Plant Tissue Culture and Micropropagation Diploma course

“One year Post B.Sc. Diploma Course in ‘Plant Tissue Culture and Micropropagation’  was introduced in the Department of Botany, North Lakhimpur College, Assam from the session  2008-09.  The Course has been sponsored by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India under the Human Resource Development Programme for training technologists in life sciences and biotechnology.  The Course is conducted by the Department of Botany, North Lakhimpur College, Khelmati-787031, Assam, India”

Department of Botany, North Lakhimpur College, ASSAM

                     The Department was established in 1966 for offering Botany as a core subject in science faculty of North Lakhimpur College, Assam. During the initial phase, a single room with a small laboratory was provided at the Arts Building of the College to run the Department. However, keeping in view of the increasing number of students and laboratory requirements, the Department was permanently shifted the present building during the month of September,1996.

                      Major course in Botany was commenced from 1979. The students with Major in Botany from this institution has shown outstanding results with an all time record of as many as 83 First Class Graduates in the B.Sc. Final Examination of Dibrugarh University, Assam and also the students of this department has topped 9 times in Botany (Major) in the B.Sc.(Final) Examination till 2009. In the year 2009, Best Science graduate under Dibrugarh University was obtained by the student of Botany Department, North Lakhimpur College.  In addition to the normal course, the following Post B.Sc. Course / add on course with B.Sc. programme are running in the Department.

a)      One Year Career Oriented Certificate Course in “Herbal (Medicinal) Plantation” sponsored by UGC

b)      One year   Post B.Sc. Diploma Course in “Plant Tissue Culture and Micropropagation” Sponsored by DBT.

DBT SPONSORED One Year Post B.Sc. Diploma course in

 Plant Tissue culture and Micropropagation

               One year Post B.Sc. Diploma Course in ‘Plant Tissue Culture and Micropropagation’ was introduced in the Department of Botany, North Lakhimpur College, Assam from the session  2008-09.  The Course has been sponsored by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India under the Human Resource Development Programme for training technologists in life sciences and biotechnology.                

                 Plant tissue culture is the aseptic (free from microorganism) culture of plant cells, tissue or organs on a culture medium under controlled environmental conditions. The techniques are utilized in the field of Biotechnology.  A wide range of plants have now been regenerated through technique of tissue culture. The technique is successfully used to conserve germplasm of rare and endangered plant species. It is providing an alternative source for commercial, horticultural and conventional medicinal trade. The Plant tissue culture has an important role for the commercial production of pathogen-free plants. Thus, Plant tissue culture research is a multi- dimensional science that offers exciting prospects to future improvements in crop productivity. Plant tissue culture is also an alternative method for production of useful and valuable secondary metabolites according to demand.

                  Micropropagation is the rapid vegetative propagation of plants through tissue culture techniques. It allows the production of large numbers of plants from small pieces of a mother plant in relatively short periods of time. Practically, in micropropagation, depending on the species any part of a plant is induced to regenerate into complete plant under in vitro condition. The process offer several distinct advantages that are not possible with conventional propagation techniques. Some nurserymen have been introduced to the techniques and advantages of micropropagation. Again some firms have established their own tissue culture facilities and commercial scale operations for the mass productions of ornamental, horticultural and medicinal plants. With the increase in demand for tissue cultured plants, there is an increased demand for experts in plant tissue culture as well as micropropagation. To provide such an opportunity, the Department of Botany, North Lakhimpur College, Assam has introduced the course on plant tissue culture and micropropagation with the financial assistance from the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.

Objectives of the course programme :

1.      To make the students familiar with basic knowledge and understanding of various aspects of Plant Tissue culture.

2.      to teach students the theories, principles and approaches to modern trends in life sciences and plant biotechnology

3.      to help in adapting students to the needs of the tissue culture industry and to enhance their career prospects.

4.      to train the students for further education and research.

5.      to inspire students for research and development in Plant Biotechnology so that they can activate their hidden potential to enhance their knowledge and skills.

6.      to raise awareness among public about the application of plant tissue culture and micropropagation of economically important plant species covering medicinal plants, ornamental plants, horticultural and plantation crops.

 Infrastructure and other facilities for the programme:

1.      Laboratory facilities : provided with

a)            Culture Room

b)            Working Laboratory

c)            Inoculation Chamber

d)            Washing facilities, etc.

2.      Lecture cum Seminar Hall:  Lecture room is equipped with audio-visual facilities such as slide projector, LCD Projector, etc.

3.      Infrastructure facilities: Net/ Shade house for hardening along with the medicinal plant garden.

4.      Library facilities :   Library with well furnished reading room for both students and teachers separately.

5.      Common facilities: Computer with internet connectivity, photocopier, printers etc.

Major Equipments :

Course structure:

The course consists of two semesters with six papers, all of which must be successfully completed by the students to obtain the Post B.Sc. ‘Diploma in Plant Tissue Culture and Micropropagation’. ( Syllabus in detail as Annexure- I).

Semester- I

                                                 Theory Paper     :              200 Marks

                                                 Practical             :              100 Marks

Semester II

                                                 Theory Paper     :              200 Marks

                                                 Practical             :              100 Marks

*Theory Class            : 12 hrs. / week

           *Practical/Lab. Work  : 36 hrs (or more) / week

Number of seats per session    :    15  (Fifteen)

Studentship                                 : @ Rs. 1200/- pm

Eligibility for admission:

 Graduate students with Major in Botany /Zoology / Microbiology / Biochemistry / Chemistry or any other related discipline with at least 45% marks in the main subject or B.Sc. (Gen.) with at least 45% marks in aggregate are eligible to sit in the entrance test. Candidates whose results have not been declared, but are expecting to pass before the entrance test with required norms can also apply. 

Admission procedure:

   Publication of Admission advertisement is made in a local daily (The Assam Tribune) as well as in the Employment News. Students are selected on the basis of written test (2hr duration) based on the basic knowledge of Life Sciences and Chemistry. The medium of instruction is English. Central reservation policy is followed in admission.

Faculty Members :

a) Core faculty :

b)     Visiting/Collaborating faculty:

            The nearby institutes offering programme with Plant Tissue Culture and   Micropropagtion are North East Institute of Science & Technology (NEIST), Jorhat; Dept. of Biotechnology, Assam Agriculture University; Dept. of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Tezpur Central University; Dept. of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dibrugarh University; Defence Research Laboratory, Tezpur; Tocklai Tea Experimental Station, Jorhat, Assam;  Dept. of Life Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi university; State Forest Research Institute, Itanagar,  Arunachal Pradesh. The College shall invite visiting and guest faculties from the above institutes.

Advisory cum monitoring Committee:

    Job Prospects:

           Successful completion of the Post B.Sc.  Diploma course in Plant Tissue Culture and Micropropagation will facilitate the students-

·         with new job opportunities in R& D departments of government and private sector as a personnel in production unit or as senior technician or technical assistant

·         to engage themselves in providing consultancy to plant tissue culture industries.

·         with employment opportunities in institutions of higher learning such as university or colleges to assist personnel involved in plant tissue culture.

·         to become self-employed by establishing a small micropropagtion Unit.

·         to take up teaching profession in plant tissue culture

·         to become an entrepreneur and run large scale plant production unit

Outline of the Practical programme :

           As per DBT’s specification, students of the course (Session 2008-09) have participated a five days training on plant tissue culture at the North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST, formerly Regional Research Laboratory) Jorhat, Assam.   As a part of 1^st Semester Syllabus, following practical training were offered to the students in the Laboratory of North Lakhimpur College-

1)      Technique of glass ware washing and cotton plug preparation.

2)      Operation of different major equipments needed for plant tissue culture.

3)      Preparation of stock solution and culture medium.

4)      Explant preparation, methods of sterilization and inoculation.

5)      Cultures of shoot, root, leaf, nodal portion, shoot tip, embryo, seed etc. of some selected plant species.

6)      Callus culture, sub-culture and regeneration.

7)      Method of synthetic seed production (included in training programme at NEIST, Jorhat, Assam).  

             In the Second Semester students will have to submit project report on some selected topics as part of their practical works. Likely, students are divided into 4/5 groups to perform project work. Selected topics are Micropropagation of Orchids (Ornamental plant), Tissue culture and micropropagation of Neem/Agave/ Brahmi (Medicinal plants) and micropropagtion of Bamboo (Plantation crop) etc. In project work students have to perform culture, sub-culture, regeneration and transfer to the soil of the selected plant species.

Academic Calendar for 2008-09 & 2009-10 Sessions :