Kirsten Bomblies: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2023 |  |
| Name | Prof. Dr. Kirsten Bomblies |
| Field | Plant Evolutionary Genetics |
| Address | Professur Pflanzenevolutionsgen. ETH Zürich, HPT C 73 Auguste-Piccard-Hof 1 8093 Zürich SWITZERLAND |
| Telephone | +41 44 632 71 89 |
| kirstenbomblies@ethz.ch | |
| Department | Biology |
| Relationship | Full Professor |
| Number | Title | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 551-0003-AAL | General Biology I+II Enrolment ONLY for MSc students with a decree declaring this course unit as an additional admission requirement. Any other students (e.g. incoming exchange students, doctoral students) CANNOT enrol for this course unit. | 7 credits | 13R | U. Sauer, K. Bomblies, O. Y. Martin, A. Widmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | General Biology I: Organismic biology to teach the basic principles of classical and molecular genetics, evolutionary biology and phylogeny. General Biology II: Molecular biology approach to teach the basic principles of biochemistry, cell biology, cgenetics, evolutionary biology and form and function of vacular plants. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | General Biology I: The understanding of basic principles of biology (inheritance, evolution and phylogeny) and an overview of the diversity of life. General Biology II: The understanding basic concepts of biology: the hierarchy of the structural levels of biological organisation, with particular emphasis on the cell and its molecular functions, the fundamentals of metabolism and molecular genetics, as well as form and function of vascular plants. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | General Biology I: General Biology I focuses on the organismal biology aspects of genetics, evolution and diversity of life in the Campbell chapters 12-34. Week 1-7 by Alex Widmer, Chapters 12-25 12 Cell biology Mitosis 13 Genetics Sexual life cycles and meiosis 14 Genetics Mendelian genetics 15 Genetics Linkage and chromosomes 20 Genetics Evolution of genomes 21 Evolution How evolution works 22 Evolution Phylogentic reconstructions 23 Evolution Microevolution 24 Evolution Species and speciation 25 Evolution Macroevolution Week 8-14 by Oliver Martin, Chapters 26-34 26 Diversity of Life Introdution to viruses 27 Diversity of Life Prokaryotes 28 Diversity of Life Origin & evolution of eukaryotes 29 Diversity of Life Nonvascular&seedless vascular plants 30 Diversity of Life Seed plants 31 Diversity of Life Introduction to fungi 32 Diversity of Life Overview of animal diversity 33 Diversity of Life Introduction to invertebrates 34 Diversity of Life Origin & evolution of vertebrates General Biology II: The structure and function of biomacromolecules; basics of metabolism; tour of the cell; membrane structure and function; basic energetics of cellular processes; respiration, photosynthesis; cell cycle, from gene to protein; structure and growth of vascular plants, resource acquisition and transport, soil and plant nutrition. Specifically the following Campbell chapters will be covered: 3 Biochemistry Chemistry of water 4 Biochemistry Carbon: the basis of molecular diversity 5 Biochemistry Biological macromolecules and lipids 7 Cell biology Cell structure and function 8 Cell biology Cell membranes 10 Cell biology Respiration: introduction to metabolism 10 Cell biology Cell respiration 11 Cell biology Photosynthetic processes 16 Genetics Nucleic acids and inheritance 17 Genetics Expression of genes 18 Genetics Control of gene expression 19 Genetics DNA Technology 35 Plant structure&function Plant Structure and Growth 36 Plant structure&function Transport in vascular plants 37 Plant structure&function Plant nutrition 38 Plant structure&function Reproduction of flowering plants 39 Plant structure&function Plants signal and behavior | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | No script | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Campbell et al. (2017) Biology - A Global Approach. 11th Edition (Global Edition) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Basic general and organic chemistry This is a virtual self-study lecture for non-German speakers of the "Allgemeine Biology I (551-0001-00L) and "Allgemeine Biology II (551-0002-00L) lectures. The exam will be written jointly with the participants of this lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 551-0120-00L | Plant Biology Colloquium (Autumn Semester) This compulsory course is required only once. It may be taken in autumn as course 551-0120-00 "Plant Biology Colloquium (Autumn Semester)" or in spring as course 551-0120-01 "Plant Biology Colloquium (Spring Semester)". | 2 credits | 1K | S. C. Zeeman, K. Bomblies, O. Voinnet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Current topics in Molecular Plant Biology presented by internal and external speakers from accademia. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Getting insight into actual areas and challenges of Molecular Plant Biology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | http://www.impb.ethz.ch/news-and-events/colloquium-impb.html | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Competencies |
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| 551-0311-00L | Molecular Life of Plants | 6 credits | 4V | S. C. Zeeman, K. Bomblies, O. Voinnet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The advanced course introduces students to plants through a concept-based discussion of developmental processes that integrates physiology and biochemistry with genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. The course follows the life of the plant, starting with the seed, progressing through germination to the seedling and mature plant, and ending with reproduction and senescence. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The new course "Molecular Life of Plants" reflects the rapid advcances that are occurring in the field of experimental plant biology as well as the changing interests of students being trained in this discipline. Contemporary plant biology courses emphasize a traditional approach to experimental plant biology by discussing discrete topics that are removed from the context of the plant life cycle. The course will take an integrative approach that focuses on developmental concepts. Whereas traditional plant physiology courses were based on research carried out on intact plants or plant organs and were often based on phenomenological observations, current research in plant biology emphasizes work at the cellular, subcellular and molecular levels. The goal of "Molecular Life of Plants" is to train students in integrative approaches to understand the function of plants in a developmental context. While the course focuses on plants, the training integrative approaches will also be useful for other organisms. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course "Molecular Life of Plants" will cover the following topics: Seed structure and physiology, their dormancy and germination. Seedling establishment and early development. Structure and Function of Meristems, including stem cells. Plant organ development (leaves, roots, flowers etc.). Plant reproduction. The plant vasculature for long-distance transport and other specialized tissues. Sensing and responding to the abiotic environment Plant-microbe interactions; beneficial friends or pathogenic foes? Polyploidy; the benefits, problems and solutions to of multiple genomes. Photosynthesis and carbon partitioning. Photorespiration and the evolution of C4 metabolism. Starch biosynthesis and degradation. Chloroplast development and chlorophyll biosynthesis. Senescence mechanisms in plants. General principles of RNA silencing MicroRNAs: discovery, general principle and modes of action at the cellular and system levels. Chromatin-based RNA silencing. Antiviral RNA silencing. RNA silencing & defense against non-viral pathogens. RNA silencing movement and amplification. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 551-1517-00L | Protein Change in Adaptive Evolution  Number of participants limited to 5. The enrolment is done by the D-BIOL study administration. | 6 credits | 7P | A. P. Nayak, K. Bomblies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Proteins that seem to have evolved to help stabilize meiosis to temperature and/or polyploidy in plants. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To learn techniques in protein structure prediction, functional prediction and evolutionary analyses (bioinformatic), as well as protein purification from e. coli, insect cell, and/or cell-free systems, and analysis of e.g. interactions with DNA, thermostability, etc… | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Guided research projects to study the biochemical consequences of adaptive evolution in a variety of proteins. Mostly the focus is on proteins that seem to have evolved to help stabilize meiosis to temperature and/or polyploidy in plants. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Will be provided, as appropriate, during the course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Will be provided during course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||