Welcome to NRC on Plant Biotechnology
The
National Research Centre for Plant Biotechnology was established in 1985 to undertake research, teaching and training personnel
in the modern areas of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Since its inception, the Centre has grown and has acquired high
degree of scientific competence and established excellent research facilities. The Centre is working towards achieving the
national priorities of increased agricultural productivity and sustainability.
Objectives
of the Division
- To undertake basic plant molecular biology research for understanding molecular mechanisms underlying basic biological
process.
- To develop capabilities for devising tools and techniques of biotechnology and genetic engineering for crop improvement.
- To use the knowledge gained and technologies developed for advancing agriculture development.
- To serve as a national lead centre for plant molecular biology and biotechnology research and to create trained manpower
in the areas of plant biotechnology and genetic engineering.
The NRC on Plant Biotechnology made significant progress during the ninth plan. The salient features of the progress
made are given in brief in the following paragraphs. The progress was in thrust areas like Genetic Engineering for biotic
and abiotic stress tolerance, Molecular Mapping & DNA Finger printing, Biotechnological approaches to improve soil nutrition,
Productivity enhancement, Isolation and Characterization of insecticidal plant genes, development of transformation protocols
and Rice Genome Sequencing.
The first indigenous transgenic plant was developed. Bt Brinjal was developed at the Center by incorporating cry1Ac
gene from a bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis conferring resistance to fruit borer. The most successful Bt technology has
been adapted to Indian conditions and Bt transgenics in several plants like Rice, Tomato, Brinjal, Pigeonpea were developed.
Bt transgenic lines in Rice were developed in three cultivars, IR64, Pusa Basmati and Karnal local. These transgenics are
under various stages of testing.
In addition to the well-known Bt strategy, alternate strategies for developing insect resistance in crop plants by
Genetic engineering were also initiated. Protease inhibitor genes and Lectin genes have been isolated and characterized at
the molecular level. Novel Bt genes in the form of vip (vegetative insecticidal protein) were also isolated and characterized.
Indigenous populations of B. thuringenesis were screened for the identification and isolation of novel Bt genes. Efforts were
initiated to identify and isolate genes from Terpenoid pathway to augment the repository of novel genes to be used for the
development of transgenics resistant to insect and pathogen attack.
In
order to tackle the abiotic stress tolerance, Glycinebetaine (the best osmoprotectant conferring tolerance to salinity was
introduced in cabbage cultivar Golden Acre by incorporating bet A gene from the bacterium E. coli . Several other genes like
osmotin and annexin were also deployed to develop transgenics tolerant to abiotic stress.
Employing
the method of internal mapping, common QTL regions influencing the levels of oleic, linoleic, linolenic and erucic acids were
identified on molecular linkage map of mustard. In rice, RAPD and STMS based DNA fingerprints were developed for 40 aromatic
genotypes and non aromatic varieties.
Two
types of CMS lines were recovered from sexual and somatic hybridization between Diplotaxis catholica and Brassica juncea.
Sexual CMS lines showed floral abnormalities and poor female fertility, whereas the somatic CMS lines showed larger flowers
devoid of pollen and high female fertility. These CMS lines would be useful for hybrid seed production in Brassica, which
is a major oil crop in India.
In
the area of Biological nitrogen fixation, a Rhizobium strain Sid OP-1 was developed which is more efficient symbiont. This
strain would be released as a bioinoculant for Chickpea after field evaluation.
