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Department of Plant Sciences
University of Colombo
P.O.Box 1490, Colombo 03
Sri Lanka

 Phone : +94(0)11 2585038
 Fax : +94(0)11 2585038
 Email: office@pts.cmb.ac.lk

Dependencies: BT 1003, BT 2001, BT 2002 and BT 3003 are recommended.

Syllabus: Genetic constitution of a population: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, factors affecting change in gene frequency; Pedigreed populations; Continuous variation: Polygenic segregation; Components of means: Additive and dominance components, non-allelic interactions, genotype x environmental interactions; Components of variance: Genetic and environmental components of variance in basic generations and experimental populations; Genetic co-variance: Parent-offspring regression; Breeding methods in self-pollinated crops: Mass and pure-line selection, hybridization and selection in segregating populations; Breeding methods in cross-pollinated crops: Population improvement and hybrid development, male sterility and self-incompatibility in hybrid seed production, synthetics; Germplasm conservation. Molecular Plant Breeding: Introduction - Molecular markers; Molecular marker techniques in plant improvement - Marker maps, marker assisted selection; Plant transformation technology for crop improvement – Improvement of product quality and plant performance, resistance in crops for herbicides, pests and diseases, Improved nutritional quality.

Assessment: End of semester theory examination and practical and/or assignments.

Suggested Reading: Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (Falconer, D.S.) 1989; The Genetic Analysis of Quantitative Traits (Kearsey, M.J. and Pooni, H.S.) 1996; Plant Breeding: Theory and Practice ( Stoskopf, N.C., Tomes, D.T. and Christie, B.R.) 1993.

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Dependencies: BT 3056

Syllabus: Cultivation of Plants Produced Through Biotechnology: Growth parameters (measurements and interpretation with respect to environment factors), Factors affecting acclimatization and field planting; Relative humidity, light and oxygen requirement for plant growth in nursery, requirement of water, fertilizers and other agronomic practices for continuous quality harvests, environment and other factors important in proper management of cultivations; Maximizing the production through intercropping; Selection of suitable crops, proper harvesting, crop management; germination, dormancy, senescence and abscission: Physiology, biochemistry, mechanism and regulation of the processes, applications in cultivation; Plant Hormones in Agriculture and Horticulture: Mechanism of action of plant hormones, multiple hormonal control, controlled use in commercial cultivation and their effects; Ripening of fruits: Physiological and biochemical changes during ripening, effect of hormones, period of harvesting for local and international markets, physiological regulation and the use in commercial agriculture; Plants Under Stress: Importance of the stress tolerance and avoidance, factors affecting stress: physical and biological, genetic control of physiology of stress and hardiness.

Assessment: End of semester theory examination and practical and/or assignments.

Suggested Reading: Plant Physiology (Taiz, L and Zeiger, E.) 1991; Biotechnology in Agriculture (Bajaj series, (Vol 1-20) 1990-1999, Journal of Plant Physiology; Agro-biotechnology related journals.

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Dependencies: BT 2003 is recommended

Syllabus: Introduction to industrial biotechnology: Technology and its components, need of R&D and pilot scale production, current global scenario, university-Industry collaboration; Fermentation technology: Fermentor operation, downstream processing; Environmental Biotechnologies: Biosensors, pollution control, phytoremediation, Modern applications; Genetically Manipulated Organisms and products: Uses in process biotechnology, GM Foods and current global situation, pharmaceuticals, Biopharming; Biotechnology in developed and developing countries: Current applications, regulatory issues, patent issues, trade; Biotechnology and Information Technology (BT & IT) interdependence: need of latest information, IT applications in high-tech industry; Management of biotech related industries: Compatible management and financial issues, marketing aspects, need of compatible management & working practices; Industrial safety: Rules and regulations; Potential biotech. industries for Sri Lanka: Status of other developing countries, current status and future.

Assessment: End of semester theory examination and practical and/or assignments.

Suggested Reading: Websites to be given during the course.

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Syllabus: Each student will be required to carry out a guided research project on a specific topic given (on or related to plant biotechnology), make a presentation and submit a dissertation on the research project.

Assessment: Evaluation will be based on the research skills demonstrated, seminar (15%), the dissertation (75%) and the viva-voce examination (10%).

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Dependencies: BT 1002, BT 2003 and BT 2004 are recommended.

Syllabus: Enzyme Kinetics: Units of enzyme activity, initial velocity, Michaelis-Menton equation, Km values and determination, significance, regulation of enzyme activity, isozymes and metabolic significance, nomenclature, purification, isolation and Immobilization of enzymes, enzymes in industry; Regulation of metabolic pathways: Regulation of enzyme activity by post translational modification and processes, regulation of enzyme concentration, synthesis and degradation, protein degradation mechanisms; Amino acids and Proteins: Structure, properties, biosynthesis; Carbohydrates: CO 2 metabolism, Triose phosphates, sucrose biosynthesis, storage polysaccharides, starch synthesis, sucrose to starch inter-conversion; NO 3 - Assimilation: Nitrate reductase (NR) as the regulatory enzyme of NO 3 - assimilatory pathway, regulation of NR synthesis and activity; Lipids: Structure, types, metabolism, β-oxidation, glyoxylate cycle, gluconeogenesis; Biological Nitrogen Fixation: Root nodule bacteria, mechanism of root nodule development, nodulins, leghaemoglobin, nitrogenase enzyme complex, Quantification; Respiration: Logic and economy of glycolysis, malate aspatate shuttle, pentose phosphate pathway, its control, reversibility, metabolic significance, amphibolic nature of Embden Meyerhof Parnas and pentose phosphate pathways, carbon flux and respiratory metabolism, cyanide insensitive respiration and its physiological significance; Photosynthesis: C 4 syndrome and its adaptive significance, C 13 discrimination, effect of light on the dark phase of photosynthesis; Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM): CAM and water use efficiency, long term and short term regulation of CAM; Secondary metabolism: Shikimic Acid Pathway, role of secondary metabolites.

Assessment: End of semester theory examination and practical examination.

Suggested Reading: Plant Physiology (Mohr H. and Schopfer); Principles of Biochemistry (Horton H.R. et al.) 1966; Plant Biochemistry (Goodwin, T.W. and Mercer, E.I.) 1982, 2 nd ed.; Biochemistry (Zubay, G.); Biochemistry (Lehninger, A.L.).

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Dependencies: BT 1005

Syllabus: Crop Protection: Detection of Plant Pathogens & Diagnosis of Plant Diseases - Serological / Immunochemical methods, nucleic acid methods; Transgenic Plants in Crop Protection – Herbicide tolerant plants, disease resistant plants, insect tolerant plants; Biological Control Methods – Weed control by pathogens, control of plant pathogens: parasitism, antibiosis, competition, disease suppressive soils, control of insects & other pests. Post Harvest Technology: Overview of Post Harvest Handling – Extent of post harvest losses, importance & advantages of appropriate technology; Biological Aspects – Characteristics of perishable crops, morphological, anatomical & physiological basis of post harvest technology; Post Harvest Diseases – Types of diseases, sources of infection, factors effecting disease development; Harvesting of Produce – Concept of maturity, maturity indices, considerations during harvesting, pre-harvest modifiers of quality ; Preparation / Treatment of Produce – Trimming, cleaning & water elimination, curing, waxing & grading, Ripening, de-greening and colour adding, precooling; Packing House Preparation – Purpose & function of packing houses , packinghouse features; Packaging & Transport of Produce – Functions of packaging, damage caused during packaging , types of packages, manual packing, improving package performance, prepackaging, bulk transport, transport conditions; Storage – Refrigerated (low temperature) storage: Objectives, structural requirements, physiological disorders; Supplements to refrigeration: Irradiation, chemical treatments, controlled atmosphere, modified atmosphere, silicone membrane systems, biological treatments; Alternatives to refrigeration: Ambient storage , evaporative cooling, storage in water, ash storage, air-cooled storage, clamp storage, solar cooling, use of leaves.

Assessment: End of semester theory examination and practical and/or assignments.

Suggested Reading: Post Harvest Handling (Shewfelt, R.L, Prussi, S.E.) 1992; Plant Pathology (Agrios, G.N.) 1997; Post Harvest Technology for SE Asia Perishable Crops (Baulista, O.K.) 1990.

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Dependencies : BT 2006, BT 3003 and BT 3063

Syllabus: Regulation of Gene Expression: Importance of differential gene expression in plant development, components involved in regulation of gene expression, regulation at initiation of transcription, regulation at the level of transcription, post - transcriptional control, factors affecting the expression of a gene, specific examples of regulation of plant genes; Application of Gene Transfer Technology: Techniques for plant transformation, use of plant transformation to study plant physiology and biochemistry, plants as bioreactors, transgenic plants as vaccine production systems, phytoremediation of contaminated soils, regulation of research and development of transgenic plants and release of transgenic plants; Discovery / Cloning of Plant Genes: Probe based screening, Genomic and proteomic approaches, map based cloning; Molecular Biology of Plant Processes: Molecular basis of photosynthesis, gene expression in the developing seed, gene expression in ripening fruits, molecular basis of flower colour, molecular basis for sexual incompatibility in plants; Current Issues in Plant Molecular Biology.

Assessment: End of semester theory examination and practical and/or assignments.

Suggested Reading: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants (Buchanan, B.B., Gruissem, W. and Jones, R.L eds.) 2000; Developmental Regulation of Plant Gene Expression (Grierson, D. ed.) 1991; Reviews and current journal articles.

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Syllabus: Students are given topics of current interest both local as well as international. The general knowledge on these topics will be assessed. The essay paper will be 2 hr duration. The number of essays to be written is 2, selecting one from Part A and the other from Part B. Part A will comprise of scientific topics related to current issues while Part B will include topics based on taught courses in the 3 rd and 4 th years (the Plant Science and Biotechnology students will receive separate topics for Part B). No guidance will be given on reading material from the staff

Assessment: End of semester written examination.

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Students will be sent to some selected relevant industry/ research institute for a period of 2 weeks, where the students will be exposed to industrial production, research problems and solving and the attitudes. Within 2 weeks of completion of the training, student needs to submit a report (according to specification available at the Department).