These classes acquaint students with the scientific literature, research possibilities, the faculty, and the other graduate students in the program. Arabidopsis thaliana Click to enlarge Additionally, a modular lecture course has been designed specifically to broaden the background of students while accommodating diverse interests. Each module lasts four weeks and is taught by one or two faculty members. Nine modules are currently offered. Most students do not take all these classes, but can select ones that fit with their particular interests.
Funds are available for PCMB students to invite a speaker each semester.
Laboratory training All students rotate among three PCMB faculty laboratories of their choosing. These rotations, each of 8-12 weeks duration, give students a chance to diversify their knowledge, identify potential thesis projects, and get acquainted with individual faculty members and the students, postdocs, and technicians that comprise their labs. Students are prepared for thesis research with an intensive lab course covering plant transformation, genome analysis, and gene expression, team-taught by a group of four faculty members. In addition, students also may take specialized workshops in lab techniques, sponsored by the Biotechnology Program and the Plant Science Center. In Vitro Mutagenesis, Confocal Microscopy, Construction of Nested Deletions, and Computer Analysis of Sequence Data.