Modelling Functional Diversity in Crop Production
The last century, agriculture has been characterised by control and specialization: monocrops being grown with intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides. But environmental concerns, disease and pest resistance to pesticides and finite availability of resources call for a change in strategy. Diversity both in terms of utilizing different crop species and in combining different ecology-based
Genetic Analysis Trends and Concepts
This advanced course explains the most important genetic concepts to unravel and understand complex biological phenomena. We in detail explain the genetic processes underlying variation and its inheritance and their relevance with respect to evolution. We center our course around three main themes: Mutation, recombination and (epi-)genetic transmission. All three themes are both cause and
Regulation of Plant Development
A unique feature of plants is the fact that environmental factors play a crucial role in their development. In this course, molecular, cell biological, and physiological aspects of plant developmental processes will be discussed. We will cover several conceptual frameworks for the development of plant cell types and organs. The focus will be on how
Germplasm and Seed Technology (online)
This course introduces students to a number of important aspects of plant breeding, such as the process of domestication, germplasm development and the importance of gene banks. Also, important practical aspects on bringing a cultivar to the market are discussed, such as breeders’ rights and patents, and the design of seed and plant production programs.
Tools in Molecular Data Analysis
This course aims to develop practical skills in data handling, analysis and visualization for large “omics” data commonly found in contemporary plant research. Two domain-specific projects will be addressed: i) RNA-seq analysis and ii) Microbiome analysis. For each project, after introductory lectures on the topic, students will be trained to handle these specific datasets. Afterwards,
Ziekte en Afweer van Plant en Dier
In dit blok gaan we in op de vragen: Wat zijn (planten)ziekten en plagen? Hoe werkt het immuunsysteem van planten en dieren zoals de mens? De behandelde thema’s zijn: Verschillende klassen van ziekteverwekkers (schimmels, oömyceten, bacteriën, parasitaire planten, nematoden, virussen, en herbivoren), De mechanismen waarmee deze organismen planten binnen dringen, de plantenafweer omzeilen en/of onderdrukken,
Moleculaire Celbiologie en Genetica
In deze inleidende cursus biologie worden de algemene principes behandeld die ten grondslag liggen aan het leven op aarde. Alle biologische organismen zijn opgebouwd uit cellen. Cellen zijn de kleinste functionele eenheid van leven en hun eigenschappen worden bepaald door fysische en chemische wetmatigheden. Tussen cellen en de omgeving bestaat een wisselwerking. Cellen nemen signalen
Ethics and Philosophy for Biologists
This course deals with biology as a science and with moral issues in society that are related to biology. Questions on these topics often don’t have definite answers. The aim of this course is to explore such open questions in two domains of philosophy. We will deal with: 1. Philosophy of science. To understand biology