Module 3

1. ICAR-NPTC (National Phytotron Facility) provides controlled environment for plant growth experiments.
2. DBT was established in 1986 under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
3. Biotechnology Policy of India (1986) aimed to promote research and innovation in biotechnology.
4. Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) scheme supports early-stage innovators in biotechnology.
5. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) promotes bio-entrepreneurship in India.
6. ICAR- National Institute for Plant Biotechnology (NIPB), New Delhi, conducts plant biotechnology research.
7. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is located in Los Baños, Philippines.
8. CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) is in Mexico, focusing on cereal crops.
9. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) promotes safe use of biotechnology in food and agriculture.
10. Codex Alimentarius Commission develops international food standards, including GM food safety.
11. Biofuels are renewable fuels derived from biological materials like crops, algae, and waste.
12. First-generation biofuels are made from food crops (e.g., sugarcane, corn).
13. Second-generation biofuels are made from non-food biomass (e.g., crop residues, wood).
14. Third-generation biofuels are produced from algae and other microorganisms.
15. Bioethanol is produced by fermentation of sugars using Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
16. Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils or animal fats through transesterification.
17. Biogas mainly contains methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂).
18. Methanogens (like Methanobacterium) are responsible for biogas production.
19. Bioreactors are vessels used for growing organisms under controlled conditions.
20. Airlift bioreactor uses air bubbles for mixing and oxygen transfer.
21. Stirred-tank bioreactor is the most commonly used reactor for large-scale fermentation.
22. Batch culture has a fixed nutrient medium, while continuous culture adds fresh medium regularly.
23. Chemostat maintains microbial growth at a steady state by constant nutrient flow.
24. Fed-batch culture is widely used in industrial biotechnology for maximum yield.
25. Cryopreservation is the preservation of biological material at very low temperatures (−196°C using liquid nitrogen).
26. Somatic hybridization is achieved through protoplast fusion.
27. Protoplast is a plant cell without a cell wall, obtained using cellulase and pectinase
28. PEG (Polyethylene glycol) and electrofusion are used for protoplast fusion.
29. Cybrid (cytoplasmic hybrid) contains nucleus of one species and cytoplasm of both.
30. Micropropagation is large-scale production of disease-free plants using tissue culture.
31. Somaclonal variation arises due to genetic changes in tissue culture.
32. Synthetic seeds are encapsulated somatic embryos or tissue in a gel-like matrix (usually sodium alginate).
33. Embryo rescue helps recover hybrid embryos from incompatible crosses.
34. Anther culture is used to produce haploid plants.
35. Double haploids are obtained by chromosome doubling of haploid plants using colchicine.
36. Colchicine disrupts spindle formation and prevents chromosome separation.
37. Callus is an unorganized mass of undifferentiated cells.
38. Totipotency is the ability of a single cell to regenerate into a whole plant.
39. The concept of totipotency was first given by Gottlieb Haberlandt (1902).
40. In vitro means “in glass,” referring to experiments done outside the living organism.
41. Ex vitro refers to transfer of tissue-cultured plants to natural soil conditions.
42. Cryoprotectants like glycerol or DMSO protect cells during freezing.
43. Bioremediation uses microorganisms to clean up environmental pollutants.
44. Phytoremediation uses plants to remove or detoxify pollutants from soil and water.
45. Bioleaching uses microbes to extract metals from ores (e.g., Thiobacillus ferrooxidans).
46. Biosensors detect biological molecules using a combination of biological and electronic components.
47. Bioreporter genes like GUS, GFP, and LUC are used for monitoring gene expression.
48. GUS gene (β-glucuronidase) produces a blue color in transformed tissues.
49. GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) was isolated from Aequorea victoria (jellyfish).
50. Luciferase produces light in presence of luciferin and ATP (bioluminescence).
51. DNA microarray is used for analyzing expression of thousands of genes simultaneously.