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Overview of Course

Lesson
1
 
Introduction: Course Mechanics, Contact Numbers, and the "Growing Glossary" 
What is Plant Tissue Culture and How is "Home" Tissue Culture Different from Conventional Tissue Culture? 
Why Do Universities and Private Industry Use Plant Tissue Culture? Why Do You Want to Use Plant Tissue Culture Techniques?
CLONING: Are All Plants Produced Through Tissue Culture Methods Identical to the Original Plant?  Why is There Variation? 
Safety Concerns
Lecture: Introduction to Plant Tissue Culture

Homework #1
  • Course Materials Needed and Where to Find Supplies
  • Join a plant tissue culture listserv

 

Lesson
2
 
Basic Plant Anatomy 
Routes of Development in Plant Tissue Culture 
Basic Steps in Plant Tissue Culture 
("Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3") 
Plant Hormones or Growth Regulators 
Lecture: Plant Growth Regulators
Lecture: Plant Tissue Culture Media Constituents
Homework #2
  • Kitchen Lab Exercise:  Media Preparation
  • Post a note on the Class Discussion Site in BlackBoard introducint yourself and describing any problems you encountered in the media preparation

 

Lesson
3
 
Preparing a "Clean Area" 
Why are We Using African Violet Leaves as Our Model System? 
Cleaning Up (Disinfecting / Disinfesting) Plant Parts 
Lecture:  Disinfecting (Disinfesting) Agents Used in Plant Tissue Culture
Homework #3
  • Kitchen Lab Exercise:  Cleaning the African Violet Leaves and Culturing the Leaves

 

Lesson
4
 
Kitchen Lab Demonstration: Making FILTERS for Cleaning Small Seeds 
Kitchen Lab Demonstration:  Fern Spore or Orchid Seed Culture
Homework #4
  • Kitchen Lab Exercise: Axillary Bud Culture (Node Culture)
  • Optional:  Fern Spore or Orchid Seed Culture

 

Lesson
5
 
Lecture: Anther Culture Techniques 
Lecture:  Micropropagation, Organogenesis and Somatic Embryogenesis
Homework #5
 
  • Kitchen Lab Exercise:  Inducing the Development of Embryos from Carrot Tissues (Somatic Embryogenesis)
  • Choose a plant of interest and search the web for a minimum of 5 sites that discuss propagation and/or micropropagation of that plant

 

Lesson
6
 
Lecture:  Genetic Engineering
Lecture:  Protoplast Isolation and Culture
Lab Demonstration: Protoplast Isolation and Culture
Homework #6
 
  • Quiz:   Testing your knowledge PLUS  feedback about the homework assignments
  • Kitchen Lab Exercise:  A Classroom Exercise on Comparing the Effects of Plant Growth Regulators Using African Violets

 

Lesson
7
 
Isolation of a Shoot Tip from a: 
  • Monocot (Example: Banana)
  • Dicot (Example: Poplar, Apple, Rose, or Lilac)
Subculture of Established Shoot Cultures: 
  • Subculture (Transfer) of African Violet Plantlets to Fresh Medium
  • Subculture of Hosta Plantlets to Fresh Medium
  • Subculture of Sundew Culture to Fresh Medium 
Transfer to Soil
Homework #7
 
  • Make a quart of "homemade" media without hormones
  • Subculture your African violet cultures if they are old enough

 

Lesson
8
 
How to Write a Protocol
Calculations (Molar Solutions, Percentage, and Household Equivalents) 
Observations and Record Keeping 
Homework #8
 
  • Write a protocol on how to culture your plant of interest (from Homework #6)

 

Lesson
9
 
Protocols for Specific Plants: Go to the Appendix and Click on "Protocols for Specific Plant Species"
Homework #9
 
  • Culture your plant of interest using the protocol that your wrote and had reviewed by the instructor

Lesson
10
 
Business Mistakes to Avoid 
Homework #10
 
  • Lab Tours: Take a virtual tour of the labs that I have visited
  • Locate a commercial, university, college or hobby lab near you.  Visit the lab.  Share your experience with the class including any photos that you take.
   

 

Final
Lesson
 
Students' Choice: What have we not covered yet? Send your suggestions and requests to me ( cstiff@austincc.edu ) and I will try to meet your needs.

 

Appendix
 
The Growing Glossary 
Protocols for Specific Plant Species
Questions and Solutions
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) 

 

 

Contact Information

Telephone
936-699-3551
FAX
936=699-3553
Postal Address
905 Champions Drive, Lufkin, Texas  75901
Home Page / Electronic Mail
cstiff@austincc.edu

kck@turbonet.com

Copyright  (c) 2002 - Carol M. Stiff - All Rights Reserved
All photographs are by C.M. Stiff unless otherwise noted and
cannot be used elsewhere without written permission from the author.