M.sc Biotechnology AIIMS

M BIOTECH (MASTER OF BIOTECHNOLOGY)
Course No. Subjects
Course 1 Techniques: Instrumentation & Principles
Course 2 Cell Biology
Course 3 Biochemistry
Course 4 Immunology
Course 5 Molecular Biology
Course 6 Computers
Course 7 Structural Biology
Course 8 Dissertation
Course 9 Biostatistics
Course 10 Applied Biotechnology
Course 11 Seminar Series
(I) Immunology Seminars
(II) Mol. Biology, Recombinant DNA technology Seminars
COURSE – 1
TECHNIQUES: INSTRUMENTATION AND PRINCIPLES
THEORY Hours - 25
Spectrophotometry and Colorimetry; Electrophoretic techniques: Proteins Carbohydrates and
Elecrophoretic techniques: Nucleic Acids; Adsorption chromatography partition chromatography &
Affinity chromatography; Ion-exchange chromatography, Gel filtration chromatography and High
performance (Pressure) Liquid chromatography; Radioisotope techniques – Nature of radioactivity,
detection, measurements counters and safety aspects; Laser Confocal Microscopy and Digital Image
Analysis; Centrifugation & Ultracentrifugation; Biosensors in Diagnostics; Animal Tissue Culture;
Course and Curriculum of M Biotech (Master of Biotechnology) 29
Decontamination, Sterilization and disinfection; Radioimmunoassay; Chemical synthesis of nucleic acids;
Enzyme purification and assay techniques; Techniques in cytogenetics; DNA sequencing; PCR Human
Genome Project; DNA microarray; Proteomics; Nanotechnology; Cell separation techniques; Immobilized
enzymes
COURSE – 2
CELL BIOLOGY
THEORY Hours - 16
Protein synthesis; Protein sorting, transport and secretion; Cell to cell communication: Hormones and
receptors; Transport across membranes; Endocytosis and Protein trafficking-I; Cell Structure, Function
and subcellular compartments; cells to molecules to atoms; the inter-disciplinary approach; Cell-interaction:
growth factors, transformation and oncogenes; Energy oriented organelles; mitochondria, cytoplasmic
matrix and cytoskeleton; Endocytosis & protein trafficking-II; Cell fusion, cellular dynamics, Movements
of macromolecules, organelles and whole cells; Biophysical methods of study; Endocytosis & protein
trafficking-III
PRACTICALS Hours - 30
Sample preparation for TEM; Fixation dehydration infiltration embedding and block making; Preparation
of glass knife, Block-trimming and ultramicrotomy; Preparation of coated grids, negative staining and
viewing; Staining of ultrathin sections and TEM viewing; Sample preparation for SEM; Critical point
drying of SEM samples; Sputter coating of SEM samples; SEM viewing; Immunoelectron Microscopy
COURSE – 3
BIOCHEMISTRY
THEORY Hours - 24
Thermodynamics: concept of free energy, entropy, High energy Molecules and their significance; Structure
and function of Biomembranes; Liposomes and their applications; Chemistry, biosynthesis and catabolism
of purines; Chemistry, biosynthesis and catabolism of pyrimidines; Transport mechanisms; Cytoskeletonstructure
and function; Kinetics of reactions and factors that determine that rate of reactions; Protein
structure & function; Factors determining that rate of enzyme catalyzed reactions; Inhibitors and activators
of enzyme catalyzed reactions; Enzyme Kinetics; Methods of regulation of enzyme activity; Regulation
of carbohydrate metabolism; Regulation of Lipid Metabolism; Regulation of Amino acid metabolism and
inborn errors of metabolism; Metabolic Interrelationship; Inborn errors of metabolism clinical disorders
associated with purine and pyrimidine metabolism; Environmental pollution
COURSE 4
IMMUNOLOGY
THEORY Hours - 60
Innate immunity, cell, CD nomenclature; Experimental Systems used in the Immunology; Acquired
immunity, T-cells, B-cells; Immunoglobulins, class, sub-class and structure; Super Antigens and T-Cell
30 Syllabus M Sc / M Biotech — AIIMS
Activation; Antibody combining sites, conformational changes; H.L.A. Part I; Immunoglobulin superfamily,
affinity, avidity; Complement Part I; Antigenecity, Antigenecity & Immunogenecity; Complement Part
II; Antigen Processing & Presentation; Cell-cell interaction, adhesion molecules; Antigen Processing &
Presentation (Contd.); B-cell activation and differentiation – generation of humoral response; Antibody
mediated Effector mechanisms; Cell mediated Effector mechanism; Immunization strategies; Cytokines,
characteristics and function; Monoclonal antibody production; Antibody screening Assays; Cytokine
classes and their biological activities; Characterization of monoclonal antibodies; Human Monoclonal
Antibodies; Cytokine Receptor and Network; T-cell Hybridomas; Chemokines and chemokine receptor;
Cytokine assays-I; Immunoglobulin gene organization; Immunoglobulin gene rearrangement and
expression; T-cell receptors: molecular structure & gene organization of CD2, CD3, CD4 & CD8; MHC
gene organization; New generation antibodies; MHC gene expression and regulation; Immunoregulation
and Apoptosis; Flowcytometry: Principle & Instrumentation; Applications of Flowcytometry; Cell migration
and Homing; Mucosal Immunity; Tumour Immunity; Immunity to Bacteria; Immunity to viruses;
Transplantation Immunity; Immunity to Parasites; Autoimmunity; Strategies of vaccine development
PRACTICALS Hours - 120
Hybridoma Technology; Antibody Purification & Conjugation; Immunofluorescence and Flowcytometry;
CMI; Gel Techniques; ELISA; SDS PAGE/Western blot
COURSE 5
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
THEORY Hours - 30
mRNA structure and relation to function; Mechanisms of DNA replication; tRNA structure and relation
to function; DNA Repair; Ribosomes and rRNA; Prokaryotic transcription-initiation mechanisms and
sigma factors; Mutations and mutants; Prokaryotic Regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes-I
transcription-elongation and termination mechanisms; Transcription initiation in Eukaryotes-protein coding
genes; Regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes-II; Protein biosynthesis, genetic code; Eukaryotic
transcription of tRNA and rRNA genes; Post transcriptional processing of rRNA; Post transcriptional
processing of tRNA; Components of Translation; Post transcriptional processing of nuclear RNA;
Mechanism of translation
RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY
THEORY Hours - 30
Eukaryotic vectors- C3 1 lifecycle and gene regulation; Post-translational modifications; Comparison of
transcription in Prokaryokes, Eukaryokes and Archaea; Introduction of recombinant DNA technology;
Attenuation and Antitermination mechanisms in Bacteria; Enzymes used in recombinent technology I;
Bacterial plasmids; Bacteriophage lambda-I structure & assay; Plasmids: replication and copy number
control; Bacteriophage lambda-II life cycle and gene regulation; Plasmid and Cosmid vectors; Restriction
modification systems in Bacteria; F factor and conjugation; Transformation; Viruses-I; Generalized and
Specialized transduction; Bacteiophage lambda vectors; M-13 based vector; Transposable elements;
Yeast Vectors; E.coli expression systems; Cloning Strategies I; Viruses-II; Cloning Strategies II; Strategies
for Screening DNA libraries; Analysis of Recombinants Part I; Viruses III; Gene Therapy Pt. II; Analysis
Course and Curriculum of M Biotech (Master of Biotechnology) 31
of Recombinants Part II; Molecular genetics in clinical practice; Genetic Counselling
PRACTICALS Hours - 120
1.a. Preparation of buffers, reagents and media etc.; b. Laboratory equipment handling and safety
guidelines, Radiation safety guidelines; 2.a. Isolation and characterization of genomic DNA for E.Coli; b.
Unit determination of restriction enzyme activity; 3.a.Cutting of DNA and clean up of DNA for ligation;
b. Setting up ligation; c. Preparation of culture media, pouring Plates and streaking of E.Coli; d. Evaluation
of transformants and preparation of glycerol stocks; e. Demonstration of electorporation; 4.a. Preparation
of radiolabelled DNA probe (random primer labeling); b. Hybridization, washing & autoradiography
(Cleaning and monitoring work bench for radioactive spill); 5. Induction of Lac operon; 6. Demonstration
of PCR; a. Setting up PCR reaction; b. Analysis of amplified product; 7.a. Minipreparation & digestion
of plasmid DNA; b. Southern transfer of plasmid DNA digest & baking of membrane; 8.a. Phage
unification, titration and preparation of stocks; b. Isolation of phage DNA; 9. Demonstration of DNA
sequencing; a. Setting up sequencing reactions; b. Casting sequencing gel; c. Gel electrophoresis &
autoradiography. d. Reading sequencing from X-ray film
COURSE 6
COMPUTERS
THEORY Hours - 24
Introduction to Computers Science; Introduction to Data-Base; Introduction to Windows; Windows
Application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Multimedia); ntroduction to INTERNET & use of Electronic
Mail; Introduction to Medical Informatics & use of Statistical Package; Introduction to UNIX & C;
Computer Aided Teaching & testing
PRACTICALS Hours - 30
Medline, Medlar Search; Usage of statistics for data analysis; Creation of DataBase; Slide Presentation;
Computer Aided Learning
COURSE 7
STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
THEORY Hours - 24
Introduction to DNA-Structure of Historic and current view; Polymorphism of DNA; Basic principles
of NMR-Vector description; Structural feature of protein; Structural features of protein-DNA and drug-
DNA complexes; Pulse Fourier NMR & relaxation Phenomena; Peptide bonds, non covalent forces in
proteins; Chemical shift and coupling constraints; Chemistry of building blocks, various structural
organization in proteins; Introduction to protein structure: Principle of folding; Hydrophilicity,
hydrophobicity & amphipathicity in proteins; Building blocks: amino acids-L and D configurations;
Peptide bonds, conformation and dihedral angles; Secondary structures of proteins: b pleated sheets and
helical structures; b-turns/hairpin loops/-blends and other non repetitive structures; Tertiary structure
with one example of a globular protein; Basic principles of 2D NMR; Applications of NMR in the study
of Biomolecules; UV-VIS Absorption Spectroscopy; NMR imaging and invivo NMR spectromicroscopy
32 Syllabus M Sc / M Biotech — AIIMS
PRACTICALS Hours - 16
Simulation of A, B and Z forms of DNA using packages; Simulation of a helix, b sheet and turn
conformation of protein; Molecular dynamics simulation of a peptide fragment with known structures
using AMBER; Homology-based modeling of proteins; Simulation of A, B and Z forms of DNA;
Applications of NMR in the study of Biomolecules; Fluorescence Spectroscopy;
COURSE 8
DISSERTATION
DURATION : One Year
Topics of the thesis submitted by M.Biotech students under
various guides for the batch (2000-2002)
1. Evaluation of the utility of the Mycobacterium smegmatis Dormancy model in the assessment of the
M.tuberculosis devR Gene activity.
2. Studies on DevS Protein and devS gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
3. Study of Innate immune response elicited by Natural Killer cells in tuberculosis.
4. Study of histone like protein in mycobacteria.
5. Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against Plasmodium vivax recombinant
antigen PvHSP28.
6. Detection of chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum isolates by cg10 gene based mutation
– specific polymerase chain reaction.
7. Study of cytokine protein expression in oral cancer patients.
8. The role of in-vitro nuclear magnetics resonance spectroscopy (NMR) in the study of breast cancer.
9. A pilot study for detection of CMV DNA from saliva of neonates by polymerase chain reaction.
10. Genetic Polymorphisms of drug metabolizing enzymes CYP2D6 and GST M1 in epileptic patients
undergoing therapy showing idiosyncratic and adverse drug reactions.
11. Immunolocalization of transcription of factors (c-Fos & c-Jun) during development of auditory
brain stem nuclei in domestic chick by immunolectronmicroscopy.
Course 9
Biostatistics
THEORY Hours - 25
Definition of selected terms Scale of measurements Related to statistics; Methods of collecting date;
Presentation of date statistical Tables; Need for reduction of data measures of averages and location;
Measures of dispersion Range quartile deviation mean deviation & relative deviation; Concepts of statistical
population and sample need for sampling studies; Simple procedures of random sampling; Methods of
sampling; Probability : Basic concepts; Basic theorems of probability addition and multiplication theorems;
Conditional probability of Bayes Theorems; Probability distribution definition & applications; Bionominal
distribution and its application; Poisson distribution and its application; Normal distribution and its
Course and Curriculum of M Biotech (Master of Biotechnology) 33
application; Logic of statistical standard error estimation testing of hypothesis; Tests of significance :
Normal deviate tests (Ztest); Student’s “t” test; Chi-Squared test; F. test and analysis of variance;
Correlation concept and applications; Regression concept and application; Statistics in Genetics-; Statistics
in Genetics – II
PRACTICALS Hours - 25
Dia-grams and graphs; Measures of averages and location; Measures of dispersion; Probability; Bionominal
distribution; Poisson distribution; Normal distribution; Normal deviates and students “T” test; Chi-
Squared test; Analysis of variance; Correlation analysis; Regression analysis
COURSE 10
APPLIED BIOTECHNOLOGY
SEMINAR TOPICS Hours - 42
1. Concept to Industry (Biotechnology Industry)
2. Intellectual Property Rights (Biotechnology Industry)
3. Challenging problem in Biology in the new Millenium (Bioinformatics)
4. Molecular technologies for diagnosis of genetic disorders (Clinical Disease)
5. Molecular genetics in clinical practice (Clinical Diagnosis)
6. New generation viral vectors for Gene Therapy (Clinical Therapy)
7. In vivo targeted gene delivery (Clinical Therapy)
8. Ribozymes for therapeutic use in viral infection (Clinical Therapy)
9. Biology of Nitric oxide implications in diagnosis and therapeutics (Therapy)
10. Characterization of a retrotransposable element in Entamoeba histolytica (Mol. Biology)
11. Designing of endothelin receptor antagonists (Mol. Biology)
12. Immuno-Gene therapy in cancer (Immunology)
13. Oncoviruses and Immunity in cervical cancer (Immunology)
14. Applications of immuno flowcytometry in cell death processes (Immunology)
15. Lymphocyte homeostasis (Immunology)
16. Molecular charaterisation of immunodominant allergens and antigens of Aspergillus fumigatus, an
opportunistic fungal pathogen Diagnostic application (Immunology)
17. Molecular mechanism in fungal allergies (Immunology)
18. Viral induced modulation of host immune response (Immunology)
19. Immunological memory (Immunology)
20. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Polymorphism in health and disease (Immunology)
21. Induction and maturation of B cells (Immunology)
22. Homing & cytokine polarization in T cells of pulmonary TB patients (Immunology)
23. Phage Display for Antibody Generation-I (Immunology)
34 Syllabus M Sc / M Biotech — AIIMS
24. Phage Display for Antibody Generation-II (Immunology)
25. Molecular mechanism in mammalian fertilization (Cell Biology)
26. Ligand-Receptor Interaction (Cell Biology)
27. Molecular aspects of apoptosis (Cell Biology)
28. Erythrocyte invasion and cyto adherence by Malaria parasite (Cell Biology)
29. How are safe limits for radiation determined? (Radiation)
30. Radiation-carcinogenesis (Radiation)
COURSE 11
SEMINAR SERIES
I : IMMUNOLOGY
SEMINAR TOPICS Hours - 15
Autoimmunity through infection/immunization; B7 superfamily of Co-stimulating molecules; Role of
Toll receptors in innate immunity; Chemokine regulation of immune response; Functional regulation of
lymphocytes by apoptosis; Dendritic cell regulation of Th1 - Th2 development; Genomic views of the
Immune System; NK Cell Receptor Complexes & Signalling pathways; Immunological Basis of Celiac
Disease; Lymphocyte Migration, Homing & Trafficking; Granulysin mediated anti-microbial activity of
T cells.
II : MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY
SEMINAR TOPICS Hours - 15
Malaria Genome Project; Interaction transcriptomes in the study of heat pathogen interaction RNA as
enzymes; Molecular basis of Cystic Fibrosis; Cancer genomics and cell cycle; DNA microarrays :
Analysing genome wide expression; Single nucleotide polymorphism and future of molecular medicine;
Eukaryotic transcription factors: DNA binding domains; Protein translocation; TB & Leprosy genomes;
Salient features of human genome.