Department of Biotechnology

About: Department of Biotechnology is a government organization based out in New Delhi, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Silver nanoparticle. The organization has 4800 authors who have published 5033 publications receiving 82022 citations.

Systems Biology for Smart Crops and Agricultural Innovation: Filling the Gaps between Genotype and Phenotype for Complex Traits Linked with Robust Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability

Abstract: In recent years, rapid developments in several omics platforms and next generation sequencing technology have generated a huge amount of biological data about plants. Systems biology aims to develop and use well-organized and efficient algorithms, data structure, visualization, and communication tools for the integration of these biological data with the goal of computational modeling and simulation. It studies crop plant systems by systematically perturbing them, checking the gene, protein, and informational pathway responses; integrating these data; and finally, formulating mathematical models that describe the structure of system and its response to individual perturbations. Consequently, systems biology approaches, such as integrative and predictive ones, hold immense potential in understanding of molecular mechanism of agriculturally important complex traits linked to agricultural productivity. This has led to identification of some key genes and proteins involved in networks of pathways involved in input use efficiency, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, photosynthesis efficiency, root, stem and leaf architecture, and nutrient mobilization. The developments in the above fields have made it possible to design smart crops with superior agronomic traits through genetic manipulation of key candidate genes.

Transgenic grain legumes obtained by in planta electroporation-mediated gene transfer.

Abstract: Electroporation-mediated gene transfer into intact plant tissues was demonstrated in pea, cowpea, lentil, and soybean plants. Transient expression of a chimericgus reporter gene was used to monitor the uptake and expression of the introduced DNA in electroporated nodal axillary buds in vivo. The branches that grew out of the nodal meristems were chimeric and expressed the introduced gene up to 20 d after electroporation. Transgenic R1 pea, lentil, and cowpea plants were recovered from seeds originating on these chimeric branches as shown by Southern blot hybridization and GUS expression. Transgenic R2 soybean and lentil plants were also obtained. Segregation ratios in these populations showed a strong bias against transgene presence or expression.