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This course examines mechanisms of gene expression and transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes, with heat shock response serving as an example of activated transcription in plants. It unravels mechanisms by which transcriptional activators, repressors, general transcription factors (GTFs), TATA-binding protein-associated factors (TAFs), co-activators, co-repressors and mediator orchestrate transcription. It also provides strategies for plant gene manipulations that lead to the development of sentinel plants. Sentinel plants may recognize specified environmental signals, process them and communicate to the observer. Such specified environmental signals could be, for example, components of explosives such as TNT/DNT, or human pathogens infecting leafy produce. The course provides advanced information on the newest accomplishments in biological engineering of signal transduction pathways leading to building of designer plants.