Course Contents

Agriculture biotechnology and its applications in crop improvements; cell and plant tissue culture methodology; improvement of plants via plant cell culture; plant molecular biomarkers; direct and indirect methods of plant and animal transformation: gene gun method of transformation, Agrobacterium mediated transformation, chloroplast transformation and polyethylene glycol (PEG) mediated transformation; transgenic crops with herbicide, biotic and abiotic stress resistance; problems related to transgenic plants; genetically modified organisms (GMOs); field evaluation and commercialization of GMOs; possible effects of releasing GMOs into the environment; biofertilizers, biopesticides and their types; non-symbiotic nitrogen fixers; present and future prospects of biofertilizers. PRACTICALS Preparation of Murashige and Skoog medium and stocks of macronutrients, micronutrients, and hormones; selection of ex-plant, medium preparation and callus induction; culturing Agrobacterium and using it to infect plant callus; selection of transformants; regeneration of plantlets and acclimatization; plant DNA extraction and PCR for detecting introduction of foreign DNA into plants.

Course Synopsis

To acquaint students with techniques and skills employed for producing transgenic crops.