Msc plant and fungal taxonomy, diversity and conservation biological sciences

Structure

Our MSc programme directly addresses the skills gap in taxonomy and systematics identified by the Natural Environmental Research Council and Living with Environmental Change in their 2012 report Most Wanted II. Postgraduate and Professional Skills Needs in the Environment Sector. The programme equips students with the knowledge and skills to undertake research in the fields of taxonomy, molecular systematics, ecology and evolution, or to engage in more applied conservation work. We are training a new generation of taxonomists in cross-disciplinary skills with many applications in academia, government, industry, consultancy and non-governmental organisations.

If you have any questions about the content or structure, contact the co-directors of the programme Professor Andrew Leitch or Richard Gianfrancesco.

• Plant Taxonomy and Diversity: This module will provide an overview of global plant diversity, with a particular focus on flowering plants. It will be taught at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew by leading botanists, affording students the opportunity to explore the outstanding collections and facilities housed there. Topics will range from taxonomic principles and methodology, plant systematics and comparative biology (including morphology, chemistry and genomics), phylogenetics, biogeography and evolution. The module will have a practical component, providing excellent hands-on experience for students.
• Fungal Taxonomy and Diversity: This module will focus on fungal diversity and it will be taught at RBG, Kew by leading mycologists. Kew has the largest collection of fungal specimens in the world that will be available to the students during the course. The module will give an overview of the systematics and taxonomy of major fungal groups, of basic concepts in mycology, field collecting, and culturing and fungarium techniques. In addition, front-line research on the ecology of fungi (e.g., symbiosis, 'rotters and recyclers', pathogens), fungal biogeography, and fungal evolutionary genomics, will be explored through study of contemporary research. The module will have a practical component, providing excellent hands-on experience for students.
• Statistics and Bioinformatics: This module is focussed on teaching data analysis using the statistical programming language R. The module covers the basics of using R; drawing publication-standard graphs with R; experimental design; exploratory data analysis; the fundamentals of statistical testing including t-tests and chi-square tests; ANOVA and Regression; fitting and interpreting general linear models; the basics of bioinformatic analysis in R. The module is taught with a mix of theory and practice, with a typical day including roughly two hours of theory instruction in the morning followed by a practical session in the afternoon, often involving hands-on analysis of real experimental data sets.
• Research Frontiers in Evolutionary Biology: This module will explore the frontiers of research in evolutionary biology. Topics covered will include: incongruence in phylogenetic trees, neutral versus selective forces in evolution, the origin of angiosperms, the origin of new genes, the evolution of sociality, the significance of whole genome duplication and hybridisation. Current method being used to tackle these areas will be taught, with an emphasis on DNA sequence analysis and bioinformatics. This module aims to inspire students to seek a career in scientific research, and equip them to choose areas of research that are of current interest. Whereas undergraduate degrees commonly focus on what we know, this Master's course will shift the focus onto what we don't know. Students will explore the current frontiers of knowledge, and the questions that currently lack answers, or whose answers are currently debated. Students will learn to ask relevant questions themselves, and design approaches to seeking answers to those questions.
• Conservation and Ecosystem Science: This module will explore the role and application of plant and fungal science in integrated conservation and management of biodiversity, in the delivery of ecosystem services and livelihoods, and in the development of mechanisms for their maintenance and restoration in the context of a changing planet. Drawing on the exceptional breadth of expertise, collections and facilities across Kew's sites, and building on the fundamental understanding of plant and fungal taxonomy and diversity, it will provide an essential introduction to a range of technical approaches including policy development, species and habitat prioritisation, protected area management, conservation genetics, ecosystem service research, seed banking and propagation, application of traditional knowledge, and integrated conservation for biodiversity and livelihoods.
• Field Study Skills in a Biodiversity Hotspot - This Madagascar Field Course Module will provide an introduction to practical field work, including botanical surveys and flowering plant identification and how they can be applied to solving practical problems of conservation management as well as biodiversity research. It will be taught by botanists from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre (KMCC) in Antananarivo and local conservationists and researchers from collaborating institutions. Several site visits to conservation projects and some taught case studies will give an over-view of conservation in Madagascar. We reserve the right to change the location of this course if advice on travel to Madagascar from the Foreign Commonwealth Office changes, or for logistical reasons. For students unable to travel to Madagascar for this module, an alternative method of assessment will be undertaken.

• Original research (50 per cent of the course)

The individual research project will enable students to focus on an area that interests them, with the vast scientific collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew available for investigative research. Projects can be based at either institution, depending on the specialism. Lab facilities are available at both locations and Queen Mary also has state of-the-art super-computing and informatics resources.

Find out more about this programme in our Plant and Fungal Taxonomy, Diversity and Conservation handbook

Please contact:

Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 5287
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