Subject : M.Sc. Botany
Department of Botany
Semester-I
BOM101: Phycology
BOM102 : Mycology
BOM103 : Microbiology
BOM104 : Angiosperms
BOM105 : Lab. work based on Course BOM101 & BOM102
BOM106 : Lab. work based on Course BOM103 & BOM104
BOM107M : Minor Elective: Biofertilizer Technology (for students of other PG programmes)
Minor Elective(for Botany students)
Semester-II
BOM201 : Plant Ecology
BOM202 : Bryophytes, Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms
BOM203 : Cytogenetics and Plant Breeding
BOM204 : Plant Physiology
BOM205 : Lab. work based on Course BOM201 & BOM202
BOM206 : Lab. work based on Course BOM203 & BOM204
BOM207M : Minor Elective: Herbal Medicine (for students of other PG programmes and Botany as well)
Semester-III
BOM301 : Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology
BOM302 : Cell and Molecular Biology
BOM303 : Environmental Management, Computer Application and Biostatistics
BOM304 : Biochemical and Molecular Techniques, and
Bioinformatics
BOM305 : Lab. work based on Course BOM301 & BOM302
BOM306 : Lab. work based on Course BOM303 & BOM304
BOM307M : Minor Elective: Biodiversity and its Conservation (for students of other PG programmes)
Minor Elective(for Botany students)
Semester-IV
BOM401(A-C) : Major Electives (any one course out of BOM401A, BOM401B, BOM401C)
BOM402(A-C) : Major Electives (any one course out of BOM402A, BOM402B, BOM402C)
BOM403(A-D) : Major Electives (any one course out of BOM403A, BOM403B, BOM403C, BOM403D)
BOM404(A-C) : Lab. work based on corresponding courses of BOM401A to BOM401C
BOM405(A-C) : Lab. work based on corresponding courses of BOM402A to BOM402C
BOM406(A-D) : Lab. work based on corresponding courses of BOM403A to BOM403D
BOM407 : *Field Study
BOM408 : Dissertation
Major Electives
BOM401A Air Pollution and Climate Change
BOM402A Conservation and Restoration Ecology
BOM403A Applied Phycology
BOM401B Photobiology and Molecular Biology of Cyanobacteria
BOM402B Stress Biology and Molecular Genetics of Cyanobacteria
BOM403B Environmental and Applied Microbiology
BOM401C Plant Pathology and Plant Protection
BOM402C Plant Cell and Tissue Culture
BOM403C Water Pollution Management
BOM403D Microbial Genetics and Biotechnology
SEMESTER I
BOM101: Phycology (Credits: 3)
1. Principles, criteria (pigments, flagellation, food reserve and eye spots) and systems of classification
2. Cyanophyta: cell structure, heterocyst and akinete development, chromatic adaptation, thallus organization and reproduction
3. A brief account of thallus organization and reproduction in Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and hodophyta; alternation of generation in Phaeophyta and post -fertilization development and site of meiosis in Rhodophyta
4. A brief account of Xanthophyta, Chrysophyta, Bacillariophyta, Pyrrophyta, Euglenophyta, Eustigmatophyta, Prasinophyta and Prochlorophyta
5. Algae in diverse habitats, algal blooms and Phycoviruses
6. Algae as food, biofertilizers and source of phycocolloids
BOM102: Mycology (Credits: 3)
1. Introduction, scope and general principles of classification of fungi
2. Myxomycotina: Plasmodiophorales
3. Mastigomycotina: Chytridiales, Blastocladiales, Saprolegniales and Peronosporales
4. Zygomycotina:Mucorales and Entomophthorales
5. Ascomycotina: Endomycetales, Protomycetales, Taphrinales, Erysiphales, Eurotiales, Sphaeriales, Helotiales, Phacidiales and Pezizales
6. Basidiomycotina: Uredinales, Ustilaginales, Lycoperdales, Nidulariales, Sclerodermatales, Phallales, Agaricales, Aphyllophorales, Tremellales and Auriculariales
7. Deuteromycotina: Sphaeropsidales, Melanconiales, Moniliales and Mycelia sterilia
8. Lichens: Thallus structure, reproduction and economic importance
BOM103: Microbiology (Credits: 3)
1. Introduction: A brief idea of microbial diversity; present status and future challenges; a general account of Archaea
2. Nutritional types of microorganisms, Rhizobium-legume symbiosis and mycorrhiza
3. Anoxygenic photosynthesis with special reference to light reaction in purple bacteria; methanogenesis
4. Genetics of bacteria: Genetic recombination- an overview; mechanisms of transformation, conjugation and transduction in bacteria; role of microorganisms in genetic engineering
5. Lytic cycle in T even phages and its regulation; lysogeny and its regulation in lambda phage; a brief account of viroids and prions
6. Water-borne pathogenic microbes; role of microbes in wastewater treatment with special reference to activated sludge
7. Basic design of a fermentor; biosensors; bioremediation of hydrocarbon and metal polluted waters
BOM104: Angiosperms (Credits: 3)
1. Systematics: Outline of classification of Angiosperms; Hutchinson, Takhtajan, Cronquist, merits and demerits
2. Botanical nomenclature: International code of Botanic Nomenclature; principles: Rules and recommendations; priority; typification; Rules of effective and valid publications; retention and choice of names
3. Taxonomic featues, systematic phylogeny and economic importance of families: Magnoliaceae, Capparidaceae, Combretaceae, Rosaceae, Asteraceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Convolvulaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Acanthaceae, Bignoniaceae, Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae, Polygonaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Orchidacae, Zingiberaceae, Araceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae
4. Numerical taxonomy: Aims and objectives, characters and attributes, OTUs, coding, cluster analysis, merits and demerits
5. Chemotaxonomy: Role of phytochemicals (non-protein amino acids, alkaloids, betalins, cynogenic glucosides, silica, gypsum, raphides, glucosinolate, flavonoids, terpenoids) in taxonomy
6. Biosystematics: concepts; biosystematic categories; methods in experimental taxonomy
7. Embryology in relation to taxonomy
8. Molecular approaches to plant taxonomy: Application of DNA markers in angiosperm taxonomy; molecular phylogeny
9. Self incompatibility: Structural and biochemical aspects; methods to overcome incompatibility – mixed pollination, bud pollination; intra -ovarian pollination, in vitro pollination
10. Experimental embryology: Haploid production; diploidization of haploids, importance of haploids; embyro culture; culture of differentiated and mature embryos; role of natural plant extracts and growth hormones; embryo-nurse endosperm transplantation; culturing of embryonal segments; practical aspects of embryo culture
BOM105: Lab. work based on Course BOM101 & BOM102 (Credits: 4)
BOM106: Lab. work based on Course BOM103 & BOM104 (Credits: 4)
BOM107M: Biofertilizer Technology (Credits: 3)
1. Biofertilizers: Definition and types, importance of biofertlizers in agriculture
2. Characteristics of biofertilizers: Rhizobium, Azotobactor, Azospirillum, Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms, cyanobacteria, Azolla, Mycorrhizae
3. Symbiosis: Physiology, biochemistry and molecular genetics of symbiosis
4. Enzymes and their regulation: Nitrogenase, hydrogenase
5. Production technology: Strain selection, sterilization, growth and fermentation, mass production of various biofertilizers
6. Application technology: Standards and quality control, application for field and tree crops, nursery plants and seedlings
7. Extension, promotion and marketing: Extension strategies, diagnosis for the effectiveness of inoculation, improvement in distribution system
SEMESTER II
BOM201: Plant Ecology (Credits: 3)
1. Population concepts: Characteristics, dynamics and control
2. Vegetation organization and characteristics: Concepts of community and continuum; community coefficients, interspecific associations, ordination; ecological niche; species diversity (α, β, γ)
3. Ecological succession: Models and mechanisms of ecological succession; changes in ecosystem properties during succession
4. Ecosystem organization: Structure and functions; primary production (methods of measurement, global pattern, controlling factors); energy dynamics (trophic organization, energy flow pathways, ecological efficiencies); decomposition (mechanism, controlling factors); ecosystem nutrient cycles
5. Ecosystem stability: Concept (resistance and resilience); ecological perturbations (natural and anthropogenic) and their impact on plants and ecosystems; ecology of plant invasion
6. Biological diversity: Concept and levels; distribution and global patterns; terrestrial biodiversity hot spots; role of biodiversity in ecosystem functions; IUCN categories of threat; inventory; conservation, protected area network
7. Environmental pollution: Kinds, sources, effects on plants and ecosystems
8. Global change: Greenhouse gases, consequences of climate change; ozone layer depletion, causes and consequences
BOM202: Bryophytes, Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms (Credits: 3)
Bryophytes:
1. Classification of Bryophytes
2. Comparative account of gametophyte structure
3. Sporophytic structure and evolution; Peristome structure and its significance in the classification of Mosses
4. Economic importance of Bryophytes
Pteridophytes:
1. Classification of Pteridophytes
2. Early vascular plants: Rhyniophyta, Trimerophytophyta and Zosterophylophyta
3. Brief account of the range of structure and reproduction in Ferns
4. Telome concept, apogamy and apospory, heterospory and seed habit
5. Economic importance of Pteridophytes
Gymnosperms:
1. Classification of Gymnosperms
2. Kinds of fossils, process of fossilization
3. General account of Glossopteridaceae
4. Comparative study of Coniferales (Pinaceae, Cupressaceae, Araucariaceae, Podocarpaceae, Cephalotaxaceae, Taxodiaceae), Taxales and Gnetales (Gnetaceae, Ephedraceae and Welwitschiaceae)
5. Economic importance of Gymnosperms
BOM203: Cytogenetics and Plant Breeding (Credits: 3)
1. Chromatin organization and replication: Chemical constituents- DNA and histones, nucleosome and higher order organization, DNA packaging and genetic activity, nucleosome assembly and deassembly
2. Cytogenetics of haploids: Haploidy/monopolidy, meiosis and breeding behaviour of haploids, uses of haploids in plant breeding and genetic studies
3. Aneu- and euploids: Induction and characterization of monosomics, trisomics and nullisomics, aneupolid gene mapping, inheritance pattern in autopolyploids, status of allopolyploids in plant evolution
4. Chromosome banding patterns: Linear differentiation of chromosome segments, types of chromosome banding, uses of chromosome banding in cytogenetics
5. Organization of eukaryotic genetic material: Nuclear DNA and C-value paradox, DNA content and adaptability, repetitive DNA, split genes, overlapping genes
6. Plant breeding and crop improvement: Objectives and scope of plant breeding, hybridization in self- and cross-pollinated crops, genetic basis of inbreeding depression and heterosis, breeding for disease and insect resistance, transgenes and transgenic plants
7. Alien gene transfer through chromosome: Transfer of gene through individual chromosome, characterization and utility of alien addition and substitution lines
8. Physical and genetic mapping using molecular markers
BOM204: Plant Physiology (Credits: 3)
1. Water relations: Properties of water, water in tissues and cells, measurement of cellular water
2. Transport of water and solutes: Uptake of water, comparison of xylem and phloem transports, phloem loading and unloading, passive and active transports, soil-plant-atmosphere continuum
3. Photosynthesis: Basic principles of light absorption, excitation energy transfer, electron transport, proton electrochemical potential, evolution of photosynthetic processes, photosynthetic quantum yield and energy conversion efficiency and photorespiration
4. Physiological responses to abiotic stresses: Light, temperature, water and salts; acclimation of physiological processes under abiotic stresses
5. Sensory photobiology: History, discovery of phytochromes and cryptochromes and their photochemical and biochemical properties, photophysiology of light induced repsonses Cellular localisation, molecular mechanism of action of photomorphogenetic receptors, signalling and gene expression
6. Plant growth regulators: Physiological effects and mechanism of action of plant growth hormones, hormone receptors, signal transduction and gene expression
7. The flowering process: Photoperiodism and its significance, endogenous clock and its regulation, floral induction and development
BOM205: Lab. work based on Course BOM201 & BOM202 (Credits: 4)
BOM206: Lab. work based on Course BOM203 & BOM204 (Credits: 4)
BOM207M: Herbal Medicine (Credits: 3)
1. Medicinal plant research scenario in India
2. Diagnostic features, bioactive molecules and therapeutic value of some common medicinal plants
3. Standardisation of herbal drugs
4. Commercial cultivation of medicinal plants
5. Conservation of medicinal plants
6. Neutraceuticals and medicinal food
7. Bioprospecting, biopiracy and protection of traditional medicinal knowledge (IPR)
SEMESTER III
BOM301: Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology (Credits: 3)
1. Energetics of metabolic processes: Energy rich phosphate compounds, electron transport and phosphorylation, β -oxidation of lipids
2. Enzymology: General aspects, prosthetic groups and coenzymes, mechanism of catalysis, kinetics, Michaelis-Menten equation, bisubstrate reactions, active sites, factors contributing to the catalytic efficiency, enzyme inhibition, regulatory enzymes, ribozymes
3. Biological nitrogen fixation: Nitrogenase enzyme, substrates for nitrogenase, reaction mechanism, strategies to exclude oxygen and need to control hydrogen evolution
4. Inorganic nitrogen and sulphur metabolism: Introduction, nitrate transport, nitrate and nitrite reductase, inhibitors of nitrate and nitrite reductases, localization and regulation of nitrate and nitrite reductases, sulphate uptake, activation and transfer, assimilatory pathways of sulphate reduction
5. Biosynthesis of proteins: Transcription and translation, regulation of protein and enzyme synthesis (lac operon)
6. Plant cell and tissue culture: Concept of cellular differentiation and totipotency, clonal propagation, artificial seeds, somaclones, production of secondary metabolites/natural products, cryopreservation and germplasm storage
7. Recombinant DNA technology: Gene transfer
8. Basic concept of genomics and proteomics
BOM302: Cell and Molecular Biology (Credits: 3)
1. Cell: Concept, structural organization of plant cell
2. Mitochondria: Structure, genome organization, protein import and mitochondrial assembly
3. Chloroplast: Structure, genome organization, import and sorting of chloroplast proteins
4. Endoplasmic reticulum: Structure, translocation of secretory proteins across ER membrane, insertion of protein into ER membrane, protein folding and processing
5. Golgi apparatus: Organization, protein glycosylation, protein sorting and export from Golgi, the vesicular transport mechanism
6. Nucleus: Nuclear envelope, nuclear pore complex, trafficking between nucleus and cytoplasm
7. Gene and genome: Fine structure of gene, genome organization
8. DNA/gene manipulating enzymes: Endonuclease, exonulcease, ligase, polymerase, phosphatase, transcriptase, transferase, topoisomerase
9. DNA replication: Various models, speed of replication, collaboration of proteins, process and termination of replication
10. DNA damage and repair: Thymine dimer, 6-4 photoproducts, photoreactivation, excision repair
11. Genetic recombination: Holliday, Potter & Dressler, Meselson and Radding and Szostak model of genetic recombination
12. Gene cloning: Cloning vectors, molecular cloning and construction of DNA libraries
13. Mobile genetic elements: Insertion elements, transposons
BOM303: Environmental Management, Computer Application and Biostatistics (Credits: 3)
Environmental Management
1. Introduction and scope of environmental management
2. Basic concepts of sustainable development
3. Environmental impact assessment (EIA), general guidelines for the preparation of environmental impact statement
4. Scope and types of environmental audit, energy audit, cost benefit analysis
5. Environmental management plan, ISO 14000 standards and certification
6. Environmental risk management and environmental safety norms
7. International summits and treaties related with environment
Computer Application
1. Basic concepts of computer hardware
2. Operating systems-Windows, Unix and Linux
3. Use of common application software in biology: word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and database
4. Introduction to web browsing software and search engines with special reference to online bioscience resources
Biostatistics
1. General concepts and terminology
2. Sampling methods
3. Measures of location, scale and shape
4. Contingency tables and chi-square test
5. Comparison of means: t-test, multiple range tests
6. Simple experimental design and analysis of variance
7. Correlation and regression analysis
8. Introduction to multivariate methods
BOM304: Biochemical and Molecular Techniques, and Bioinformatics (Credits: 3)
1. Electrophoresis: Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), agarose gel electrophoresis, native PAGE, SDS-PAGE, 2D electrophoresis, mass spectrometry
2. Isolation and purification: Genomic and plasmid DNA; RNA; proteins
3. Isoelectric focusing (IEF): Principles, kinds of pH gradients used in IEF- free carrier ampholytes, immobilized pH gradients
4. Blotting: Principles, types of blotting, immunoblotting - Southern, Northern, Western and Dot blots
5. DNA amplification and genome mapping: PCR, RT-PCR, RFLPs, RAPD, FISH
6. Genome expression analysis: Microarray, EST, SAGE
7. DNA sequencing: Various methods of DNA sequencing
8. Gene silencing: RNA interference (RNAi)
9. Chromatography: Gel filtration, ion exchange & affinity chromatography, TLC, HPLC, GC- basic concept
10. Spectroscopy: basic concept, NMR & ESR spectroscopy
11. Microscopy: Phase contrast, confocal, fluorescence, scanning & transmission electron microscopy
12. Bioinformatics: Database, sequence analysis, phylogenetic inference package, sites and centres
BOM305: Lab. work based on Course BOM301 & BOM302 (Credits: 4)
BOM306: Lab. work based on Course BOM303 & BOM304 (Credits: 4)
BOM307M: Biodiversity and its Conservation (Credits: 3)
1. Introduction to biodiversity
2. Levels of biodiversity: Genetic, species, community and ecosystem
3. Magnitude and distribution: Diversity gradients and related hypotheses, methods for biodiversity monitoring, megadiversity zones and hot spots
4. Biodiversity and ecosystem functions: Concepts and models
5. Biodiversity and ecosystem services: Provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural
6. Threats to biodiversity: Causes of biodiversity loss, species extinction, vulnerability of species to extinction, IUCN threat categories, Red data book
7. Strategies for biodiversity conservation: Principles of biodiversity conservation, in-situ and ex-situ conservation strategies; Biodiversity act
SEMESTER IV
BOM401A: Air Pollution and Climate Change (Credits: 3)
1. Atmospheric composition and climate; Gaseous and particulate pollutants, emission trends and scenarios; climate change, drivers of climate change, greenhouse gas emission scenarios; indoor air pollution
2. Sulphur derivatives: Sources and cycling of sulphur, effects on plants, human health and ecosystems, mechanism of toxicity, resistance and buffering, sulphur metabolism, threshold and injury
3. Nitrogen derivatives: Formation and sources; deposition, uptake, metabolism, critical load; effects on plants, human health and ecosystems
4. Fluoride derivatives: Sources and cycling, bioaccumulation, threshold and injury; effects on plants, human health and ecosystems
5. Oxidants: Formation and sources, photochemical smog; effects on plants and human health, mechanism of toxicity, resistance, critical load
6. Stratospheric ozone depletion: Phenomenon, causes, irradiation scenarios; effects of enhanced UV-B on plants, microbes and human health, biological action spectra
7. Greenhouse effects: Process; consequences, global warming, sea level rise, albedo, oceanic influences agriculture, natural vegetation; effects of increased CO2 on plants; human implications
8. Acid rain: Formation, dispersion and deposition, trends; consequences on soil fertility, rivers and lakes; effects on plants, leaf injury, buffering, reproduction; forest decline; effects on fisheries
9. Biomonitoring of air pollution: Concept, active and passive monitoring; bioindicator parameters; air pollution tolerance indices; control of air pollution by plants, green belt design
BOM401B: Photobiology and Molecular Biology of Cyanobacteria (Credits: 3)
1. Molecular aspects of cyanobacterial nitrogen fixation: Genetic structure of the N2 fixation system, molecular mechanisms of heterocyst differentiation and metabolism, genetic aspects of nitate, nitrite and ammonia assimilation
2. Accessory light harvesting complex: Phycobilisomes, phycobiliproteins, linker polypeptides, energy transfer, gene organization, chromatic adaptation and gene expression
3. Photobiology: Photobiological and molecular aspects of UV-induced damage and repair in cyanobacteria
4. Molecular mechanisms of photoprotection: Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), scytonemin
5. Cyanobacterial toxins: Types of cyanobacterial toxin, molecular tools for the identification of toxic cyanobacteria, biochemical and molecular aspects of toxin production, ecological implications
6. Basic strategies for the generation of transgenic cyanobacteria
BOM401C: Plant Pathology and Plant Protection (Credits: 3)
1. Historical and developmental aspects of plant pathology
2. Mode of infection and role of enzymes and toxins in plant disease
3. Defense mechanisms of plants against infection: Preexisting structural and chemical defense, induced structural and chemical defense, hypersensitive reaction, role of phytoalexins and other phenolic compounds
4. Management of plant diseases: Cultural, chemical, biological, biopesticides, breeding for resistant varieties, plant quarantine,integrated pest management
5. Post-harvest pathology: Fungal deterioration of food commodities, mycotoxins and health hazards, control measures
6. Molecular plant pathology: Molecular aspects of host pathogen interactions - PR proteins, degradation of phytoalexins, systemic resistance mechanism; application of molecular biology to plant disease control - transgenic approach for crop protection, engineering chemicals that elicit defense response to plants
7. Study of plant diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes and mycoplasma like organisms: Wart disease of potato, blight of colocasia, downy mildew of cucurbits, stem gall of coriander, peach leaf curl, ergot of bajra, smut of sugarcane, Karnal bunt of wheat, linseed rust, Tikka disease of groundnut, red rot of sugarcane, Panama disease (Fusarium wilt) of banana, bacterial blight of rice, leaf curl of tomato, yellow vein mosaic of bhindi, mosaic of sugarcane, potato spindle tuber mosaic, ear cockles of wheat, grassy shoot of sugarcane, phylloidy of sesamum, Citrus greening
BOM402A: Conservation and Restoration Ecology (Credits: 3)
1. Introduction to Conservation Ecology: Principles, postulates and ethics
2. Population dynamics and conservation: Genetic variation and its loss, variation in natural populations, mechanisms of population regulation, habitat specific demography, population viability analysis
3. Species and habitat conservation: Prioritizing species and habitat, protected area networks, theory of reserve design
4. Diagnosis and prediction: Predicting ecological consequences of changes, environmental impact assessment
5. Conservation strategies: Planning and management, plan process for species and site management; general principles of management; models of sustainable development
6. Ecology of disturbed ecosystems: Ecosystem dynamics and stability, disturbances, impact of disturbances on the structure and functioning of ecosystems
7. Aims and strategies of restoration: Concepts of restoration, ecosystem reconstruction, major tools used in restoration
8. Restoration of biological diversity: Acceleration of ecological succession, reintroduction of biota
9. Degradation and restoration of natural ecosystems: Forest, grassland and lake
10. Restoration of degraded soils: Saline/sodic soils, contaminated soils, mine spoils
BOM402B: Stress Biology and Molecular Genetics of Cyanobacteria (Credits: 3)
1. Stress environment: Abiotic factors (Water, temperature, light, pH, salinity and nutrient concentration); Stress habitats (physico-chemical characterization, species diversity and population dynamics)
2. Stress damages: Cell structure, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and membranes, physiological process, protein synthesis
3. Mechanism of adaptations: Role of carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids and lipids, pigmentinvolvements, signal transduction
4. Genome organization of model cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, plasmids, use of bioinformatics in nucleic acid sequence database, brief knowledge of sequence alignment and its significance
5. Mode of gene transfer in cyanobacteria with special reference to conjugation, transformation, electroporation, spontaneous and induced mutagenesis, transposon mutagenesis, expression of foreign gene(s) in cyanobacteria and its consequences
6. Cyanobacteria in human welfare: Production of fine chemicals, polysaccharides, bioactive molecules, pigments, antioxidants, lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, biofertilizer and hydrogen
BOM402C: Plant Cell and Tissue Culture (Credits: 3)
1. Historical perspectives
2. Principles of plant tissue culture: Organization of laboratory, media composition and preparation, aseptic manipulation
3. Cell culture and cell cloning
4. Cellular totipotency: Process and mechanism
5. Somatic embryogenesis: Induction and controlling factors
6. Organogenesis: Process and controlling factors
7. Haploids: Androgenic and gynogenic; obtention and promises
8. Somatic hybridization: Isolation, culture and fusion of protoplasts: regeneration of hybrids and cybrids
9. Clonal propagation: Micropropagation
10. Somaclonal and gametoclonal variation and their selection
11. Transgenic plants: Method of transformation, selection, identification, molecular analysis for confirmation and application
12. Germplasm conservation and synthetic seed technology
13. Industrial application: Suspension culture, hairy root culture and bioreactors
BOM403A: Applied Phycology (Credits: 3)
1. Models (Monod and Droop) of nutrient-regulated phytoplankton growth; common methods for mass cultivation of microalgae
2. Causal factors and dynamics of freshwater and marine algal blooms; physical and chemical means and bio-manipulation (top-down and bottom-up) for controlling nuisance blooms
3. Consequences of blooms including toxins of cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates; algal biofouling of ships and its control
4. Commercial potential of Spirulina, Dunaliella and Porphyra; hydrogen production by algae
5. High-rate algal ponds for the treatment of wastewaters and for the production of useful biomass and energy; immobilized and inactivated algal biomass for metal and nutrient removal
6. A brief account of cyanobacterial genomics and proteomics
7. Paddy field cyanobacteria: Qualitative and quantitative assessment of their biodiversity using molecular tools; their use as biofertilizer, reclamation of usar lands
8. Influence of salt, heavy metals and acid rain on algae: Physiological and biochemical effects; biochemical and molecular mechanisms of tolerance
9. Bioassays and field assessment of pollutant effects; single and multispecies laboratory bioassays; taxonomic and non-taxonomic approaches for the assessment of pollutant effects in nature
BOM403B: Environmental and Applied Microbiology (Credits: 3)
1. Microbes as tools for understanding the biological processes: Physiology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, genomics, proteomics
2. Microbes and environment: Pollution abatement, bioindicators, restoration of degraded ecosystems, biodegradation, bioremediation, biogenic gases, microbes in biological warfare
3. Application of microbes in fermentation processes: Types, design and maintenance of bioreactors, application of fermentation technology in industry
4. Medical microbiology: Microbes as causal agents of human and animal diseases; immunology: basic concepts, vaccines, immunotherapy
5. Role of microbes in relation to agriculture: Nitrogen economy, plant health, biological control
6. Symbiotic associations: Concepts, types and applications
7. Microbes in food and dairy industry: Mushrooms, fermented foods, microbial spoilage of food and dairy products, toxins
8. Extremophiles and their biotechnological applications
9. Microbial technology: Biosensors, biomolecules, enzymes
BOM403C: Water Pollution Management (Credits: 3)
1. Freshwater: Classification of water bodies; physico-chemical and biological properties of freshwater; water quality at euphotic and profundal zones; drinking, bathing and irrigational water quality standards
2. Water pollution sources: Major sources of water pollution; Physico-chemical and biological properties of sewage; quality of industrial effluents produced from textile, dairy, leather, thermal power and chemical industries
3. Effect on water quality: Changes in water quality due to discharge of city sewage; industrial effluents; effects on phytoplankton productivity; bio-indicators of water pollution
4. Domestic wastewater treatment: Various stages of treatment of sewage with special reference to advanced wastewater treatments; biological treatment of wastewater
5. Industrial wastewater treatment: Treatment of industrial effluents released from textile, dairy, leather, thermal power and chemical industries
6. Disinfection of treated water: Ozonization of secondary treated wastewater; chemical and other methods for disinfection
7. Water management strategies: Rain water harvesting, use of rain water, recharging of ground water; use of domestic waste water; recycling of waste water; recycling of industrial effluents after treatment
8. Water pollution monitoring and management bodies: Important organizations involved in water pollution monitoring in India and role of NGOs in water pollution management
BOM403D: Microbial Genetics and Biotechnology (Credits: 3)
1. Tools of microbial genetics: Bacteriophages (T4, lambda, Mu), Neurosopra crassa
2. Mutation: Spontaneous and induced mutation, mutagens and their effects on DNA structure and protein synthesis
3. Genetic recombination: Homologous recombination, site specific recombination and transposition
4. Regulation of genome activity: Signal transmission, changes in genome activity, regulation of genome activity during development
5. Gene expression and regulation: Lactose and Tryptophan operon, Regulation of virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria, heat shock regulon, SOS regulon and Cps regulon
6. Cell signalling: Communication between cell and environment with special reference to nutrients (N and P) and temperature
7. Bacterial associations in plants: perception and signalling
8. Microbial toxins: Types, biochemical and molecular basis of toxins production, mode of action
9. Gene manipulation for production of novel commercial products: biopolymers and antibiotics
BOM404(A-C) Lab. work based on corresponding courses of BOM401A to BOM401C (Credits: 2)
BOM405(A-C) Lab. work based on corresponding courses of BOM402A to BOM402C (Credits: 2)
BOM406(A-D) Lab. work based on corresponding courses of BOM403A to BOM403D (Credits: 2)
BOM407: Field Study (Credits: 2)
BOM408: Dissertation (Credits: 4)
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