MLS902 Advanced Plant Physiology
The purpose of this advanced plant physiology course is to ensure that students obtain substantive understanding of the physiological processes controlling plant behaviour and productivity both at the biochemical as well as molecular levels. Particular emphasis will be on current research into plant nutrition and water relations; plant metabolism including photosynthesis, respiration, carbohydrate metabolism with an emphasis on regulation and the interaction among metabolic pathways. Group discussion of selected recent publications with reference to the use of plant physiology in improving crop production and horticulture will also be emphasised. The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to critical use of scientific papers published within the various fields of interest.
MLS903 Seminars on Special Topics in the Applied Plant Sciences
This course is intended to broaden exposure of higher degree students to current and relevant topics and issues in the applied plant sciences field through discussion and dialogue with both academics and industry players. It will cover broad areas such as microbial soil biology, ecophysiology, horticulture, urban greening and natural resources usage.
MLS926 Bioactive Natural Products and their Derivatives
Natural products play an essential role in the drug discovery and development process. A high proportion of drugs currently in use, particularly in treatment of cancer and infectious diseases, are derived from natural products and their synthetic derivatives. The purpose of the course is to provide participants with fundamental knowledge of natural product chemistry and the role natural products play in drug discovery and development. Topics such as the distribution and biosynthesis of natural products and their ecological function within biological systems, as well as knowledge of drugs, drug extracts and bioactive natural products from plants and microbes that are used for production of medicine and herbal remedies, will be covered. In addition, innovative analytical techniques used in natural products research will be emphasized.
MLS927 Current Topics in Environmental Chemistry
Environmental chemistry plays various important roles for human sustainable civilization as it unveils how physicochemical phenomena taking place in our environment and their impact on human lives, as well as the environment itself. This course aims to expose participants to current fundamental and applied research in the field of environmental chemistry. Chemistry principles applied to the study of atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere will be discussed. The importance of the anthrosphere, i.e. part of the environment made and operated by humans will be introduced. In addition, the environmental, health, and economic effects of pollution in a chemical context will be examined through discussion on local and global case studies. Ways of alleviating pollution issues via public education and pollution regulations will be explored.
MLS928 Green Chemistry
Green chemistry, also called sustainable chemistry, encourages the design of products and processes that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances. This course deals with the fundamental principles of green chemistry and their extensive application potentials in various chemistry and related fields, e.g. Physics, Molecular Biology, and Environmental Science. The course covers topics like waste minimization, atom efficiency, solvent selection, (bio)catalysis, renewable resources and energy efficient processes. Participants will be exposed to various examples of chemical synthetic processes and analytical methodologies that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances. Relevant green analytical techniques will be introduced.
MLS929 Medicinal Chemistry
Medicinal chemistry is a chemistry-based course and it involves the application of chemical research to the development of new pharmaceuticals. A wide range of topics will be included in the discussion of medicinal chemistry. These topics include drug targets, drug optimization, structure activity relationship studies, synthetic organic chemistry, pharmacology, as well as drug discovery and development. Novel chemical and biological techniques will be highlighted in this course and are introduced in the context of the drug development process. Interdisciplinary aspect of medicinal chemistry will be emphasized by linking other scientific disciplines, such as biochemistry and molecular biology. This course will be taught by a team of chemists with different backgrounds and participants will benefit from the diverse range of topics and ideas presented.
MLS965 Evolution and Phylogeny
While Physics and Chemistry have many fundamental laws that most science students are well acquainted with, Biology is fascinating in that there is a unity of all life, with the incredible diversity of living things and their innumerable adaptations for survival and reproduction. What made this shared ancestry and diversification possible? We will explore the process of evolution and the patterns of relationship among living things that follow from it. In addition, we will see how an evolutionary approach can help us better understand the interaction between organisms and their environment, as well as how an understanding of evolution and phylogeny can assist in the conservation and management of habitats and endangered species. Research themes and methods that are currently being actively pursued in the field will be highlighted.
MLS966 Field Techniques in Environmental Science
In the study of the environment, field research is fundamental to helping scientists understand natural processes, and responses of ecosystems to changes, e.g. environmental change, global warming, pollution. This course introduces current research approaches and methods employed by field scientists in gathering data pertaining to plant and animal physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, adaptations and behaviours. Participants will have the opportunity to conduct field experiments under the guidance of experts using field instrumentation and laboratory analyses. Techniques include plant physiology, ecotoxicology, chemical ecology, microbiology, molecular biology and pharmacognosy. Participants will also conduct field experiments and analyses of research data.
MLS967 Forest Ecology and Management
Many countries depend on forests as natural resources that contribute towards economic growth. Large areas of the world's forests, however, are being cleared at a fast pace, which, left unchecked, may result in the loss of biodiversity as well as the degradation of the environment through soil erosion and the building up of greenhouse gases, not to mention a loss of a potentially sustainable source of income. How then do we achieve a balance to attain sustainable growth? This course will examine two overlapping yet very different issues. The first concerns the dynamics of forest ecosystems: their history, distribution, and ecology. The second issue is that of forest usage and management, timber and non-timber extraction methods, and silviculture. Policies pertaining to the international trade in timber, forest conservation, and sustainable forestry will also be examined in an attempt to better understand the forces that will determine the fate of our forest resources.
MLS968 Seminars on Special topics in Environmental Science
Other relevant and important subjects relating to the study of the environment will be covered in a seminar series. Experts from relevant industries will be invited deliver seminars and workshops on several topics including environmental law, environmental management systems and audits, and the role and relevance of environmental agencies. Students will also be assessed through term papers on related topics.
MLS969 Sustainable Earth Resources
The course introduces earth’s biodiversity as composed of resources that sustain life. In order for natural systems and human civilisation to exist in harmony, there is a need to develop sustainable relationships between humans and the global environment, and this is an issue that has become a matter of urgency, as economic and social goals relate to strategies of resource use and ecosystem management. The problems and policies associated with the use of resources (wilderness, forests, farmland, aquatic ecosystems) and urban industrial society are examined. Singaporean issues are central, but are set in a global context. Topics include: the concept of sustainable land-use, measuring and monitoring ecological biodiversity, developing land-use policies that take in ecosystem, social, and economic needs, and the development of a "land ethic" in modern societies.
MLS985 Chemical Ecology
This course on Chemical Ecology explores the role and function of chemistry in mediating interactions among a variety of organisms, including intraspecific and interspecific interactions. The course will cover the range of compound classes involved in chemical ecology. In addition, we will discuss the diversity of species interactions and chemical compounds in terrestrial and aquatic systems, and methods (e.g. analytical and molecular techniques) used to detect these compounds. We will cover defensive and offensive chemistry mediating antagonistic interactions; the evolution of defenses; chemicals mediating mutualisms, competition, and sociality; the physiology of chemical production and recognition; and how chemical ecology affects humans. The biotechnological applications of chemical ecology will also be discussed. This course will include paper discussions of relevant recent literature.