Credit seminar on miRNA in Plant Signal Transdution

Several miRNAs have been described, extensively studied and their regulatory role in gene expression been established. miRNA, a 21–24 nucleotide RNA product of a non-protein-coding gene, controls expression of diverse set of genes in response to intrinsic or extrinsic signals. Conserved miRNAs are considered to play important roles in basic organogenesis or signal transduction, while non-conserved miRNAs may play more specific roles in different tissues or plant species. Plant growth and development is regulated by various miRNA families. Loss of function studies on miR159, miR165/miR166, miR319, miR164 greatly affects reproductive development, organ polarity, phase transition, boundary formation and other features associated with plant growth. An essential phytohormone, auxin is regulated by a group of miRNA that target TAAR genes. miR393 dependent biogenesis of secondary siRNA, creates a network that regulates TAAR and other unrelated genes. miRNAs are implicated in stress response signaling, assisting plants to adapt themselves to the changing environment. miR168, the most common stress inducible gene, is highly expressed when the plant is subjected to cold, drought, salinity and ABA stress. Here we have reviewed the role of miRNAs as signaling molecules regulating gene networks in plant development and its response to adverse environment. 

Name of the Student : Muriel Monteiro

Reg No: 1741210005

Batch: M.Tech II Year 

Name of the Guide : Mr. Rex Arunraj

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Credit seminar on Role of miRNA in Nutrient Homeostasis

Plants being sessile systems depend on their immediate environment for nutrition. Macronutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen and micronutrients sulphur, copper are vital for normal growth and development. Cytosolic concentrations of these nutrients are kept within narrow ranges to maintain homeostasis, a state in which cell components are in equilibrium. Increased concentration of nutrients may lead to toxicity whereas low concentrations can cause chlorosis, necrosis and retarded growth. MicroRNAs represent a small class of non coding RNAs that function as posttranscriptional regulators. miRNAs like miR399, miR2111, miR393, miR169, miR395, miR408, miR398 have key roles in uptake and allocation of phosphorus, nitrogen, sulphur and copper and are induced under starvation of these nutrients. They function by targeting specific transcripts like UBC24, auxin response factors,and sulphate transporters. This study shall review the mechanism of these miRNAs in maintaining homeostasis of nutrients during deficiency.Name of the Student: 

Swetha Ramesh

Reg No:1741210009

Batch : M.Teh II Year

Name of the Guide: Mr. Rex Arunraj

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Credit seminar on Fluorescence in Biological Research

Over the years, the phenomenon of fluorescence has facilitated scientists in analyzing the biophysical and biochemical properties and the morphology of cells. Fluorescence spectroscopy continues to be the method of choice to study the behavior of biological macromolecules, membrane and living cells.Fluorescent probes are one of the inducements of real-time imaging of live cells. Current research shows that these fluorescent probes are employed in the detection of gastrotransmitters in living cells. The machinery of fluorescence is a powerful tool in studying cell proliferation and cell and protein migration in fields of immunological and stem cell research. Fluorescent proteins are as standard an appliance in gene therapy techniques to substantiate gene transfer and expression. In membrane biology, understanding the structure and dynamics of the lipid domain and its proteins is a key to the crucial membrane associated processes in cells. Fluorescent dyes are utilized in microscopic studies involving artificial membrane models for the delivery of macromolecules. Fluorescence is an essential photodynamic diagnostic tool in the estimation of treatment results in oncology. Here, I discuss in detail the mechanism of fluorescence and the principle of working of various techniques based on fluorescence in Biotechnology and the Life sciences.

Name of the Student:

Reg No:1741210008

Batch: M.Tech II Year

Name of the Guide:Dr. N.S.Raja

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Credit seminar on Flippases

Lipids distribution in biological membranes is non-random and asymmetric. In eukaryotic cells, the cytoplasmic surface is enriched in anionic and primary amine-containing phospholipids (phosphoinositides (PIP), phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS)), whereas the extracytoplasmic leaflet and the surface of internal organelles are enriched in choline-containing phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin) and glycosphingolipids. In prokaryotic cells, PE is enriched in the cytoplasmic leaflet of the plasma membrane, phosphatidylglycerol (PG) is localized predominantly to the outer leaflet, and cardiolipin (CL) has a symmetric transbilayer distribution. Lipid asymmetry is generated and maintained by bi-directional transport (flip-flop) of lipids between the leaflets. This generation of asymmetry cannot be explained by sideness of lipids or by spontaneous transport alone. Specific membrane proteins, termed lipid flippases, play an essential role in this transport process. Lipid transport is required for triggering membrane-associated events such as blood coagulation, apoptosis, and signal transduction. Lipid transporters can be divided into flippases which transfer lipids towards cytoplasmic face, floppases which transfer lipids towards extracytoplasmic face, and scramblases that have bidirectional transport activity. Energy-independent flippases allow common phospholipids to equilibrate rapidly between the two monolayers and also play a role in the biosynthesis of a variety of glycoconjugates. ATP-dependent flippases, including members of a conserved subfamily of P-type ATPases and ATP-binding cassette transporters, mediate the net transfer of specific phospholipids to one leaflet of a membrane and are involved in the creation and maintenance of transbilayer lipid asymmetry of membranes such as the plasma membrane of eukaryotes and synthesis of lipopolysaccharide in prokaryotes

Name of the Student: Niyati s. Sharma

Reg No:1741210012

Batch: M.Tech II Year 

Name of the Guide: Dr. Devi A.

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Credit seminar on Site Specific Recombination in Plants using Zinc Finger Proteins

The induction of double-strand breaks (DSBs) in plant genomes can lead to site-specific recombination at repair site.. This phenomenon has the potential for use in gene targeting applications in plant cells upon the induction of site-specific genomic DSBs using zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs). Zinc finger nucleases are artificial restriction enzymes, custom-designed to cleave a specific DNA sequence. Many desired custom-designed ZFNs are generated with high sequence-specificity and affinity. The development of ZFN-mediated gene targeting provides molecular biologists with the ability to site-specifically and permanently modify plant via homology-directed repair of a targeted genomic DSB. 

Name of the Student:V.Bhavadharini

Reg No:1741210046

Batch:M.Tech II Year

Name of the Guide :Dr. M. Parani

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Credit seminar on Glycosylation in Plants

Post translational modifications are described as enzymatic and covalent chemical reactions that modify the polypeptide chain formed after translation of mRNA. Some of these include phosphorylation, glycosylation, ubiquination, methylation, acetylation, etc. Animal, plant, fungi and bacterial cell systems all have the ability to undergo modifications in their proteins. Though with increase in the complexity of their cellular organization, many similarities are observed in midst of the differences in their post translational modifications. Glycosylation is the addition of different sugar molecules at specific amino acid residues of translated polypeptide chain. In glycosylation mechanisms, there are significant variations in terms of monosaccharides used and the structures formed due to different repertoires of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases. So far, there have been numerous studies on mammalian and yeast glycoproteins, but less is known about the synthesis and structural variation of their plant counterparts. As transgenic plants have emerged as large-scale producers of recombinant proteins, the need for humanization of glycosylated protein has increased. In the present study Protein Glycosylation in plants is discussed with highlights on how they differ from the mammalian and yeast Glycosylation pathways and description is given on the ways to humanize plant-made recombinant proteins.

Name of the Student: M. Shruthika

Reg No: 1741210001

Batch: M.Tche II year 

Name of the Guide : Dr. M. Parani

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Credit seminar on Rhizosphere Engineering

The rhizosphere is a largely unexplored frontier for genetic engineering. Rhizosphere (Rhizo-root, sphere-field or area of influence, physical location around the root). It is a variable region where the root production stimulates microbial population and activity. Processes in the rhizosphere influence plant disease, plant nutrition and root architecture by affecting the dynamics of microbial populations and communities. Plants can be engineered to modify the rhizosphere pH or to release compounds that improve nutrient availability, protect against biotic and abiotic stresses, or encourage the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms.. This review strategies for manipulating plants, microbes and root-associated microorganisms to improve plant health and productivity.

Name of the Student: R. Beena Kanimozhi

Reg No: 1741210022 

Batch : M.Tech II Year 

Name of the guide: Dr. B. Usha

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Credit seminar on Genetics of Morquio Syndrome

Morquio syndrome type A is a rare inherited (autosomal recessive) lysosomal storage disease. It is caused due to the buildup of keratan sulfate. The body is not able to process keratan sulfate due to the absence of the enzyme N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS). GALNS hydrolyses the sulfate ester groups of galactose-6-sulfate at the nonreducing end of keratan sulphate (KS) and of N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate (Gal- NAc6S) at the nonreducing end of condroitin-6-sulfateThis accumulation causes a severe skeletal dysplasia with short stature, and affects the eye, heart and other organs, with many signs and symptoms. Morquio A syndrome is estimated to occur in 1 in 200,000 to 300,000 live births. GALNS gene is located on chromosome 16. Affected child may die at an early age of 7-10 or can live up to the age of 25yrs. The disease can be diagnosed by X-ray analysis, enzyme test, genotyping and urine test. At present there is no treatment for the disease. Clinical trials with enzyme replacement therapy for this disease are in progress.

Name of the Student : Bonney Lee James
Reg No: 1741210017
Batch: M.Tech II Year
Name of the Guide: DR. Kiran Kumar

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Credit seminar on Functional Metagenomic Strategies for the discovery of Novel Enzymes

Metagenomics, the genomic analysis of a population of microorganisms, has emerged as a powerful centrepiece, which allows direct isolation of genomic DNA from an environment culturing the organisms under study, and cloning of it into a cultured organism.  The two approaches which govern the field of metagenomics are: sequence-based and function- based analysis.  Sequence-based analysis can involve complete sequencing of clones containing phylogenetic anchors that indicate the taxonomic group that is probable source of the DNA fragment. Functional-based analysis employs the construction of metagenomic libraries from DNA of diverse environmental samples in cloning vectors including plasmid, cosmid, fosmid and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and host strains. Enzymes isolated from these microbes have the potential to possess quite unique physiological and biochemical properties.  This review outlines a number of function-based metagenomic approaches which are available to screen metagenomic libraries constructed to facilitate the exploitation of some of these potentially novel biocatalysts.  Functional screens to isolate novel metagenome-derived esterases, amylases and serine proteases enzymes among others, together with approaches which can be employed to help overcome some of the typical problems encountered with functional metagenomic- based screens are discussed.

Name of the student : Meenakshi Basu

Reg No: 1741210034

Batch: M.Tech II Year 

Name of the Guide : Dr. M Ramya

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Credit seminar on Abiotic Stress Tolerant Transgenic Crops

Plants are challenged by a large number of environmental stresses that reduce productivity and even cause death. Environmental stresses like salinity, drought and temperature are the major factors limiting growth and development of crops. Plants respond to stresses through a wide range of reactions from morphological changes to alterations in the patterns of protein expression. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the stress response is the first step to develop abiotic stress tolerant crops. Because of the nature of abiotic stress, intracellular compartments play a main role in the stress response. Subcellular proteins such as ion and water transporters, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the proteins related to signaling and transcriptional regulation are frequently reported as being involved in stress tolerance. Over expression of stress-responsive genes and proteins through generation of transgenic plants is one of the main practical approaches in production of tolerant plants and their ability to survive highly stressful conditions and their functions in plant defense.

Name of the Student : R.Jeevitha
Reg no: 1741210031
Batch: M.Tech II Year
Name of the Guide:  Dr. B. Usha

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Credit Seminar on Loop mediated Isothermal amplification of DNA

A Loop mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP) technique has been used as a novel nucleic acid detection method , where by the target DNA can be amplified with high specificity and sensitivity under an isothermal condition using a set of four specific primers. A modified LAMP method which we use recently is Multiplex LAMP(mLAMP) method where we can use 8 primers. Principle behind this LAMP method is such that a set of four specially designed primers that recognize a total of six distinct sequences on the target DNA . An inner primer containing sequences of the sense and anti sense strand of the target DNA intiates LAMP. In the initial step of the LAMP reaction all four primers are used , but later during cycling reaction only the inner primer (FIP,BIP) are used for strand displacement DNA synthesis. The cycling reaction continues with accumulation of 109 copies of target in less than one hour . Here I discuss about the work done by the researcher on parasites organisms Babesia bovis and B.bigemina ,it code for a protein called rhoptry-associated protein-1 gene.This method is to distinguish between two species by restriction enzyme analysis. And it is being widely studied for detecting infectious diseases such as tuberculosis , malaria and sleeping sickness.

Name of the Student : T.Kanimozhi
Reg No: 1741210021
Batch: M.Tech II Year
Name of the Guide : Mr.P.Rathinasabapathi

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Credit Seminar on Tandem Mass Spectrometry in newborn Screening

Tandem Mass spectrometer is a device that separates and quantifies ions based upon their mass/charge ratio. It does so by producing charged particles from the sample being analyzed. It then uses an electrical and magnetic field to separate and measure the mass of the charged particle. A detection system produces a spectrograph of peaks which can be quantified using internal standards to determine the amount of each particle present. It is a powerful tool and requires a very small sample size to screen for a large number of rare disorders in a very quick amount of time and therefore has been applied to Newborn Screening. The methodology has a high specificity, sensitivity and less laborious sample preparation time then traditional newborn screening methods. It can be used for the detection of diseases falling into three categories; Aminoacidopathies, Organic acidurias and Fatty acid oxidation disorders. Here I discuss about how Tandem Mass Spectrometry is used in Newborn Screening and what the Indian scenario in terms of Newborn Screening is.

Name : Swasti Bharti
Reg No: 1741210018
Batch: M.Tech II Year
Guide: Dr. Rajnish .N

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Credit Seminar on Cell-Cell Interaction and Extracellular Matrix

The ability of cells to communicate with one and another is an important hallmark in multicellular organisms. This enables the cells to interact with each other and enable the organism to function as a whole instead of a mass made up of individual subunits. This communication happens through various receptors and signals which are specific to each cell. It is only because of such specificity each cell is able to receive its specific signal amidst millions of signals processed by the numerous cells of our body. Loss in specificity or improper functioning of these signals lead to numerous diseases. ECM (extra cellular matrix) is a covering which give shape and structure to each cell. It differentiates one cell from another. In addition to all this it also plays an important role in cell-cell interaction mechanisms with the help of its components. It helps the stem cells to interact with other cells and help in tissue or organ repair in a fetus. Over production of its components or malfunctiong of ECM paves way for carcinogenesis and metastasis.

Name of the Student: Janani I
Reg No: 1741210014
Batch: M.Tech II Year
Name of the Guide : Mr.N.Arul jothi

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Credit Seminar on Purification Strategies of Recombinant Proteins

The growth in the use of recombinant proteins has increased greatly in recent years, as has the wealth of techniques and products used for their amplification and purification. The advantages of using a fusion protein to facilitate purification and detection of the recombinant proteins are now widely recognized. A major goal in the production of therapeutic proteins, subunit vaccines, as well as recombinant protein needed for structure determination and structural proteomics is their recovery in a pure and functional state using the simplest purification procedures. Here, we report the design and use of a novel tandem (His)6-calmodulin (HiCaM) fusion tag that combines two distinct purification strategies, namely, immobilized metal affinity (IMAC) and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC), in a simple two-step procedure. Two model constructs were generated by fusing the HiCaM purification tag to the N terminus of either the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) or the human tumor suppressor proteinp53. These fusion constructs were abundantly expressed in Escherichia coli and rapidly purified from cleared lysates by tandem IMAC/HIC to near homogeneity under native conditions. Cleavage at a thrombin recognition site between the HiCaM-tag and the constructs readily produced untagged, functional versions of eGFP and human p53 that were >97% pure. The HiCaM purification strategy is rapid, makes use of widely available, high-capacity, and inexpensive matrices, and therefore represents an excellent approach for large-scale purification of recombinant proteins as well as small-scale protein array designs. Although several tags have been extensively used over the years, his-tags are the unquestionably preferred affinity tag for protein purification.

Name of the Student: Dhivya G

Reg No: 1741210023

Batch: M.Tech II Year 

Name of the Guide: Mr. N Manoj Kumar

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Credit Seminar on Organelle Genome Sequencing- Current Status and Applications

An organelle is a specialized subunit within a cell that has a specific function. Two broad classes of organelles are Mitochondria and Chloroplast (plastids). Since mitochondria and chloroplasts are maternally inherited and have unique features in evolution, DNA sequences of those organelle genomes have been broadly used in phylogenetic studies. Organelle genome is of interest because of their possible bacterial origins, relationship to evolution of nuclear genome, their role in eukaryotic cell energy production etc. These sequence data are also used to identify single nucleotide polymorphism markers, forensics, detection of body parts from protected and threatened species etc.

Name of the Student : N. Manothi Smitha
Reg No: 1741210002
Batch: M.Tech II Year
Name of the Guide: Dr. N. Purushothaman 

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Credit Seminar on Epigenetics for Plant Trait Improvement

Epigenetics generally is used in reference to a class of heritable molecular events involving a wide variety of protein complexes and regulatory mechanisms that do not involve change in the DNA Sequence . Genetic information alone cannot fully address the fundamental question of how genes are differentially expressed during cell differentiation and plant development, as the DNA sequences in all cells in a plant are essentially the same. Numerous studies have unveiled the importance of several mechanisms in regulating transcription by affecting the structural properties of the chromatin. These mechanisms, including DNA cytosine methylation, modifications of histones, and certain aspects of RNA interference (RNAi), are referred to as epigenetic. Some epigenetic tags remain in place as genetic information passes from generation to generation, a process called epigenetic inheritance. Plants use these epigenetic silencing mechanisms extensively to control development and parent-of-origin imprinted gene expression.

Understanding how epigenetic regulation is involved in plant response to environmental stress is highly desirable, not just for a better understanding of molecular mechanisms of plant stress response but also for possible application in the genetic manipulation of plants. Apart from silencing mechanism and environmental stress regulation; Plant immunity, Vernalization, Seed development, Fruit development regulation by epigenetically sheds light on better understanding of gene expression.

Name of the Student : P.C.Kunthavai

Reg No: 1741210055

Batch:  M.Tech II Year 

Name of the Guide: Dr.N.Purushotaman

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Credit Seminar on Synaptic plasticity and aging

Aging affects all systems, but the brain seems to be particularly vulnerable to the action of negative, age-dependent factors. A gradual loss of memory functions is one of the earliest and most widespread consequences of brain aging. The causes for such impairment are still unclear. Synaptic plasticity including long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) is thought to form the cellular basis of learning and memory. Thus alterations in synaptic plasticity are hypothesized to contribute to age-related memory deficits. The ability to form and use memories is likely to require long-lasting structural and physiological changes in the connections between neurons, especially in the brain areas known to be critical for mnemonic function. If so, then impairment of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus during aging might account for memory dysfunction observed during senescence. Here, I discuss the work of various scientists regarding the evidence sustaining the existence of a causal link between cognitive and LTP impairments, as well as the possible mechanisms involved. 

Name of the Student : Sherry Simon 

Reg No: 1741210062 

Batch: M.Tech II Year 

Name of the Guide: Dr. Devi A

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Credit Seminar on Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is the regulation of gene expression in response to fluctuations in cell-population density.In a population of bacteria, each individual bacterium is capable of producing a signaling molecule (inducer) and each bacterium also has a receptor for the inducer. When the inducer binds to the receptor, it activates the transcription of certain genes, including those responsible for the synthesis of the inducer itself. As the bacterial population grows, the concentration of the inducer in the surroundings increases, causing more inducer molecules to be synthesized.  Gram-negative bacteria use acylated homoserine lactones as autoinducers, and Gram-positive bacteria use processed oligo-peptides to communicate.  AHL-mediated quorum sensing is one of the best characterized cell-to-cell communication mechanisms.More than 70 bacterial species are known to produce AHL-type quorum-sensing signals, with many producing multiple AHLs. Quorum sensingwas originally discovered in the luminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri. In several bacteria, disrupting quorum sensing adversely affects biofilm formation. Insect species use quorum sensing to detect the nest. A very interesting example is that of the small ants of the species Temnothorax albipennis, which typically nest in rock crevices. The most important implication of all this for human beings is that once we understand how bacteria talk, we can find ways to block their communication.

Name of the Student : Binisha A
Reg No: 1741210049
Batch: M.Tech II Year
Name of the Guide : Dr. B.Usha

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Credit Seminar on Plant Molecular Farming

Plant molecular farming is defined as the production of proteins or other metabolites valuable to medicine or industry in plants traditionally used in an agricultural setting. Plants can synthesize a wide variety of proteins that are free of mammalian toxins and pathogens. Plants produce large amount of biomass at low cost and require limited facilities. Since plants have long been used as a source of medicinal compounds, plant molecular farming represents a novel source of molecular medicines, such as plasma proteins, enzymes, growth factors, vaccines and recombinant antibodies, whose medical applications are understood at a molecular level. Bio-pharming promises plentiful and cheaper supplies of pharmaceutical drugs, including vaccines for infectious diseases and therapeutic proteins for treatment of such as cancer and heart disease. “Plant-made pharmaceuticals” (PMPs) are produced by genetically engineering the plants to produce specific compounds, generally proteins, which are extracted and purified after harvest. Here, I have discussed in detail about different species of plants used for plant molecular farming, different methods used for insertion of gene of interest into plant system, different proteins and metabolites that can be produced using plant molecular farming which are of therapeutic and industrial importance. Lastly I have discussed about the bio-safety and ethical issues related to plant molecular farming.

Name of the Student : Varadendra B Mazumdar

Reg No: 1741210010

Batch : M.Tech II Year 

Name of the Guide : Mr.P.Rathinasabapathi

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Credit Seminar on Fruitfly: An Effective Model for Understanding Human Diseases

The Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model organism which has opened new avenues in the field of genetics and developmental Biology. Its small size, short life cycle (10-14 days) at 25⁰C, high reproductive rate are the main reasons for its extensive contribution. Understanding the developmental genetics of this organism involves knowledge about various genes that play critical role in the development and differentiation of the organism. These developmental studies on Drosophila melanogaster help in analyzing the function of human disease genes, including those for neurological disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, genes for the function of visual, auditory and immune system and in future it will aid in the analysis of complex multigenic disorders. Model animals are utilized for experimental medical science as simulation systems. Drosophila melanogaster is a model animal whose genome have been well characterized. Several mutant lines are available.35 novel human genes, which have Drosophila arthologues have been implicated in segment polarity and planar cell polarity. In 2003, huge amounts of data concerning genome sequences, Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs), and uncharacterized so-called full-length cDNA have been deposited in public database. Applied bioinformatics tools are used for the hunting of human genes homologous to Drosophila genes with interesting phenotypes. Alzheimer Disease is a well known neurological disorder which would arise in late forties. It is a kind of Dementia. Main symptom is memory loss .If untreated lead to Death. Studying such a complicated disease in Human model is highly challenging. Hence fruitfly serves as a perfect model in studying this disease.

Name of the Student: Jayalakshmi D
Reg No: 1741210048
Batch : M.Tech II Year
Name of the Guide: Dr. Kiran kumar

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