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University of Delhi - M.Sc. Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Syllabus
Posted Date: 17 Jun 2008 Resource Type: Articles/Knowledge Sharing Category: Syllabus
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Posted By: Saranya Member Level: Diamond
Rating:  Points: 3
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M.Sc. COURSE FOR
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
M.Sc. Part I
Theory Papers Marks
I. Basics of Molecular Biology 60
II. Molecular Cell Biology 60
III Biochemistry and Metabolomics 60
IV. Molecular Basis of Plant Growth 60
and Development
V. Genetics and Gene Regulation 60
Theory Courses (I-V) 300
Practicals on above papers (I-V) 200
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500
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M.Sc. Part-II
VI. Structure and Function of Eukaryotic Genome 60
VII. Molecular Basis of Differentiation 60
and Morphogenesis
VIII. Plant Biotechnology 60
Dissertation 200
Theory papers (VI-VIII) 180
Practicals on above papers (VI-VIII) 120
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500
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Paper I. BASICS OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
· Matter, Universe and Origin of Life -- Basic concepts of energy; Solar radiation,
H2S and CH4 as source of energy; Origin of universe; Principles of evolution;
Molecular evolution and formation of large molecules; Origin of life from molecules
to the eukaryotic cell; Nature of chemical bonds; Electromagnetic spectrum;
Interaction of matter and radiation.
· Basic Physical Chemistry -- Chemical reactions; Ion transport; Thermodynamics;
Entropy, enthalpy and free energy; Redox reactions.
· Molecules of Life -- Structure and diversity of sugars, amino acids, carbohydrates,
lipids and proteins; Nucleic acids, the self-replicating molecules.
· Bioenergetics -- Mechanism of phosphorylation coupled to electron transport;
Storage and utilization of energy.
· Principles and Tools of Recombinant DNA Technology -- Restriction enzymes and
nucleic acid modifying enzymes; Choice of vectors; Plasmids, phages, cosmids, plant
viruses, synthetic DNA vectors; cDNA and genomic libraries; Isolation of specific
genes from bacteria and higher plants; PCR and its applications.
· Physicochemical and Separation Techniques -- Principles and applications of
spectrometry, centrifugation, chromatography, electrophoresis, radioactivity
measurements.
· Biostatistics and Bioinformatics -- Measures of variability; Standard deviation,
standard error, variance, probability; Relational data models and database
management systems; Logics and techniques of constructing relational databases;
Biological databases and data mining techniques; Web based programs for data
analysis and presentation.
Paper II. MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY
· Investigating the Cell -- Cell theory; Microscope and its modifications; Light (phase
contrast and interference), fluorescence, confocal, electron (TEM and SEM), electron
tunneling and atomic force microscopy; Techniques for deciphering structure of
macromolecules.
· Cell Wall – Cell wall composition and architecture; Biogenesis and assembly;
Dynamic aspects of cell wall during growth and differentiation.
· Membrane Structure and Function – Structural models; Composition and
dynamics; Transport of ions and macromolecules; Pumps, carriers and channels;
Sensory physiology; Endo- and exocytosis; Membrane carbohydrates and their
significance in cellular recognition.
· Cellular Junctions and Intercellular Communication – Cellular junctions and
adhesions; Structure and functional significance of plasmodesmata.
· Mitochondria – Structure; Organization of respiratory chain complexes; ATP
synthase; Structure-function relationship; Alternate oxidase system; Mitochondrial
DNA and male sterility; Biogenesis of mitochondria; Origin and evolution.
· Chloroplast and Photosynthetic Systems – Structure; Organization of
photosynthetic components in bacteria and plants; Structure-function relationship;
Chloroplast DNA and its significance; Chloroplast biogenesis; Origin and evolution;
Secondary association of chloroplasts.
· Nucleus – Structure and function of nuclear envelope, lamina and nucleolus;
Macromolecular trafficking; Chromatin organization and packaging; Cell cycle and
control mechanisms.
· Ribosomes and Protein Synthesis –Organization and biogenesis of ribosomes;
Ribosome structure and its significance in protein synthesis.
· Cytoskeleton and Cellular Motility - Organization and role of microtubules and
microfilaments; Cell shape and motility; Actin-binding proteins and their
significance; Muscle organization and function; Molecular motors; Intermediate
filaments.
· Endo-membrane System - Structure and function of microbodies, Golgi apparatus,
lysosomes and endoplasmic reticulum; Membrane maturation and specialization.
Paper III. BIOCHEMISTRY AND METABOLOMICS
· Carbon Assimilation -- Light absorption and energy conversion; Calvin Cycle;
Hatch-Slack pathway; Reductive pentose phosphate pathway; Carbon dioxide uptake
and assimilation; Photorespiration; Glycolate metabolism.
· Biological Oxidation and Release of Energy -- Glycolytic pathway; Kreb’s cycle;
High energy compounds; Oxidative phosphorylation; Chemiosmotic hypothesis;
Pentose phosphate shunt pathway.
· Metabolism of Macromolecules -- Biosynthesis and inter-conversion of
carbohydrates; Biosynthesis, inter-conversion and degradation of lipids; Metabolism
of nucleotides, amino acids and vitamins.
· Nitrogen, Sulphur and Phosphorus Metabolism -- General aspects of nitrogen
economy; Nitrate reduction; Pathways of ammonia assimilation; Reductive
amination; Trans-amination; Regulation of nitrogen assimilation; Uptake, transport
and assimilation of sulphate and phosphate.
· Nitrogen Fixation -- Symbiotic and non-symbiotic nitrogen fixation; Role of lectins;
nod genes; nif genes; Structure, function and regulation of nitrogenase;
Leghaemoglobin; Nodulins; Regulation and enhancement of nitrogen fixation.
· Long-distance Transport Mechanisms – Turgor and stomatal movements; solute
movement; source-sink relationship; water relations.
· Secondary Metabolism -- Importance of Secondary Metabolites; Biosynthesis of
phenolic compounds, isoprenoids, alkaloids and flavonoids.
Paper IV. MOLECULAR BASIS OF PLANT GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT
· General Aspects – Novel features of plant growth and development; Concept of
plasticity in plant development; Analysing plant growth.
· Seed Germination and Seedling Growth – Mobilization of food reserves during
seed germination; tropisms; hormonal control of seed germination and seedling
growth.
· Shoot, Leaf and Root Development – Organization of shoot apical meristem
(SAM); Control of cell division and cell to cell communication; Molecular analysis of
SAM; Leaf development and differentiation; Organization of root apical meristem
(RAM); Root hair and trichome development; Cell fate and lineages.
· Floral Induction and Development – Photoperiodism and its significance;
Vernalization and hormonal control; Inflorescence and floral determination;
Molecular genetics of floral development and floral organ differentiation; Sex
determination.
· Seed Development and Dormancy – Embryo and endosperm development; Cell
lineages during late embryo development; Molecular and genetic determinants; Seed
maturation and dormancy.
· Senescence and Programmed Cell Death (PCD) – Senescence and its regulation;
Hormonal and environmental control of senescence; PCD in the life cycle of plants.
· Signal Transduction – Basic concepts; Receptors and G-proteins; Cyclic AMP
cascade; Phospholipid and Ca2+-calmodulin cascade; MAP kinase cascade; Twocomponent
sensor-regulator system; Sucrose sensing mechanism.
· Biosynthesis of Plant Hormones and Elicitors – Structure and metabolism of
auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, ethylene, brassinosteroids, salicylic
acid, jasmonates and related compounds.
· Molecular Mechanism of Hormone Action – Hormone signal perception,
transduction and gene regulation; Role of mutants in understanding hormone action.
· Light Control of Plant Development – Discovery of phytochromes and
cryptochromes, their structure, biochemical properties and cellular distribution;
Molecular mechanisms of light perception, signal transduction and gene regulation;
Biological clocks and their genetic and molecular determinants.
Paper V. GENETICS AND GENE REGULATION
· Historical and General Aspects -- Basic discoveries in molecular genetics;
Mendelian laws; Linkage analysis and gene mapping; Chromosome theory of
heredity; Model organisms for genetic studies.
· Genome Organization and its Replication – Conjugation, transduction and
transformation; Gene mapping in bacteria; Bacterial and cyanobacterial genomes;
Replication of bacterial and eukaryotic genomes; Control of replication; Diversity in
DNA polymerases; Replication of plasmids; Control of plasmid copy number.
· Regulation of Transcription in Prokaryotes -- Discovery of RNA and its synthesis;
Operon concept; Promoters and terminators; Positive and negative control of
transcription; Repression and activation; RNA polymerases, Accessory factors;
Sigma factors; Control of termination, Synthetic promoters.
· Genetic Code and Translation -- Deciphering the genetic code; Codon bias; tRNAs;
ribosomes; Initiation and termination of translation; Translational and posttranslational
controls; Attenuation; Suppressor tRNAs.
· Bacteriophages and Viruses -- Control of gene expression in bacteriophage lambda,
T-phages; RNA phages; Eukaryotic viruses; Contribution of phages in understanding
gene regulation.
· Mobile Genetic Elements -- Structure and function of transposable elements;
Mechanisms of transposition; Special features of retrotransposons.
· Genetic Integrity and Diversity -- Recombination; Mutagenesis; Repair and
retrieval systems.
Paper VI. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF EUKARYOTIC
GENOME
· Organization of Genome in Eukaryotes -- Genes and gene number; Law of
constancy and C-value paradox; Numerical and structural changes in chromosomes
with reference to centromeres and telomeres; Gene amplification; Distribution of
repeat and transposable elements and their function.
· Molecular Mapping -- Molecular polymorphism, RFLP, RAPD, STS, AFLP, SNP
markers; Construction of genetic and physical map; Gene mapping and cloning; QTL
mapping and cloning.
· Genomes and Comparative Genomics -- High throughput genome sequencing;
Arabidopsis, rice and human genomes; Genome annotation; Synteny; Gene search
and comparison tools.
· Regulation of Gene Expression -- Gene architecture; Promoter architecture;
Regulatory sequences, enhancers and mechanism of their action; RNA polymerases
and general transcription factors; Heterogeneous nuclear RNA; Cap structure and
function; Polyadenylation; Britten-Davidson model; Transcription factors, DNAbinding
and activation domains, activation of latent activators, co-activators;
Chromatin remodeling and gene activation.
· Split Gene Concept and RNA Processing -- Introns and exons - size, distribution
and evolution; RNA splicing; Catalytic RNA; Alternative splicing; RNA stability.
· Functional Genomics and Proteomics -- Approaches to analyze differential
expression of genes - ESTs, SAGE, microarrays and their applications; Gene tagging;
Gene trapping; Gene silencing; Knockout mutants; Approaches to proteome analysis;
Dynamic modulation of protein structure and function; Structure to function-virtual
organism.
Paper VII. MOLECULAR BASIS OF DIFFERENTIATION AND
MORPHOGENESIS
· Developmental Differences between Animals and Plants – Comparison and
consequences; Model systems.
· Cellular Movements and Body Plan –Laying of body axis planes; Differentiation of
germ layers; Cellular polarity, cell wall and cell size and their importance in model
plants like Fucus and Volvox; Concept of positional information and intercalation.
· Embryonic Pattern Formation – Maternal gene effects; Zygotic gene effects;
Homeotic gene effects in Drosophila; Embryogenesis and early pattern formation in
plants.
· Post-embryonic Development – Regeneration and totipotency; Organ differentiation
and development; Cell lineages and developmental control genes in Caenorhabditis
and maize.
· Differentiation of Specialized Tissues – Stem cell differentiation; Blood cell
formation; Fibroblasts and their differentiation; Cellular basis of immunity;
Differentiation of cancerous cells and role of proto-oncogenes.
· Generation of Specialized Cell Types – Phase changes in Salmonella; Mating cell
types in yeast; Surface antigen changes in Trypanosomes; Immunoglobulin diversity
and production; Heterocyst differentiation in Anabaena; Sex determination in
Drosophila.
· Special Aspects of Plant Development and Differentiation – Pollen germination
and pollen tube guidance; Phloem differentiation; Sex determination in plants; Selfincompatibility
and its genetic control; Heterosis and apomixis.
Paper VIII. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY
· Plant Tissue Culture – Historical perspective; Totipotency; Organogenesis, somatic
embryogenesis, their regulation and application; Artificial seed production;
Micropropagation; Somaclonal variation; Androgenesis and its applications in
genetics and plant breeding; Germplasm conservation and cryopreservation.
· Protoplast Culture and Somatic Hybridization – Protoplast isolation, culture and
usage; Somatic hybridization - methods and applications; Cybrids and somatic cell
genetics.
· Agrobiology – Agrobacterium-plant interaction; Virulence; Ti and Ri plasmids;
Opines and their significance; T-DNA transfer; Disarming the Ti plasmid.
· Genetic Transformation – Agrobacterium-mediated gene delivery; Cointegrate and
binary vectors and their utility; Direct gene transfer - PEG-mediated, electroporation,
particle bombardment and alternative methods; Screenable and selectable markers;
Characterization of transgenics; Chloroplast transformation; Marker-free
methodologies; Gene targeting.
· Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) – Quantitative and qualitative traits; MAS for
genes of agronomic importance, e.g. insect resistance, grain quality and grain yield.
· Strategies for Introducing Biotic and Abiotic Stress Resistance/Tolerance –
Bacterial resistance; Viral resistance; Fungal resistance; Insects and pathogens
resistance; Herbicide resistance; Drought, salinity, thermal stress, flooding and
submergence tolerance.
· Genetic Engineering for Plant Architecture and Metabolism – Seed storage
proteins; Protein engineering; Vitamins and other value addition compounds; Sourcesink
relationships for yield increase; Post-harvest bioengineering; Plant architecture;
Flowering behaviour
· Plants as Biofactories – Concept of biofactories; Fermentation and production of
industrial enzymes, vitamins and antibiotics and other biomolecules; Cell cultures for
secondary metabolite production; Production of pharmaceutically important
compounds; Bioenergy generation.
· Environmental Biotechnology – Soil reclamation and phytoremediation; Metal and
pollutant detoxification.
· Biosafety, Intellectual Property Rights and Ethical Issues – Intellectual property
rights (IPR); Patents, trade secrets, copyright, trademarks; Plant genetic resources;
GATT & TRIPPS; Patenting of biological material; Plant breeders rights (PBRs) and
farmers rights; Biosafety and containment practices.
For more details, visit http://www.du.ac.in/course/syllabi/M.Sc.%20Plant%20Molecular%20Biology.pdf
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