Unit 1: Cell Biology
Cell Structure and Function Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell architecture, Cell wall, plasma
membrane, Structure and function of cell organelles: vacuoles, mitochondria, plastids, golgi
apparatus, ER, peroxisomes, glyoxisomes. Cell division, regulation of cell cycle, Protein
secretion and targeting, Cell division, growth and differentiation. Transport across cell
membrane, Cell signaling, Developmental biology of plants, programmed cell death (apoptosis).
Unit 2: Biomolecules
Biomolecules and Metabolism Structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and
nucleic acids, Synthesis of carbohydrate, glycolysis, HMP, Citric acid cycle and metabolic
regulation, Oxidative phosphorylation and substrate level phosphorylation, Vitamins, plant and
animal hormones. Functional molecules, antioxidants, nutrient precursor, HSPs, anti-viral
compounds.
Unit 3: Enzymes
Enzymology Enzymes, structure conformation, classification, assay, isolation, purification and
characterization, catalytic specificity, mechanism of action, active site, regulation of enzyme
activity, multienzyme complexes, immobilized enzymes and protein engineering, immobilized
enzymes and their application.
Unit 4: Molecular Genetics
Molecular Genetics Concept of gene, Prokaryotes as genetic system, Prokaryotic and eukaryotic
chromosomes, methods of gene isolation and identification, Split genes, overlapping genes and
pseudo genes, Organization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes and genomes including operon,
exon, intron, enhancer promoter sequences and other regulatory elements. Mutation –
spontaneous, induced and site-directed, recombination in bacteria, fungi and viruses,
transformation, transduction, conjugation, transposable elements and transposition.
Unit 5: Gene Expression
Gene Expression Expression of genetic information, operon concept, Transcription – mechanism
of transcription in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, transcription unit, regulatory sequences and
enhancers, activators, repressors, co-activators, Corepressors in prokaryotes and eukaryotes,
inducible genes and promoters, Transcription factors post transcriptional modification and
protein transport, DNA-protein interaction, Genetic code. Mechanism of translation and its
control, post translational modifications.
Unit 6: Techniques of Molecular Biology
Molecular Biology Techniques Isolation and purification of nucleic acids. Nucleic acids
hybridization: Southern, northern and western blotting hybridization. Immune response
monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and ELISA, DNA sequencing. Construction and
screening of genomic and C-DNA libraries. Gel electrophoretic techniques. Polymerase chain
reactor spectroscopy, RT-PCR ultracentrifugation, chromatography, FISH, RIA, etc. Next
generation genome sequencing techniques. reaction, reverse transcription PCR, real time PCR,
ultracentrifugation, spectroscopy, microarray, etc.
Unit 7: Recombinant DNA Technology
Gene Cloning Restriction enzymes and their uses. Salient features and uses of most commonly
used vectors i.e. plasmids, bacteriophages, phagemids, cosmids, BACs, PACs and YACs, binary
vectors, expression vectors. Gateway cloning vectors. Gene cloning and sub-cloning strategies,
chromosome walking, genetic transformation, Basis of animal cloning. Biology. Risk
assessment and IPR.
Unit 8: Genomics and Proteomics
Molecular Biology Ribosome structure and function. Protein biosynthesis in prokaryotes and
eukaryotes. Post-translational modification. Gene regulation, RNA processing and Post
transcriptional modifications. Bioprospecting, biofortification, gene pyramiding and gene fusion,
ribozyme technology. DNA chips and their use in transcriptome analysis; Mutants and RNAi in
functional genomics; Proteomics, Metabolomics and ionomics.
Unit 9: Molecular Biology of Stress Tolerance
Plant Molecular Biology Photoregulation and phytochrome regulation of nuclear and
chloroplastic gene expression. Molecular mechanism of nitrogen fixation. Molecular biology of
various stresses, viz. abiotic stresses like drought, salt, heavy metals and temperature; and biotic
stresses like bacterial, fungal and viral diseases. Signal transduction and its molecular basis,
molecular mechanism of plant hormone action mitochondrial control of fertility, structure,
organization and regulation of nuclear gene concerning storage proteins and starch synthesis.
Crop genome sequencing projects.
Unit 10: Plant Tissue Culture
Tissue Culture Basic techniques in cell culture and somatic cell genetics. Regulation of cell
cycle and cell division. Clonal propagation. Concept of cellular totipotency. Anther culture,
somaclonal and gametoclonal variations. Hybrid embryo culture and embryo rescue, somatic
hybridization and cybridization. Application of tissue culture in crop improvement. Secondary
metabolite production. In vitro, mutagenesis, cryopreservation and plant tissue culture
repository. Synthetic seeds, Virus indexing.
Unit 11: Plant Genetic Engineering
Plant Genetic Engineering Isolation of genes of economic importance. Gene constructs for
tissue-specific expression. Different methods of gene transfer to plants, viz. direct and vectormediated. Molecular analysis of transformants. RNAi technology. molecular pharming,
bioremediation. GM detection methods. Resistance management strategies for target traits.
Potential applications of plant genetic engineering for crop improvement, i.e. insect-pest
resistance (insect, viral, fungal and bacterial disease resistance), abiotic stress resistance,
herbicide resistance, storage protein quality, increasing shelf-life, oil quality, Current status of
transgenics, biosafety norms and controlled field trials and release of transgenics (GMOs).
Unit 12 : Molecular Breeding
Molecular Markers and Genomics DNA molecular markers: Principles, type and applications;
restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), amplified fragment length polymorphism
(AFLP), randomly amplified polymorphic DNA sequences (RAPD), Simple sequence repeats
(SSR), Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), Structural and functional genomics, gene
mapping, genome mapping, gene tagging and comparative genomics and application of
genomics. Development of mapping population, linkage mapping. association mapping,
Phylogeography, conservation genetics.
Cell Structure and Function Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell architecture, Cell wall, plasma
membrane, Structure and function of cell organelles: vacuoles, mitochondria, plastids, golgi
apparatus, ER, peroxisomes, glyoxisomes. Cell division, regulation of cell cycle, Protein
secretion and targeting, Cell division, growth and differentiation. Transport across cell
membrane, Cell signaling, Developmental biology of plants, programmed cell death (apoptosis).
Unit 2: Biomolecules
Biomolecules and Metabolism Structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and
nucleic acids, Synthesis of carbohydrate, glycolysis, HMP, Citric acid cycle and metabolic
regulation, Oxidative phosphorylation and substrate level phosphorylation, Vitamins, plant and
animal hormones. Functional molecules, antioxidants, nutrient precursor, HSPs, anti-viral
compounds.
Unit 3: Enzymes
Enzymology Enzymes, structure conformation, classification, assay, isolation, purification and
characterization, catalytic specificity, mechanism of action, active site, regulation of enzyme
activity, multienzyme complexes, immobilized enzymes and protein engineering, immobilized
enzymes and their application.
Unit 4: Molecular Genetics
Molecular Genetics Concept of gene, Prokaryotes as genetic system, Prokaryotic and eukaryotic
chromosomes, methods of gene isolation and identification, Split genes, overlapping genes and
pseudo genes, Organization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes and genomes including operon,
exon, intron, enhancer promoter sequences and other regulatory elements. Mutation –
spontaneous, induced and site-directed, recombination in bacteria, fungi and viruses,
transformation, transduction, conjugation, transposable elements and transposition.
Unit 5: Gene Expression
Gene Expression Expression of genetic information, operon concept, Transcription – mechanism
of transcription in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, transcription unit, regulatory sequences and
enhancers, activators, repressors, co-activators, Corepressors in prokaryotes and eukaryotes,
inducible genes and promoters, Transcription factors post transcriptional modification and
protein transport, DNA-protein interaction, Genetic code. Mechanism of translation and its
control, post translational modifications.
Unit 6: Techniques of Molecular Biology
Molecular Biology Techniques Isolation and purification of nucleic acids. Nucleic acids
hybridization: Southern, northern and western blotting hybridization. Immune response
monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and ELISA, DNA sequencing. Construction and
screening of genomic and C-DNA libraries. Gel electrophoretic techniques. Polymerase chain
reactor spectroscopy, RT-PCR ultracentrifugation, chromatography, FISH, RIA, etc. Next
generation genome sequencing techniques. reaction, reverse transcription PCR, real time PCR,
ultracentrifugation, spectroscopy, microarray, etc.
Unit 7: Recombinant DNA Technology
Gene Cloning Restriction enzymes and their uses. Salient features and uses of most commonly
used vectors i.e. plasmids, bacteriophages, phagemids, cosmids, BACs, PACs and YACs, binary
vectors, expression vectors. Gateway cloning vectors. Gene cloning and sub-cloning strategies,
chromosome walking, genetic transformation, Basis of animal cloning. Biology. Risk
assessment and IPR.
Unit 8: Genomics and Proteomics
Molecular Biology Ribosome structure and function. Protein biosynthesis in prokaryotes and
eukaryotes. Post-translational modification. Gene regulation, RNA processing and Post
transcriptional modifications. Bioprospecting, biofortification, gene pyramiding and gene fusion,
ribozyme technology. DNA chips and their use in transcriptome analysis; Mutants and RNAi in
functional genomics; Proteomics, Metabolomics and ionomics.
Unit 9: Molecular Biology of Stress Tolerance
Plant Molecular Biology Photoregulation and phytochrome regulation of nuclear and
chloroplastic gene expression. Molecular mechanism of nitrogen fixation. Molecular biology of
various stresses, viz. abiotic stresses like drought, salt, heavy metals and temperature; and biotic
stresses like bacterial, fungal and viral diseases. Signal transduction and its molecular basis,
molecular mechanism of plant hormone action mitochondrial control of fertility, structure,
organization and regulation of nuclear gene concerning storage proteins and starch synthesis.
Crop genome sequencing projects.
Unit 10: Plant Tissue Culture
Tissue Culture Basic techniques in cell culture and somatic cell genetics. Regulation of cell
cycle and cell division. Clonal propagation. Concept of cellular totipotency. Anther culture,
somaclonal and gametoclonal variations. Hybrid embryo culture and embryo rescue, somatic
hybridization and cybridization. Application of tissue culture in crop improvement. Secondary
metabolite production. In vitro, mutagenesis, cryopreservation and plant tissue culture
repository. Synthetic seeds, Virus indexing.
Unit 11: Plant Genetic Engineering
Plant Genetic Engineering Isolation of genes of economic importance. Gene constructs for
tissue-specific expression. Different methods of gene transfer to plants, viz. direct and vectormediated. Molecular analysis of transformants. RNAi technology. molecular pharming,
bioremediation. GM detection methods. Resistance management strategies for target traits.
Potential applications of plant genetic engineering for crop improvement, i.e. insect-pest
resistance (insect, viral, fungal and bacterial disease resistance), abiotic stress resistance,
herbicide resistance, storage protein quality, increasing shelf-life, oil quality, Current status of
transgenics, biosafety norms and controlled field trials and release of transgenics (GMOs).
Unit 12 : Molecular Breeding
Molecular Markers and Genomics DNA molecular markers: Principles, type and applications;
restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), amplified fragment length polymorphism
(AFLP), randomly amplified polymorphic DNA sequences (RAPD), Simple sequence repeats
(SSR), Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), Structural and functional genomics, gene
mapping, genome mapping, gene tagging and comparative genomics and application of
genomics. Development of mapping population, linkage mapping. association mapping,
Phylogeography, conservation genetics.
2022
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