Theory
Importance of Biochemistry. Properties of Water, pH and Buffer. Carbohydrate: importance and classification. Structures of Monosaccharides, Reducing and oxidizing properties of Monosaccharides, Mutarotation; structure of Disaccharides and Poly saccharides. Lipid: Importance and classification; structures and properties of fatty acids; storage lipids and membrane lipids. Proteins: Importance of proteins and classification; Structures, titration and zwitterions nature of amino acids; structural organization of proteins. Enzymes: General properties; Classification; Mechanism of action; Michaelis & Menten and Line Weaver Burk equation & plots; Introduction to allosteric enzymes. Nucleic acids: Importance and classification; structure of Nucleotides, A, B & Z DNA; RNA: Types and Secondary & Tertiary structure.
Metabolism of carbohydrates: Glycolysis, TCA cycle, Glyoxylate cycle, Electron transport chain. Metabolism of lipids: Beta oxidation, Biosynthesis of fatty acids.
Concepts and applications of plant biotechnology: Scope, organ culture, embryo culture, cell suspension culture, callus culture, anther culture, pollen culture and ovule culture and their applications; Micro-propagation methods; organogenesis and embryogenesis, Synthetic seeds and their significance; Embryo rescue and its significance; somatic hybridization and cybrids; Somaclonal variation and its use in crop improvement; cryo-preservation; Introduction to recombinant DNA methods: physical ( Gene gun method ), chemical ( PEG mediated) and Agrobacterium mediated gene transfer methods; Transgenics and its importance in crop improvement; PCR techniques and its applications; RFLP, RAPD, SSR; Marker Assisted Breeding in crop improvement; Biotechnology regulations.