PLSCI 6420

Mineral Nutrition: From Plants to Humans

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2024-2025.

Plants provide almost all essential minerals for humans and therefore plants are critical components of the human diet. Plant biologists address challenges of meeting the nutritional needs of the increasing world's population by studying plants' ability to uptake, translocate and accumulate mineral nutrients in edible tissues. By integrating basic plant biology with molecular breeding and genomics approaches, fundamental discoveries are utilized to have the greatest impact on solving biofortification of plant-based foods. This team-taught course explores the mechanisms of acquisition of mineral nutrients from the soil, translocation and accumulation in plant tissues, strategies to prevent mineral element deficiencies while avoiding their overload, and toxicity of noxious metals. Selected lectures focus on the relation between the nutrient status of plants and human nutrition and health. Graduate students will have assignments for in-depth learning of each topic. Examination questions will differ for graduate students to evaluate assigned material. Graduate students will write a paper for one of the topics and present it in class.

When Offered Spring.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: course work in advanced plant sciences, molecular biology and biochemistry or permission of instructor.

Comments Offered in odd-numbered years only.

• Explain the impact of mineral deficiencies on plant growth and yield and the impact of poor mineral nutrition on human health.
• Describe transport pathways and their regulatory components that control the uptake of minerals from the soil solution, their radial transport, root-to-shoot partitioning, and grain filling.
• Explain the rationale behind designing nutrient solution for different plant species.
• Explain the approaches and scientific basis behind them for crop biofortification.
• Analyze original scientific literature, design, and communicate scientific presentation.
• Explain, evaluate, and interpret original experimental data, reflect on the design and the interpretation of results of one's own experiments.

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