Biotechnological Advances for Future Crop Production
PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE at University of Copenhagen
This is a specialised course where 50% of the seats are reserved for PhD students enrolled at the Faculty of SCIENCE at UCPH and 50% of the seats are reserved for PhD students at other faculties and universities. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and according to the applicable rules.
Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student, you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. After the enrollment deadline, available seats will be allocated to applicants on the waiting list.
Applicants must apply for the course and at the same time also send a motivational letter.
The letter must be sent to course coordinator by e-mail.
Aim and Content
Plant production is facing unprecedented challenges. In 2050, the human population will exceed nine billion and the demand for agricultural production will increase by 60%. In addition, climate change will limit local plant production, demanding the development of crops with higher tolerance to e.g. heat, drought, and flooding. At the same time, there is a strong need to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and preserve natural habitats.
The present PhD course will provide an update on state-of-the-art methods to uncover the genetic basis of agronomic traits and introduce them into new or existing crops using biotechnology. Special focus will be on wild or semi-domesticated crops as well as gene editing systems in plants. The course will include lectures by specialists in the field and participation in a 1-day international symposium, including coaching sessions on scientific communication, poster preparation and delivery.
The course will cover topics such as:
• Genetic resources for crop improvement
• Overview of mapping of agronomic traits
• Omics-based gene discovery
• Transformation of wild and semi-domesticated crops
• Update on the CRISPR-based toolbox for gene editing
• Intellectual property rights
Learning outcomes
Intended learning outcome for the students who complete the course:
Knowledge:
• State-of-the-art knowledge about advances in gene editing of crop plants
• Latest advances in the use of genome sequencing of wild relatives for staple crop improvement
• Knowledge of non-GM high-throughput gene editing technologies
• Knowledge of the latest advances in transformation of recalcitrant and wild crops
• Knowledge about the current state of the European GM regulation
• Knowledge of effective oral and visual communication of a research project in the context of a scientific meeting (e.g. conference)
Skills:
• Identify the main challenges faced when working with wild and semi-domesticated crops
• Describe the workflow of biotechnological strategies for crop improvement
• Describe the main challenges associated with plant tissue culture and transformation
• Identify the advantages and disadvantages of different gene editing protocols
Competences:
• Propose biotechnological improvement strategies for crop improvement within their own projects
• Effective presentation of research projects in the form of a poster and conference poster pitch
Target Group
PhD students working in plant sciences, plant genetics, plant gene-editing, plant breeding, plant biotechnology, or interested in wild or semi-domesticated crops and/or crop improvement
Recommended Academic Qualifications
MSc in Agriculture, Plant Sciences, Plant genetics, or any related areas.
Research Area
Plant Sciences
Teaching and Learning Methods
The course will mainly include lectures where the students will learn background concepts and hear about state-of-the-art examples within the different subjects. There will be two classroom sessions on preparation of a poster including teacher instruction and peer feedback. A practice session on poster pitch will prepare the students for participation in a 1-day international symposium where they will practice their networking skills in a real-life scenario.
Lecturers will include at three invited international speakers joined by a selected group of experts from UCPH and Århus University participating in the NNF-funded NovoCrops centre (www.novocrops.com) or related large initiatives.
Type of Assessment
Active participation in all sessions, including discussion with teachers, preparation of the poster and poster pitch, and participation in the 1-day international symposium.
Literature
A list of literature will be provided to the students at least 2 weeks before the course starts.
Course coordinator
Professor Rosa Laura López Marqués
Associate Professor Elizabeth Neilson
Dates
24th to 28th August 2026
Expected frequency
Every second year
Course location
Faculty of Science, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg
Course fee
• Participant fee: DKK 1.800
• PhD student enrolled at SCIENCE: DKK 0
• PhD student from Danish PhD school Open market: DKK 0
• PhD student from Danish PhD school not Open market: DKK 3.000
• PhD student from foreign university: DKK 3.000
• Master's student from Danish university: DKK 0
• Master's student from foreign university: DKK 3.000
• Non-PhD student employed at a university (e.g., postdocs): DKK 3.000
• Non-PhD student not employed at a university (e.g., from a private company): DKK 8.400
Cancellation policy
• Cancellations made up to two weeks before the course starts are free of charge.
• Cancellations made less than two weeks before the course starts will be charged a fee of DKK 3.000
• Participants with less than 80% attendance cannot pass the course and will be charged a fee of DKK 5.000
• No-show will result in a fee of DKK 5.000
• Participants who fail to hand in any mandatory exams or assignments cannot pass the course and will be charged a fee of DKK 5.000
Course fee and participant fee
PhD courses offered at the Faculty of SCIENCE have course fees corresponding to different participant types.
In addition to the course fee, there might also be a participant fee.
If the course has a participant fee, this will apply to all participants regardless of participant
type - and in addition to the course fee.