PLBIO 3880

Genetic Engineering of Food Crops: Myths and Truths

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2017-2018.

This course is offered as part of the CALS Signature Semester: Toward a Sustainable Future and Emerging Technologies Important to China on site in Shanghai, China. Genetically modified (GM) crops have been a hot topic with controversy. One of the major concerns is on the GM crops' safety when served as our food or food ingredients. The objective of this 1-credit modular course is to discuss the principles and nature of crop genetic engineering vs. conventional plant breeding, and to showcase studies of genetically engineered food crops with emphases on how they are generated, how the nutritional values are improved, and how to detect or examine if one's food may be genetically engineered or may contain GM crop-derived ingredients. This is a middle-level course that emphasizes science-based principles and practices.

When Offered Summer.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: introductory biology.

Course Attribute (CU-ITL)

• Understand the nature of genetic engineering of crops vs. conventional plant breeding.
• Evaluate and assess the nutritional and economical values of various improved crops by genetic engineering.
• Identify and use various techniques to monitor/determine if their food is GM crops or contains ingredients derived from GM crops.
• Develop science-based critical thinking of the GMO issues in general and engineered food crops in particular.
• Students from China and from Cornell University will be able to interact such that they will learn from each other intellectually and culturally.

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