Hands on Training Gene isolation, Cloning and Molecular Characterization

Department of Plant Biotechnology, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology organized a five days “Hands on Training in Gene isolation, Cloning and Molecular Characterization” from December 19-23, 2022 at CPMB&B, TNAU, Coimbatore under Venture Capital (V60 KE) scheme. Twenty participants from different states of India attended the training programme

The Hands on Training in Gene isolation, Cloning and Molecular Characterization was inaugurated on 19.12.2022 FN, which was presided by Dr. N. Senthil, Director, CPMB& B and Dr. V. Balasubramani, Controller of Examination. Welcome address was given by Dr. E. Kokiladevi, Professor and Head, Dept. of Plant Biotechnology. Dr. N. Senthil, Director, CPMB & B highlighted the research work carried out at CPMB& B and briefed about the training programme. Dr. V. Balasubramani, Controller of Examination gave a special address.

This was followed by the self-introduction of participants. Formal Vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. K.K. Kumar, Professor (Biotech). In the morning session, Dr. D. Sudhakar, Professor (Biotech) explained the basic principles of gene cloning and the tools used in gene cloning to the participants. This was followed by practical hands-on experience in isolation of plant RNA and cDNA synthesis.

They also isolate the plant genomic DNA in the afternoon session. In the next day (20.12.2022), bacterial competent cells were prepared by the trainees and they performed the RT-PCR experiment for the amplification of rice actin gene. Dr. L. Arul, Professor (Biotech) gave a lecture on how to select the recombinant clones. On 21.12.2022 (third day), the gene cloning procedure was explained by Dr. K. K. Kumar, Professor and Dr. Varanavasiappan, Assistant Professor.

Then the trainees performed the gene cloning experiments by inserting the rice actin gene into the plasmid vector. On the fourth day of the training program (22.12.2022), the session started with the lecture on “Confirmation of recombinant clones by DNA sequencing “ by Dr. Kokiladevi, Professor and Head, Dept. of Plant Biotechnology.

Then a practical session on primer designing was carried out by the participants with the guidance of Dr. L. Arul, Professor (Biotech). Dr. M. Jayakanathan, Asst. Professor, Bioinformatics guided the trainees to use the bioinformatics tools for DNA sequence analysis. In the afternoon session, how to select the recombinant clones containing the rice actin gene was explained to the participants by research scholars of plant transformation group. On the last day of the training program (23.12.2022), in the morning session, plasmid DNA was isolated from recombinant clones and this was followed by a lecture by Dr. N. M. Mathish, Scientist G, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFTB), Coimbatore. He gave a very elaborate talk on the advanced gene cloning methods. The study material for all theory and practical sessions was shared to the participants.