Syllabus for CSIR-NET

WE OFFER 3 MODULES FOR CSIR-NET AND GATE PREPARATION

Content of the modules is based on the unit-wise CSIR-NET syllabus

MODULE 1: INHERITANCE BIOLOGY                           

(covers unit 8 of CSIR-NET syllabus)

Mendelian principles: Dominance, segregation, independent assortment, deviation from Mendelian inheritance.

Concept of gene: Allele, multiple alleles, pseudoallele, complementation tests.

Extensions of Mendelian principles: Codominance, incomplete dominance, gene interactions, pleiotropy, genomic imprinting, penetrance and expressivity, phenocopy, linkage and crossing over, sex linkage, sex limited and sex influenced characters.

Gene mapping methods: Linkage maps, tetrad analysis, mapping with molecular markers, mapping by using somatic cell hybrids, development of mapping population in plants.

Extra chromosomal inheritance: Inheritance of mitochondrial and chloroplast genes, maternal inheritance.

Microbial genetics: Methods of genetic transfers – transformation, conjugation, transduction and sex-duction, mapping genes by interrupted mating, fine structure analysis of genes.

Human genetics: Pedigree analysis, lod score for linkage testing, karyotypes, genetic disorders

Quantitative genetics: Polygenic inheritance, heritability and its measurements, QTL mapping.

Mutation: Types, causes and detection, mutant types – lethal, conditional, biochemical, loss of function, gain of function, germinal verses somatic mutants, insertional mutagenesis.

Structural and numerical alterations of chromosomes: Deletion, duplication, inversion, translocation, ploidy and their genetic implications.

Additional (from section E of unit 11, Evolution and Behaviour)

Population genetics – populations, gene pool, gene frequency; Hardy-Weinberg law; concepts and rate of change in gene frequency  through natural selection, migration and random genetic drift

MODULE 2: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY     

              

(covers unit 3 of CSIR-NET syllabus, FUNDAMENTAL PROCESSES)

DNA replication: Unit of replication, enzymes involved, replication origin and replication fork, fidelity of replication, extrachromosomal replicons,

DNA damage and repair mechanisms

RNA synthesis: Transcription factors and machinery, formation of initiation complex, transcription activators and repressors, RNA polymerases, capping, elongation and termination,

RNA processing, RNA editing, splicing, polyadenylation, structure and function of different types of RNA, RNA transport.

Protein synthesis and processing: Ribosome, formation of initiation complex, initiation factors and their regulation, elongation and elongation factors, termination, genetic code, aminoacylation of tRNA, tRNA-identity, aminoacyl tRNA synthetase, translational proof-reading, translational inhibitors, post- translational modification of proteins.

Control of gene expression at transcription and translation level: Regulation of phages, viruses, prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene expression, role of chromatin in regulating gene expression and gene silencing

Additional

Organization of genes and chromosomes: Operon, interrupted genes, gene families, structure of chromatin and chromosomes, unique and repetitive DNA, heterochromatin, euchromatin, transposons. (from section C of unit 2, Cellular Organization)

Recombination: Homologous and non-homologous recombination, including transposition, site-specific recombination. (From section K of unit 8, Inheritance Biology)

MODULE 3: RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNIQUES 

           

(covers part of unit 13. METHODS IN BIOLOGY)

Isolation and purification  of RNA , DNA (genomic and plasmid) and proteins

Analysis of RNA, DNA and proteins by one and two dimensional gel  electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing gels

Molecular cloning of DNA or RNA  fragments in bacterial and eukaryotic systems

Expression of recombinant proteins using bacterial, animal and plant vectors

Isolation of specific nucleic acid sequences

Generation of genomic and cDNA libraries in plasmid, phage,  cosmid, BAC and YAC vectors

In vitro mutagenesis and deletion techniques, gene knock out in bacterial and eukaryotic organisms

DNA sequencing methods, strategies for genome sequencing

 Methods for analysis of gene expression at RNA and protein level,

Large scale expression analysis, such as  micro array based techniques

Molecular markers RFLP, RAPD and AFLP techniques

Additional (from section C and D, of unit 12, Applied Biology)

Transgenic animals and plants, molecular approaches to diagnosis and strain identification.

Genomics and its application to health and agriculture, including gene therapy.