Plant Biology
The Plant Biology tracks within the Master’s in Biology and Agrosciences at Montpellier provide students with a solid scientific foundation in the fields of genetics and genomics, cellular and molecular biology, and integrative plant biology (development, nutrition and metabolism, ecophysiology, interactions with microorganisms, etc.), and equip them with the tools necessary for a scientific approach (statistics, bioinformatics, critical analysis, project management, etc.). The program offers four Plant Biology tracks to give students the opportunity, through specialized modules and laboratory internships, to delve deeper into the fundamental approaches of their choice, plant adaptation to the agro-environment, plant-microorganism interactions, biotechnology and plant breeding, or the design of plant experiments for applied research.
New sequencing technologies have revolutionized our understanding of the structure, diversity, and function of plant genomes and epigenomes. Harnessing this new knowledge requires the development of integrative approaches to plant biology based on a detailed understanding of plant physiology within its environment, the handling of big data, and an understanding of interactions between components (systems biology) at scales ranging from the genome to the phenotype, the ecosystem, and the agrosystem. The study of the functional integration of gene expression, gene diversity, and physiological functions—based on the characterization of the mechanisms at work in individual plants—represents the challenge to be addressed in both fundamental research and in plant breeding and protection. The plant biology tracks within the Master’s in Biology and Agrosciences program aim to equip students with the tools to meet this challenge.
The 4 plant biology tracks
A series of modules shared across the four tracks introduces students to the various concepts and methodologies of plant biology. Within each track, specialized modules and a selection of fieldwork placements allow students to focus on the area of their choice.
