B5933 - Biotecnologie vegetali

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be informed about the structure and function of the gene and genome of plants, with emphasis on the main cultivated species. The genomic and biotechnological applications for the study of the genetic diversity of species of agricultural interest, the genetic engineering techniques for the genetic improvement of plants with in-depth analysis on the cost-risk/benefit ratio deriving from the cultivation and use of GMOs, the applications biotechnologies for productive and sustainable agriculture, the use of plants as biofactories, gene/genome editing (CRISPR-CAS) applications in plants.

Course contents

Review necessary for understanding the contents:


Classical or Mendelian genetics.
Structure of DNA and RNA, organization of chromatin.
Transcription and translation of genes and their regulation.
Recombination and crossing-over
Inheritance of quantitative traits

Content of this course

The role of plant breeding. Concept of domestication, center of origin (Vavilov theory), genetic bottleneck of diversity.


Biochemistry of nucleic acids: Watson and Crick model, DNA replication, RNA transcription and maturation, translation and protein synthesis. Genetic code. Structure of the gene. Regulation of gene expression. Central dogma of molecular biology.


Genetic engineering: technologies (agrobacterium and biolistic methods), types of main events and their success logic (soybean resistant to herbicides, corn resistant to parasites, etc.). Spread of GM agricultural crops in the world.


Plants modified through editing. CRISPR-CAS editing method, traditional and evolution into base editing and prime editing. Differences with GM methods. Updates on regulations regarding agricultural applications of plants produced via NBT/NGT. The Italian case: TEA plants.

Readings/Bibliography

AGRICOLTURA SOSTENIBILE ATTRAVERSO LE BIOTECNOLOGIE. M. J. Chrispeels, P. Gepts. 2021, Piccin.

Office hours

See the website of Silvio Salvi