|
Agronomy Department Overview | |
The main focus of the Agronomy Department is development of agro-technologies for economically important medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) by introduction, domestication, crop geometry and nutrient management. The department's emphasis includes designing and perfecting new cropping systems of MAPs with food, vegetable and spice crops. Other areas of research are water management, weed management and growth hormones for yield enhancement. Scientists at Agronomy Department also work on development of agro-technologies for MAPs suitable for rain-fed and waterlogged areas.Department has taken initiative in designing and development of farm implements. |
|
Biotechnology Division Overview | |
Biotechnology Division is conducting R&D is following major areas: 1. Molecular biology of plant secondary metabolism and its regulation : Gene prospection from mono-, sesqui, tri-terpene, benzyl-isoquinolone alkaloid (BIA), terpenoid indole alkaloid (TIA) biosynthesis pathway; Defining the role of transcriptional regulators and their involvement in secondary metabolism; Genomics for pathway engineering; Expression profiling for metabolic and genetic diversity basis; DNA Markers for breeding and identification leading to variety development. 2.Plant Tissue Culture: Micro-cloning of elite germ plasm; Cell and hairy roots based metabolite production; Somaclonal breeding for genetic enhancement; Tissue banking for bio-diversity conservation; Protoplast culture and somatic fusions; Genetic transformations for pathway engineering 3.Bio-prospecting natural resources for genes/bioactive molecules/ products: Bioprospecting anti-infective agents active against sensitive and drug resistant strains (bacterial, fungal, malarial parasite); Bioprospecting crude drug/extracts/molecules for metabolic and other life style disorders; Safety evaluation of MAPs and their products. 4. Bioinformatics and in silico biology: In silico genomics and proteomics, molecular dynamics studies, identification of miRNA and their targets, gene expression analysis, DNA barcoding. |
|
Chemical Science Overview | |
Chemical Sciences Division deals with all aspects of natural products chemistry on medicinal and aromatic plants. Our main focus is on the isolation and structure elucidation of aromatic and bioactive phytomolecules, their chemical fingerprinting, development of qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques, large scale isolation technologies, their semi-synthetic modifications for value addition and synthesis of bioactive natural products. The overall research objectives of the division can be summarized as follows: (i) Bioactivity guided extraction and isolation of pure phytochemicals employing modern chromatographic techniques, viz.: CC, TLC, FC, DCC, FCPC, HPLC, GC, etc. (ii) Structure elucidation of purified natural products by modern spectroscopic instrumentation, viz.: UV, IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, 2D-NMR, Mass, GC, GC-MS, LC-MS-MS, etc. (iii) Development of chemical fingerprinting and analytical/ noninvasive techniques of phytomolecules by HPTLC, HPLC-PDA, HPLC-MS and HPLC-MS-MS, GC, GC-MS, NIR, etc. (iv) Purification of phytomolecules and value addition through chemical modifications for in- vitro, in-vivo and in silico biological activities, viz. anticancer, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, immunomodulatory, antiinflammatory, etc. (v) Semisynthetic modification of bioactive natural products and further targeted synthesis. (vi) Pilot scale isolation and extraction of high value natural products. |
|
Page Under Construction