BIT 401: Introductory Biotechnology and Biodiversity
Credit Hours: 2 (2+0)
Full Marks: 50 (Theory: 50, Practical: 0)
Course Objectives
Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Understand basic concepts and applications of biotechnology in plants.
- Learn gene cloning, plant cell/tissue culture, PCR, and molecular markers.
- Apply biotechnology tools for crop improvement.
- Understand biodiversity concepts, species and genetic diversity, and conservation strategies.
- Familiarize with biodiversity databases, indexing, and policies.
I. Syllabus Overview
A. Biotechnology
- Introduction, history, scope, and applications in Nepal.
- Plant biotechnology: types, techniques, and applications.
- Genetic engineering: restriction enzymes, cloning vectors, methods, and applications in crop improvement.
- Plant cell and tissue culture: callus, suspension, protoplast, anther/pollen, meristem, and embryo culture.
- Tissue culture applications: haploid/triploid production, in vitro fertilization, somatic hybridization, genetic transformation, and pathogen-free plants.
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis.
- Molecular markers and Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS): principles, mapping strategies, and applications.
B. Biodiversity
- Basic concepts, scope, factors affecting biodiversity, and biological hierarchy.
- Database management and biodiversity indexing.
- Genetic diversity and centers of diversity of crops; wild genetic resources.
- Germplasm collection, conservation (in-situ and ex-situ), recovery programs, national legislation, intellectual property rights, and policy considerations.
II. Course Outline
| S.N. | Topic | Subtopic | No. of Lectures |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Biotechnology | |||
| 1 | Introduction to biotechnology | Definition, history, fields, and scope in Nepal | 2 |
| 2 | Plant biotechnology | Definition, types, relationship with other disciplines, future scope in Nepal | 1 |
| 3 | Genetic engineering and gene cloning | Restriction enzymes, gene cloning vectors, r-DNA formation, cloning methods, applications | 5 |
| 4 | Plant cell and tissue culture | Definition, techniques, callus/cell suspension/protoplast, anther/pollen, meristem/embryo culture | 5 |
| 5 | Applications of tissue culture | Haploid/triploid production, somatic hybridization, genetic transformation, pathogen-free plants | 4 |
| 6 | PCR and Gel electrophoresis | Principles and techniques | 1 |
| 7 | Molecular markers & MAS | Molecular markers, MAS, mapping strategies, applications | 3 |
| B. Biodiversity | |||
| 8 | Introduction to biodiversity | Concepts, alpha/beta/gamma/guild/endemic diversity, hierarchy | 3 |
| 9 | Database & biodiversity indexing | Database, indexing methods | 2 |
| 10 | Genetic diversity & centers of diversity | Species/genetic diversity, wild genetic diversity, centers of crop diversity | 2 |
| 11 | Germplasm conservation | Ex-situ/in-situ, extinction risks, recovery, national legislation, IPR | 3 |
| Total | 30 |
References
- Chaudhary, R.P. (1998). Biodiversity in Nepal: Status and Conservation. S. Devi, Sharanpur, India.
- Ignacimuthu, S. (1996). Basic Biotechnology. Tata McGraw Hill Publishing, India.
- Jha, P.K., Ghimire, G.P.S., Karmacharya, S.B., Baral, S.R., Lacoul, P. (1996). Environment and Biodiversity. ECOS, Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Mascarenhas, A.F. (1997). Handbook of Plant Tissue Culture. ICAR, New Delhi, India.
- Pareek, L.K., Swarnkar, P.L. (1997). Trends in Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology. Agro Botanical Publishers, India.
