PLBIO 3801 - Plant Biotechnology and Society

(CU-ITL, CU-SBY)

Spring. 1 credit. Letter grades only.

Permission of department required. Offered in Shanghai, China.

J. Rose.

This course is offered as part of the CALS Signature Semester: Toward a Sustainable Future and Emerging Technologies Important to China on site in Shanghai, China. Society is facing growing challenges associated with feeding the rapidly expanding global population, while dealing with factors that limit food production, such as climate instability and loss of agricultural land. We will discuss those challenges and identify issues that will limit future food security. The course will include a review of cutting edge technologies, including advances in genomics, proteomics and metabolomics, which are used to study plants, crop production and plant genetic diversity. The application of biotechnology to agricultural crop production, and particularly the use of genetic modification technologies, is a politically sensitive issue. This course will evaluate related issues of new technologies, food, communication and the sensitivities of society to the nature of the food supply.

Outcome 1: The student will identify, evaluate and discuss major factors that will limit global crop production over the coming decades.

Outcome 2: The student will recognize and define ‘omics’ technologies that are being used to study plant biological processes and diversity.

Outcome 3: The student will assess and examine arguments that are used both for and against the use of genetically modified crops and their application to enhance food security.

Outcome 4: The student will identify and interpret biotechnologies and strategies that are being used to develop new crops and plant products that benefit society.

Outcome 5: The students from China (SJTU) and from Cornell University (CALS) will interact, such that they will learn from each other intellectually and culturally.