English version for international students
WHAT? Lecture and Practical. WHO? Prof. Dr. Peter Nick, Dr. Jathish Ponnu WHEN? see plan . WHERE? Biotower, Bld. 30.43, 5. floor. FOR WHOM? Master Biology, Chemical Biology, Bachelor Biology, Applied Biology, Chemical Biology.
Note: this is a Master module, meaning, it does not start from scratch, but from a base laid down in our Bachelor courses. The fact that you were admitted for our Master curriculum does not mean that you have all the background you need to be successful. If you notice that there is knowledge, which we expect, but you did not get in your own country, it is your responsibility to make sure to get it. Please feel free to ask for advice. We are happy to help, but we will help only those that ask...
- Safety: once a year all lab members needs to go through the safety instruction. This is found on Ilias (BIO_Sicherheitsbelehrung_Nick_Lab in the current semester). Print your result and bring it as reference till the start of the lectures.
- Handover: at the end you need to hadn over lab space, samples, data to your mentor and the keys for your cupboard to Frau Williams. Details are here.
- Student cupboards: can be obtained in the secretary (Frau Williams), need to be returned at the end of the module.
- Details on the assignments and how they are scored are found here...
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Introduction into methods and concepts of modern plant cell biology.
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Competence in interpretation of current methodology
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Deep understanding of these methods
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Practicing independent scientific thinking, critical approach with sources.
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Cellular aspects of plant development
Ablauf des Moduls (Organisation of the Module)
The module is offered in two versions in the block after the winter term.
- For Master students as Research Module for the subjects Botany, Developmental Biology, and Cell Biology, also as part of the Vertiefermodul Chemical Biology. Start Mo 23.02.2026, 11:00 (SR 506-507, Bld. 30.43).
- For Bachelor students as version of BA 07/ANG 07 Biologische Forschung, also for Chemical Biology. Start We, 04.03.2026, 10:30 (SR 506-507, Bld. 30.43).
The lecture Plant Cell Biology - Methods and Concepts is the same in both version (Dates and topics). The Group Exercises are also the same, but some other parts are partially different based on the different levels of experience. (Details can be found over the links given above). Final presentations and written exam are the same.
Date final presentations Tue 31.03.2026, 10:00-12:00 (around 20-25 min per team) - afterwards handover lab space, data, and samples
Date exam We 01.04.2026, 10:00-12:00 (SR 506-507)
Projects Spring 2026 |
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For whom? Bachelor, Master Where? Nick-Lab, Biotower, 5. floor. Subgroup Cellular Biotechnology. more... Mentor? M. Sci. Jiang Wu. e-mail... Background? A microtubule motor as stress sensors. more... Start? Kick-off Termin Master Mo 23.02.2026, 11:00, Bachelor We 04.03.2026, 11:45 (after the first lecture), Seminar room 506-507, Biotower How many people? 2 Master+2 Bachelors Extension options: Bachelor thesis, P-Module, Master thesis |
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For whom? Bachelor, Master Where? Nick-Lab, Biotower, 5. floor. Subgroup Cellular Biotechnology. more... Mentor? Dr. Jathish Ponnu e-mail..., Xiao Chen. Background? The amphibic plant Hygrophila can generate different leaves, depending on, whether it grows submerged or in the air. The team of Dr. Ponnu develops this phenomenon as model to investigate environment-dependent changes of plant morphogenesis. The current project deals with the question, how the plant hormone abscisic acid is coupled. Mr. Chen has developed a working model, centering around the protein kinase SnRK2. Here, you can learn paradigmatically, how to structure a research project along a working model. This so-called hypothesis-driven strategy is considered as the gold standard for fundamental research. more... Start? Kick-off Master Mo 23.02.2026, 11:00, Bachelor We 04.03.2026, 11:45 (after the first lecture), Seminar room 506-507, Biotower Wieviel Leute? 2 Master+2 Bachelor Anschlussmöglichkeit: Bachelorarbeit, P-Modul oder Masterarbeit |
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For whom? Bachelor, Master Where? Nick-Lab, Biotower, 5. floor. Subgroup Cellular Biotechnology. more... Mentor? Dr. Jathish Ponnu e-mail..., Qianwei Liu. Background? 1. How photoreceptors regulate higher order E3 ligases in Arabidopsis thaliana? Students will analyze phenotypes of different transgenic lines and mutants under specific wavelengths of light and perform various molecular analyses such as molecular cloning, splitLUC assay, RT-qPCR, Western blotting etc. 2. A novel substrate of CUL4-based E3 ligase. In a previous yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified a novel interaction between the substrate adapter and a transcription factor in Arabidopsis. Your tasks will be to confirm the novel interaction using various protein-protein interaction assays in planta and ex planta such as yeast tw-hybrid, BiFC, Split-LUC and Co-IP. Start? Kick-off Master Mo 23.02.2026, 11:00, Bachelor We 04.03.2026, 11:45 (after the first lecture), Seminar room 506-507, Biotower Wieviel Leute? 2 Master+2 Bachelor Anschlussmöglichkeit: Bachelorarbeit, P-Modul oder Masterarbeit |
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For whom? Bachelor, Where? Nick-Lab, Biotower, 5. floor. Subgroup Cellular Biotechnology. more... Mentor? M. Sci. Javier García Varo. e-mail... Background? Stromules. more... Start? Kick-off Master Mo 23.02.2026, 11:00, Bachelor We 04.03.2026, 11:45 (after the first lecture), Seminar room 506-507, Biotower Wieviel Leute? 2 Master+2 Bachelor Anschlussmöglichkeit: Bachelorarbeit, P-Modul oder Masterarbeit |