M.Sc. in Biotechnology

M.Sc. in Biotechnology

Course Content:
Biological macromolecules- I
Amino acids and peptides: Structure of amino acids, Chemical reactions and modification, physical
properties, sequencing, synthesis of peptides.Proteins: End group analysis, Sequencing, Purification
Nucleic acid: Types and basic structure (DNA, RNA), Principles of sequencing and oligonucleotide
synthesis. Double helical structure of DNA(Watson-Crick model), Sugar puckering and base stacking; B-
,A- and Z-DNA, other nonperiodic structures (DNA bending, Supercoiling) and their significance.
Denaturation kinetics of DNA, Cot curves. Nucleic acid hybridization its application. Folding of RNA
into higher order structures (mRNA, tRNA, rRNA in ribosome), modified nucleotides in tRNA and rRNA
and their importance, Purification and separation of nucleic acids.
Lipids: Classification, Structure-function, role in biological membranes. Lipoproteins
Carbohydrates: Classification and reactions. Polysaccharides: Types, Structural features, determination
of composition. Glycoproteins
Cell 1
Biological world from an evolutional perspective, Speciation. Whittaker's five kingdom concept of
living organism. Cell as a basic unit of living system, Cell theory, Evolution of the cell: prokaryotes and
eukaryotes (their similarities and differences); from single cells to multicellular organisms.
Introduction to taxonomy and life cycles: Prokaryotes-cyanobacteria, Survey of Fungi and specific
fungi-related symbioses, Survey of Eukaryotic Algae, bryophytes: liverworts, hornworts and mosses,
ferns and fern allies, gymnosperms and angiosperms.
Introduction to the Plant and Fungal Kingdoms.
Cell wall: (prokaryotic-peptidoglycan, Plant cell wall); Cell membrane: Membrane structure; Membrane
constituents, phospholipids, glycolipids, cholesterol, membrane proteins, receptors and phospholipases,
phospholipid bilayer, structure asymmetry, fluid mosaic model of random diffusion of membrane
components; Domains in membrane, natural and artificial membranes
Compartmentalization of cells: Endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes, golgi, vescicular traffic in the
secretory and the endocytic pathway, Choloroplast and mitochondria, lysosomes, peroxisomes,
microbodies, Nucleus: Difference between the eukaryotic and prokaryotic genome, Structure of
eukaryotic chromosome (nuclear membrane, nucleoplasm, nucleolus, chromatin organization).
Cytoskeleton: Microtubule, microfilaments, intermediate filaments, microtubule polymerization
dynamics, actin polymerization dynamics, cell crawling, contractile structures, actomyosin complex,
muscle contraction.
Overview of the cell cycle: mitosis meiosis and cytokinesis, animal and yeast cell division, cell cycle
control, cell cycle checkpoint, metaphase-anaphase transition, antimitotic drugs, cytoskeletol diseases,
microtubule dependent drugs and actin targeted drugs.