This course discusses the potential applications of biotechnology in crop improvement for students taking the M.Sc in Food Security

Students will attend regular classes.

None

None

Oral presentation 100% - students will produce a poster on an ethical/social aspect of crop biotechnology which they present and discuss with academic staff.

The aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge and understanding of a key aspect of food security, which is the application of biotechnological approaches in crop improvement, and their ability to critically evaluate both the potential for food security and the ethical and social aspects of crop biotechnology.

Specifically, this course aims to:

■ provide students with state-of-the-art knowledge and understanding of some of the most important methods and applications of biotechnology in crop improvement and their significance with respect to food security;

■ enable students to evaluate the ethical and social implications of crop biotechnology;

■ enable students to critically appraise journal articles, reports and popular media articles relating to crop biotechnology;

■ enhance students' conceptual, analytical and presentation skills and to apply them to a topic in food security.

Knowledge and Understanding

On completion of the course, students will be able to:

■ critically discuss the application of biotechnological approaches in crop improvement and their relevance to food security with reference to the scientific literature;

■ explain state-of-the-art technologies used in crop biotechnology;

■ identify, debate and critically evaluate the ethical and social issues raised by crop biotechnology.

Skills and Other Attributes

On completion of the programme, students will be able to:

Intellectual skills

■ produce and discuss a poster that presents and critically evaluates an ethical/social aspect of crop biotechnology in relation to food security;

■ identify, summarise and critically evaluate published papers, reports and media articles on aspects of crop biotechnology in relation to food security;

■ learn independently.

Transferable/key skills

■ demonstrate oral communication skills by presenting and discussing a poster on a topic in crop biotechnology;

■ plan and manage time effectively by prioritising tasks and meeting deadlines

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.