Environmental Plant Biotechnology

A.Y. 2024/2025
6
Max ECTS
56
Overall hours
SSD
AGR/13
Language
English
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide to the students an overview of the plant biochemical and physiological processes that could be exploited both to reduce the environmental impact of modern agricultural practices and to develop innovative strategies and tools to use plants for environmental monitoring and soil/sediment remediation.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student will acquire the basic and advanced knowledge elements to understand the major mechanisms controlling nutrient and metal homeostasis in plants and will be also able to exploit the plant potential for the environmental management and improvement. Moreover, the student will be also able to analyze and solve basic problems related to the nutrient use efficiency of the plants, approaches that could find application in the development of agriculture biotechnologies.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
MINERAL NUTRITION OF HIGHER PLANTS - Nutrient acquisition and assimilation; sensing of nutritional status and regulation of nutrient uptake; biotechnological strategies to improve the use efficiency of the main mineral nutrients.
PHYTOREMEDIATION - Molecular and physiological basis of metal hyperaccumulation and tolerance in plants; biotechnological approaches to increase the heavy metal phytoextraction efficiency of non-hyperaccumulator plant species.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING - Plant as bioindicators.
Prerequisites for admission
Basic concepts in plant biology. You can contact the teacher to obtain indications about texts and bibliographic references that can be studied to fill eventual knowledge gaps.
Teaching methods
Frontal lectures. Classroom practices (oral presentations).
Teaching Resources
Scientific papers, reviews, and other materials will be
provided during the course.
Assessment methods and Criteria
PowerPoint presentation (approximately 30 minutes) about the state of the art of a relevant topic. The topic will be proposed by the student.

Students with SLD or disability certifications are kindly requested to contact the teacher at least 15 days before the date of the exam session to agree on individual exam requirements. In the email please make sure to add in cc the competent offices: [email protected] (for students with SLD) or [email protected] (for students with disability).
AGR/13 - AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY - University credits: 6
Practicals: 16 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Shifts:
Turno
Professor: Nocito Fabio Francesco
Professor(s)
Reception:
upon appointment by E-mail
Dipartimento di Produzione Vegetale