Tools and Techniques of Plant Science.

Paper Code: 
25BOT323
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

This course will enable the students to –

  1. The course aims at studying various novel techniques that have become an integral part of learning and understanding plant systems.

 

Course Outcomes: 

Course

Course Outcomes

Learning and teaching strategies

Assessment Strategies

Course Code

Course Title

25BOT

323

 

 

Tools and Techniques of Plant Science

CO83: Categorize and explain different biostatistical tools and incorporate them for data collection and design research experiments.

CO84: Discuss the principles of microscopy and propose their applications in research.

CO85: Develop the concept of Histology and compile various steps of specimen preparation and summarize alternate methods of microtomy

CO86: Evaluate molecular techniques like electrophoresis and blotting, formulate experiments to impart knowledge about molecular biology.

CO87: Design experiments for obtaining pure cultures, and discuss various immunotechniques.

CO88: Contribute effectively in course-specific interaction.

Approach in teaching:

Interactive Lectures, Discussions, Tutorials, Reading assignments, Demonstration, Experiential Learning

Learning activities for the students:

Self-learning assignments, Quiz, simulation, Seminar presentations

 

 

Class test, Semester end examinations, Quiz, Solving problems in tutorials, Assignments, Presentation, Individual and group projects

 

12.00
Unit I: 
Biostatistics

Scope of Biostatistics, exploring and presenting data: scales of measurement (nominal and ordinal), tables and graphs for nominal, ordinal and numerical data, summarizing data: measure of central tendency and dispersion

 

12.00
Unit II: 
Microscopy

Magnifiers and microscopes, simple and compound microscopes, bright field and dark field microscopy, confocal and deconvolution microscopy, microscopic measurements, phase contrast, fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy – SEM, TEM.                                                       

 

12.00
Unit III: 
Histology of Tissues

Selection of material, chemical fixation – types of fixatives, mechanism of fixation, tissue dehydration – general protocol, rapid dehydration and dehydration using a graded solvent series of ethanol or acetone, infiltrating and embedding tissues, sectioning, mounting and staining, alternate methods of microtomy: cryotome and vibratome.

 

12.00
Unit IV: 
Basic Techniques

Agarose gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, isolation and purification of genomic DNA, elution from gel, Blotting (Southern, Northern and Western), HPLC, Autoradiography. ion exchange chromatography, size exclusion chromatography.

 

12.00
Unit V: 
Microbiological and Immunotechniques

Sterilization and disinfection: Preparation of media, sterilization, culture and transfer instruments, cultivation chambers, culture transfer techniques, pure culture techniques: streak plate, pour plate and spread plate method, media preparation-solid and liquid media, simple and complex media, nutrient agar slabs, slants and plates, staining techniques, simple and differential staining, enumeration using haemocytometer, bio chemical characterization – TSI test, IMViC test, ELISA, Radio Immunoassay (RIA), Ouchterlony latex agglutination test, monoclonal and polyclonal antibody production

 

Essential Readings: 

Essential Readings:

  • Eberly, L. E., and Le, C. T. (2016). Introductory Biostatistics. Germany: Wiley.
  • Lee, E. S., and  Forthofer, R. N. (2014). Introduction to Biostatistics: A Guide to Design, Analysis, and Discovery. United States: Elsevier Science.
  • John Walker, and Keith Wilson. (2010). Principles and Techniques of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  United States: Cambridge University Press.
  • Cooper, G. M., Hausman, R. E. (2013). The Cell: A Molecular Approach. United States: Sinauer Associates.
  • Braun, R. D. (2016). Introduction to Instrumental Analysis. India: Pharma Med Press.
  • Clarkson, A. (2017). A Text-Book of Histology, Descriptive and Practical: For the Use of Students (Classic Reprint). United States: Fb&c Limited.
  • Erkmen, O. (2021). Laboratory Practices in Microbiology. Netherlands: Elsevier Science.
  • Maheshwari, D. K. (1999). A Textbook of Microbiology. India: S. Chand.
  • Banerjee, A.K. and Banerjee, N. (2008). Fundamentals Of Microbiology & Immunology.  India: New Central Book Agency (P) Limited.
  • Punt, J., Jones, P., Owen, J., and Stranford, S.  (2018).  Kuby Immunology. United States: Macmillan Learning.

 

Suggested Readings:

  • Indranil, S., and Paul, B., (2020).   Essentials Of Biostatistics & Research Methodology.  Academic Publishers.
  • Rao, G. N. (2018). Biostatistics & Research Methodology. India: PharmaMed Press.
  • Bancroft, J. D., Layton, C., and Suvarna, K. S. (2012). Bancroft's Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques E-Book. United Kingdom: Elsevier Health Sciences.
  • Benson, H. J. (2015). Benson's microbiological applications: Laboratory manual in general microbiology: Tata McGraw Hill
  •  Cappuccino, J.G. and Sherman, N. A. W. (2013). Microbiology, a Laboratory Manual. Pearson

 

References: 

e-Resources:

 

Journals:

  • Microbiological Research (Elsevier)
  • Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology (Elsevier)
  • Environmental Microbiology (Wiley)
  • Histopathology (Wiley)
  • Nature Reviews Microbiology (Nature)

 

Academic Year: 
2025-2026
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