MSc Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement

One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is sustainable food production for a rapidly increasing global population. Achieving this will depend, amongst other things, on our ability to expedite the production of new higher yielding crop varieties that are better adapted to a changing climate, and which will require fewer inputs such as fertilisers and other chemicals.

You’re ready to specialise in plant genetics and crop improvement at the John Innes Centre (JIC), a ground-breaking institute for research on plant and microbial sciences. With this expert, cutting-edge training, you’ll have the perfect grounding to move onto a PhD, or alternatively into a career within the plant breeding industry.

This MSc enables you to explore the theoretical basis of plant breeding and statistics, plant genetics, genomics and bioinformatics, while at the same time gaining valuable practical experience. You will also receive training in key transferable skills. Alongside your taught modules, you’ll also complete a laboratory-based research project (worth 60 credits), giving you the opportunity to work alongside world-leading scientists at JIC, or possibly with an industry partner.

The JIC, which is based on the Norwich Research Park, is one of the world’s leading research institutes in plant genetics and crop improvement. So, there are few better places to study this topic within a world-class teaching and research environment.

About

Our one-year MSc in Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement is perfect training if you plan to study for a further degree in plant genetics, or alternatively, a career in plant breeding and crop improvement. It’s a unique opportunity to study plant molecular genetics and its potential applications in the 21st century within an environment of academic and research excellence.

JIC is one of the world’s leading research institutes in plant genetics and crop improvement. This means you’ll benefit from teaching by research staff at JIC, and a number of leading plant breeding and plant biotechnology companies within the UK.

In your taught modules you’ll cover subjects including plant molecular genetics and biotechnology, target traits for crop improvement, and plant breeding with statistics – as well as learning key transferable skills such as laboratory research and communication skills. An important element of the course is the substantial six-month laboratory-based research project that you’ll conduct under the supervision of a senior scientist at JIC. As part of this you’ll submit a dissertation and present a seminar on your research project. We offer research projects in the following key areas:

Crop plant genetics
Plant biotechnology and crop improvement
Plant genome organisation
Plant-microbe interactions
Cell and developmental biology
Plant gene function

In recent years the career prospects for students with a postgraduate degree in plant genetics and crop improvement have been very good, often leading to a PhD or employment within the UK plant breeding industry.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

We’ll assess your learning in a combination of different ways depending on the module and learning objectives. These include formal exams, laboratory reports, coursework assignments, presentations and problem-based learning sessions. In addition, your research dissertation and seminar presentation will form a significant part of the course assessment.

Structure

On this one-year course you’ll take a number of taught modules while completing your research project plan and the six-month laboratory research project.

Your modules include Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, which gives you a Masters’ level introduction to the structure and function of DNA. You’ll cover the mechanisms of inheritance in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and study model organisms and their genomes. And you’ll explore the contemporary ‘omics’ technologies used for the analysis of whole genomes, gene function and expression. In further lectures and seminars you’ll explore the role of bioinformatics in contemporary research on plant genomes and crop improvement.

The Plant Breeding and Statistics module will teach you the important principles of plant breeding and genetics and will explore the role of newer technologies in the manipulation of traits in crop improvement. You will also learn the statistical methods appropriate for analysing data from many experiments in plant science and crop plant improvement.

The module on Plant Genetics and Biotechnology looks at how both these disciplines have played a significant role in understanding fundamental aspects of plant biology and their potential to expedite crop plant improvement in the future.

The Practical Skills in Plant Molecular Genetics module is a laboratory-based module that links the theory of bioinformatics, plant molecular genetics and marker-assisted selection together with their practical application. Using bioinformatics, you will utilise molecular markers to determine the genotypes of F2 plants segregating for distinct morphological characters. You’ll then use this to predict the phenotypic characters exhibited by mature plants and select plants with specific combinations of traits, which is a key feature of contemporary breeding programmes.

The module on Target Traits and Crop Improvement will explore how future crop plant improvement will depend upon new varieties expressing a number of key traits, introduced by either conventional plant breeding, genetic modification or genome editing.

Your Research Project Plan module provides an opportunity to conduct an extensive survey of current literature for your chosen research project, as well as formulating hypotheses, and designing experiments to test them. In the research project itself you will conduct experiments, analyse research project data, and critically assess your hypotheses. Your research will be a six-month laboratory-based project on some aspect of plant genetics, crop improvement, plant-microbe interactions or plant biology.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

Our teaching team is made up of research staff from JIC and a number of leading plant breeding companies within the UK.

You’ll be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and laboratory work geared towards helping you understand and apply the concepts and theories covered in your course.

One recent student said: “I found this course very beneficial but it was also tough for me as I did not have a molecular biology background in my first degree. However, there was always support from the lecturers, supervisors and staff of the course who are sympathetic to students needs, and are very encouraging. The number of students is kept small, so the atmosphere of the class is friendly. We are also privileged to have so much exposure to the latest plant science at JIC where renowned researchers gather from all over the world. Thanks to this course, I was offered a PhD studentship to research Crop Genetics at JIC and enjoy life as a scientist there!”

Independent study

An important element of the course is the substantial six-month laboratory-based research project, which demands a high level of independence. You will choose a research area that suits your own interests and aspirations and through this you will gain a thorough training in experimentation, data collection, critical analysis and presentation. You will work under the supervision of a senior scientist at JIC. As part of this you’ll submit a dissertation and present a seminar on your research project.

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Assessment for Year 1

Compulsory Modules

PLANT GENOMICS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

Code BIO-7001B

Credits 20

Plant genetics and biotechnology have played a significant role in understanding fundamental aspects of plant biology and they also have tremendous potential for crop plant improvement in the future. This module will provide you with an overview of the theory and practical applications of plant molecular genetics, genomics and transformation technologies in both model and crop plants. This is a compulsory Module for MSc in Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement.

TARGET TRAITS FOR CROP IMPROVEMENT

Code BIO-7002B

Credits 20

Future crop plant improvement will depend upon new varieties expressing a number of key traits, either by conventional plant breeding, or by genetic modification. These traits include durable resistance to pathogenic microorganisms, and promoting interactions with other microorganisms that will result in mutually beneficial symbioses that could reduce inputs of nitrogen and phosphorous in agriculture. Other desirable traits include tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and extremes of temperature, as well as crops with enhanced nutritional quality. This module will investigate the genetic basis underlying these important traits in both model and crop plants, and the strategies for introducing these traits into specific crops. This is a compulsory module for MSc in Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement.

RESEARCH PROJECT PLAN

Code BIO-7014B

Credits 20

This module involves an extensive survey of current literature related to the research project module, the formulation of hypotheses, and the design of experiments to test them. In the research project, you will conduct these experiments, analyse their research project data, and critically assess their hypotheses. You will carry out individual work under the supervision of the research project supervisor. This is a restricted and compulsory module for MSc in Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement.

GENETICS, GENOMICS AND BIOINFORMATICS

Code BIO-7012A

Credits 20

This module provides a Master's level introduction to the structure and function of DNA. You will cover the mechanisms of inheritance in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and receive an introduction to the study of model organisms and their genomes. This will be followed by lectures that cover the contemporary 'omics' technologies used for the analysis of whole genomes, gene function and expression. Lectures and seminars that introduce the role of bioinformatics in genome biology and evolution will also be included, together with an opportunity to gain practical experience in bioinformatics. These lectures and seminars will provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills for more in-depth coverage of these topics later in the academic year, including your laboratory-based research project.

PRACTICAL SKILLS IN PLANT MOLECULAR GENETICS

Code BIO-7015Y

Credits 10

The aim of this laboratory-based module is to provide you with a link between the theory of bioinformatics, plant molecular genetics and marker-assisted selection, (which is covered in other modules), together with their practical basis. Using bioinformatics, you will design molecular markers to determine the genotypes of F2 plants segregating for distinct morphological characters. Genotyping of the F2 seedlings will be used to predict the phenotypic characters exhibited by mature plants. The module will demonstrate how molecular genetics can be used to select plants with specific combinations of traits – which is a key feature of contemporary breeding programmes. The module will also provide you with key practical skills in bioinformatics, molecular genetics and scientific writing skills.

PLANT BREEDING AND STATISTICS

Code BIO-7038Y

Credits 30

The aim of this year-long module is to provide an understanding of the practice of plant breeding and genetics. It is also to explore the principles and applications of other technologies in the manipulation of traits in crop improvement. The module also covers statistical methods for analysing data from many experiments in plant science and crop improvement. This provides students with important skills required for the design and analysis of experimental data from their own research project, and for a wide range of research in the future. On completion, the module students will understand the principles, analysis and application of Mendelian, population and quantitative genetics in plant breeding. They will also understand the application of biotechnology, breeding strategies and selection procedures, the principles and application of heterosis and hybrid breeding and the role of genetic resources and gene conservation. The statistics training will cover the estimation of important parameters, confidence intervals and significance tests and the concepts of experimental design, together with the use of general linear modelling as a widely-applicable method for analysing experimental data.

LABORATORY RESEARCH PROJECT

Code BIO-7033X

Credits 60

This is a compulsory and restricted module for MSc in Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement. You will undertake a six month laboratory-based research project on some aspect of plant genetics, crop improvement, plant-microbe interactions or plant biology. You will be supervised by a member of scientific staff at the John Innes Centre or The Sainsbury Laboratory. This module provides a thorough training in experimentation, data collection, critical analysis, and presentation.

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Open Days

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

MSc PLANT GENETICS AND CROP IMPROVEMENT