Biotechnology notes covering recombinant DNA, genetic engineering, fermentation, bioprocessing, molecular tools, industrial applications, agricultural biotechnology, medical biotechnology, and related technologies.
What are Bt Crops? Bt crops are the transgenic crops in which a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is introduced into the plant. It is the gene that produces special insecticidal proteins inside the plant body and these proteins are referred to as Cry or Vip proteins. When insect larvae feed on the … Read more
What is Biotechnology? Biotechnology is the application of biological organisms, cells or their components in order to produce useful products. It is the branch of science where biology is combined with technology for human benefit. In this process living organisms are used to develop or modify products and improve different biological systems. The term biotechnology … Read more
What is Bombardment (Biolistics) Method? Bombardment (Biolistics) method is a direct physical technique used to introduce foreign DNA into living cells. It is also referred to as the gene gun method. In this process, the desired DNA is first coated on very small and dense metal particles such as gold or tungsten. These DNA coated … Read more
What is the Electrofusion of Plant Cells? Electrofusion is a technique used for the fusion of two or more plant cells by the application of an electric field. It is commonly used for the fusion of plant protoplasts in plant biotechnology. In this method the plasma membranes of adjacent cells are temporarily disturbed and the … Read more
What is Germplasm conservation? Germplasm conservation is the process of preserving the genetic material of plants and animals for future use. It is the protection and maintenance of all hereditary material present in a species. The germplasm includes all genes and alleles which are transferred from one generation to the next generation. This process is … Read more
What is Micropropagation? Micropropagation is a technique used for rapid multiplication of plants by using very small pieces of plant tissue. It is also referred to as plant tissue culture. In this method a small part of plant such as cells, leaves or shoot tips are taken and used as explant. The explant is grown in … Read more
Plant biotechnology is the branch of applied science which deals with modification and improvement of plants using modern laboratory techniques. It is the process by which the genetic material of plant is identified and altered in order to develop desirable characters. This process is carried out in a more precise and faster way than traditional … Read more
Transgenic disease-resistant crops are those plants in which a foreign resistance gene is inserted into the plant genome so that the plant can defend itself from different pathogens. It is the process where genes taken from other plants, microbes or sometimes from the pathogen itself are introduced to produce proteins that stop the infection. In … Read more
What is BT Cotton? Bt cotton is a genetically modified cotton variety in which genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis are inserted into the plant, and it is the process that allows the cotton plant to produce Cry proteins within its own tissues. These are insecticidal proteins that act specifically on harmful caterpillar pests like … Read more
The early detection of diseases is crucial for effective treatment, and molecular diagnostics serves as a pivotal tool in this regard. This term encompasses a range of diagnostic techniques that assess an individual’s health at a molecular level. Specifically, molecular diagnostics focuses on the identification and quantification of genetic sequences—often referred to as biomarkers—found in … Read more
