Karlowsky, Department of Crop Science, Division of Molecular Phytopathology and Mycotoxin Research
Language
English
Type of Instruction
Lecture
Frequency
WiSe
Instructors
Prof. P. Karlowsky

Contents
Principles and applications of diagnostoc techniques in plant protection with a focus on nucleic acid: electrophoresis (discovery of new viruses, detection of viroids, dsRNA in fungi and hypovirulence, electrophoretic karyotypes); nucleic acid hybridization
(spot hybridization, RFLP, ASO, macro- and microarrays); PCR (principle, classical end-point PCR, qPCR and digital PCR; ligase chain reaction; isothermal amplification (LAMP, used of nicking enzymes, helicase, abortive transcript); sources of primers; specificity and sensitivity. Miniaturization of diagnostic methods: lab on chip, ultra-fast PCR. Aptamers. Molecular markers: RFLP, RAPD, AFLP, SSR, SNP; application in epidemiology of pathogens, analysis of population structure and genetic diversity, genome mapping, and map-based cloning of resistance genes. Remote detection of plant pathogens: optical methods and VOC analysis.
Biotechnology in plant protection: delimitation from traditional technologies; applications of biotechnology to increase genetic diversity in crops; selection for resistance in tissue culture. Genetic engineering in plant protection:inactivation of genes on DNA and transcript levels; introduction of foreign genes into crop plants: techniques, selection markers, safety, acceptance, legal aspects; GM crops in engineering resistance to viruses, pests, herbicides , bacterial and fungal pathogens. Potential for use of genetically engineered viruses and microorganisms in plant protection. Current concepts and technologies relevant for plant protection research: genome analysis, omics, saturation, mutagenesis, high-throughput screening, systems biology.

>fett>Objectives
Students will acquire confidence in judging about the suitability of diagnostic techniques for specific purposes and making informed decisions on the use of DNA-based methods in research in crop protection. They will understand the potential of biotechnology in plant protection and principals of the evaluation of risks of the use of GM crops and other genetically modified organisms in plant protection.

Examination
Oral examination 30 minutes, seminar presentation, 20 minutes

Number of students
30