UM Course material
From BINAS
Contents |
UM Course Material: Module 1. Course Background
Objective
This module provides a historical overview of agricultural practices, reviews conventional breeding techniques and introduces the student to the science behind GM technology. This provides an essential background to understand biosafety developments from Asilomar to the present time. It is mainly intended for those with little prior exposure to the subject matter (e.g. agronomists, chemists, lawyers, etc.).
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Learning Outcome
At the end of this module, students are expected to have mastered the basic concepts of breeding technologies, constraints on crop production, and novel approaches to overcome these constraints putting these technologies into a historical perspective.
Module Content
- Unit 1.1 Agriculture and plant breeding
- Unit 1.2 Constraints on crop production
- Unit 1.3 Molecular biology and biotechnology
- Unit 1.4 Tools of biotechnology
- Unit 1.5 History of Genetic Modification and its regulation
UM Course Material: Module 2. Applications of Biotechnology
Objective
This module presents biotechnology approaches to solve intractable problems related to human, animal, plant diseases as well as problems related to industrial productivity and environmental sustainability; these are assessed against conventional approaches, where the latter are still possible, and provides the knowledge base to evaluate and quantify the derived benefits.
Learning outcome
At the end of this module, students should have a comprehensive understanding of current technological solutions to major problems offered by modern biotechnology.
Module Content
- Unit 2.1 Global view
- Unit 2.2 Disease Control
- Unit 2.3 Insect and nematode resistance
- Unit 2.4 Weed Control
- Unit 2.7 Food and Feed Quality
- Unit 2.8 Non-food agricultural applications: pharma and industrial
- Unit 2.11 Biofertilizers
- Unit 2.12 Transgenic Insects
- Unit 2.14 Transgenic Trees
Module 3. Theoretical and Practical Foundations of Biological Risk Assessment
Objective
This module is based on a computer-based decision support system for the assessment of GMO-related risks (DTREE) and provides hands-on experience on risk assessment through the evaluation of specific applications for environmental releases of GMOs. Risk assessment will be conducted both by the use of DTREE as well by simulation of Expert Panel analyses.
Learning Outcome
At the end of this module, students are expected to have mastered a basic understanding of the concepts of hazard, risk and risk evaluation. They should also have familiarized themselves with a variety of risk assessment tools, internet-based information resources as well as specialized databases that are relevant to biosafety research and biological risk assessment.
Module Content
- Unit 3.1 Definitions and concepts in risk assessment
- Unit 3.2 Methodological Assumptions
- Unit 3.3 Uncertainty and Irreversibility
- Unit 3.4 Science-based Environmental Risk Assessment
Module 4. Food and Feed Safety
Objective
This module deals with issues related to the safety of biotechnology-derived food and feed. Potential harmful effects (e.g. toxicity, allergenicity) of such foods on human and animal health are examined here.
Other issues pertaining to food safety such as "functional foods", substantial equvalence, traceability and labelling are also examined.
Case studies highlighting food safety issues and regulatory approaches in the context of internaitonal agreementssuch as Codex Alimentarius and of other national and international regulatory bodies are thoroughly analysed.
Learning Outcome
At the ned of this module, students shouod have a thorough understanding of food-related hazards such as toxic compounds, allergens, antinutritional factors, undesired interactions between food components. They will also undestand the concept of familiarity as applied to foods with a long history of use by large populations as well as the limitations of the application of conventional toxicology studies.
They will also have a full understanding of the concept of substantial equivalence and procedures for food safety assessment and food labelling requirements.
