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• History & Scope
Low
History of plant tissue culture and genetic engineering; Milestones in biotechnology; Scope and importance in agriculture; Biosafety regulations (Cartagena Protocol, GEAC).
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• Cell Structure & Function
Medium
Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic cell structure; Cell wall composition; Cell membrane transport; Cytoskeleton; Cell cycle and its regulation (Cyclins, CDKs); Mitosis and Meiosis; Apoptosis.
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• Classical & Molecular Genetics
High
Mendelian principles; Linkage and crossing over; Chromosomal aberrations; Extrachromosomal inheritance (Chloroplast and Mitochondrial genomes); Male sterility (CMS, GMS) and its application; Transposable elements (Ac/Ds, Spm/dSpm, Ty elements).
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• Central Dogma (Molecular Biology)
Very High
DNA structure (A, B, Z forms) and topology; DNA Replication (enzymes, semi-conservative, rolling circle); Transcription in prokaryotes and eukaryotes (RNA Polymerases, Promoters, Enhancers); RNA processing (Capping, Polyadenylation, Splicing, Spliceosome); Translation (Genetic code properties, Ribosome structure, mechanism); Post-translational modifications; Gene regulation (Lac and Trp operons, Arabinose operon, Riboswitches).
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• Recombinant DNA Technology
Very High
Restriction Enzymes (Types I, II, III, Nomenclature, Isoschizomers); Modifying enzymes (Ligases, Kinases, Phosphatases, Polymerases); Cloning Vectors: Plasmids (pBR322, pUC19), Phages (Lambda), Cosmids, Phagemids, BACs, YACs; Expression vectors; Shuttle vectors.
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• Gene Transfer Methods
High
Direct gene transfer: Particle bombardment (Gene Gun), Electroporation, Microinjection, PEG-mediated; Indirect transfer: Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Ti plasmid biology, vir genes, T-DNA transfer mechanism); Agrobacterium rhizogenes (Ri plasmid); Selectable marker genes (nptII, hpt) and Reporter genes (GUS, GFP, Luciferase).
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• Plant Tissue Culture
High
Totipotency; Nutrient media components (MS, B5); Sterilization techniques; Micropropagation stages; Organogenesis vs Somatic Embryogenesis; Somaclonal variation; Protoplast isolation, fusion and somatic hybridization (Cybrids); Anther/Pollen culture for haploid production; Meristem culture for virus-free plants; Synthetic seeds; Germplasm conservation (Cryopreservation).
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• Molecular Markers & Genomics
Very High
Molecular markers: RFLP, RAPD, AFLP, SSR (Microsatellites), SNP, ISSR; Dominant vs Codominant markers; Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) - foreground and background selection; QTL mapping basics; DNA Sequencing: Maxam-Gilbert, Sanger method, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS - Illumina, 454, PacBio); Functional Genomics (Transcriptomics, Proteomics).
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• Applications of Biotechnology
Medium-High
Transgenic crops for biotic stress resistance (Bt cotton, Viral resistance - Coat protein, RNAi); Abiotic stress tolerance (Drought, Salinity); Quality improvement (Golden Rice, Flavr Savr Tomato); Molecular farming (Edible vaccines, antibodies); Terminator technology (GURT).
