eChapters

Abstract

Bacilli, a group of endospore forming bacteria present in soil, contribute directly or indirectly to crop productivity. Bacilli have many physiological unique traits like multilayered cell wall, stress resistant endospore formation, secretion of peptide antibiotics, peptide signal molecules, extracellular enzymes, which make them ubiquitous and assist to their survival under adverse environmental conditions for long time.

The application of back-cross breeding first proposed by H. V. Harlan and M. N. Pope in 1922 provides a precise way of improving varieties that excel in a large number of attributes but are deficient in a few key characteristics. F. N. Briggs too started an extensive back-crossing programme to develop bunt resistant varieties of wheat in 1922. As the name implies, the back-cross method of breeding makes use of a series of back-crosses to the variety to be improved during which the character or characters in which improvement is sought is maintained by selection. At the end of back-crossing, the gene (or genes) being transferred will be heterozygous. Selfing at the end of last back- cross produces homozygosity for this gene pair and coupled with selection will result in a variety similar to the well adapted and recurrent parent but superior for the particular characteristic for which improvement programme was initiated.

In back-cross method of breeding, the adapted and highly desirable parent is called the recurrent parent and the source of desirable character being transferred is called as donor parent. It is most effective and easy to apply when the missing trait is qualitatively inherited, dominant and produces a phenotype that is readily observed in a hybrid plant. The procedure for transferring a recessive trait is similar to that for dominant trait but involves an additional step of selfing. Back-crossing is also used to transfer entire sets of chromosomes in a foreign cytoplasm to create a cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) genotype as has been practiced in maize, onion and wheat, etc. This is done by crossing the donor (of chromosomes) as male until all donor chromosome are recovered in the cytoplasm of the recurrent parent. Back-cross breeding has also been used to develop isogenic lines (lines that differ only in alleles at a specific locus) for traits like disease resistance and plant height, etc.

Backcross breeding is defined as system of breeding whereby recurrent backcrosses are made to one of the parents of a hybrid, accompanied by selection for a specific character or characters. It is basically applicable to self-pollinated crops and is precise way improving varieties that excel in large number of desirable attributes but lack in a few characteristics. This method makes use of a series of backcrosses to the variety to be improved during which character for which improvement is sought is maintained by selection. At the end of the backcrossing, the gene to be transferred remains in heterozygous condition and selfing after the last backcross produces homozygosity for the gene under transfer. As a result, the improved variety will remain like recurrent variety in terms of yield, adaptability, quality features, etc. will be superior for the character which was planned to be transferred from the donor parent.

The application of backcross breeding in plants was first proposed by H.V. Harlan and M.N. Pope in 1922. In principle, backcross breeding does not improve the genotype of the product, except for the substituted gene(s).

Plant biotechnology can be defined as the introduction of desirable traits into plants through plant tissue culture and genetic engineering techniques. The recombinant DNA technology is used to modify the expression of genes already present in the plants or to introduce new genes of other species with which the plant cannot be bred conventionally.

Introduction

Microorganisms are a great source of genetic diversity, still far from completely known and explored. The intimate association of plants with complex microbial communities is of great importance for the growth and productivity of plants in agriculture. There exists a definite difference in microbial community present in the bulk soil and the neighboring micro environments like phyllosphere, endosphere, rhizosphere and endorhizae. Microorganisms that colonize the plants’ rhizosphere are either pathogenic or beneficial according to their effects on plants and the way they interact with roots. The rhizosphere supports a plethora of microbial populations capable of exerting beneficial, neutral or detrimental effects on plant growth and development. Microorganisms such as bacteria, actinomycetes, protozoa, algae, fungi, and viruses coexist in the rhizosphere; bacteria are the most abundant among them.

To Prepare the Competent Cell and Carry Out Transformation Introduction

Transformation results from the uptake of purified DNA by bacterial cells and is the most frequently used procedure for introducing recombinant DNA molecules into bacteria. It is now widely used to transfer small plasmids from one bacterial strain to another. DNA is extracted from donor cell and used to treat the recipient cells that have been rendered more susceptible to DNA uptake. These competent cells allow DNA to enter through pores or channels in the cell membrane and in the case of plasmids, permit subsequent plasmid replication.

Balsam (Impatiens balsamina) is an annual herbaceous flowering plant valued for its attractive flowers and use as a loose flower crop. It performs well under warm, humid conditions and is suitable for rainy-season cultivation. The chapter presents its origin, distribution, genetics, botanical characteristics, varieties and climatic and soil requirements. Detailed production practices include seed propagation, stem cuttings, micropropagation, land preparation, nutrient management, planting, irrigation, weed control, mulching, staking and pinching. Plant growth regulators, insect pests and diseases are also discussed. Particular attention is given to harvesting, postharvest handling and yield, making the chapter useful for commercial cultivation and practical floriculture education.

Barleria, particularly Barleria cristata, is a perennial evergreen flowering shrub valued for attractive blooms, garlands, religious functions and ornamental landscaping. The crop has considerable commercial importance in southern India, while other species are used in ornamental and medicinal applications. This chapter covers the origin, distribution, genetics, botanical description and important species and varieties of Barleria. It explains suitable climate and soil conditions, propagation through seeds and stem cuttings, land preparation, nutrient management, planting and irrigation. Cultural practices such as weeding, mulching, pruning and pinching are described along with pest and disease management. Harvesting, postharvest handling and yield are also addressed.

22.1 Introduction

Nanotechnology has proved to have infinite potential in increasing the quality of life of the human population. There is however, a growing realization regarding the potential health and safety risks of associated with development, production and application of these nanoparticles. Nanoscale particles are produced from a variety of different processes. Nanoparticles are the end product of a wide variety of physical, chemical and biological processes, some of which are novel and radically different, others of which are quite commonplace. Nanometer sized particles are also found in the atmosphere where they originate from combustion sources (traffic, forest fires), volcanic activity, and from atmospheric gas to particle conversion processes such as photochemically driven nucleation. A large quantity of nanoscale particles are also produced during the various human activities, Welding can generate large quantities of nanoparticles usually in the form of a well defined plume of aggregated nanoparticles.

Mole (mol)

1 mole of any substance contains 6.02 x 10²³ units. The number of moles in a given weight of substance can be calculated using following equation.

Abstract

The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, or BLAST, is an online tool provided by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) that allows users to search for matches between their query sequences and the sequences stored in NCBI databases. BLAST can be used to search for nucleotide sequences against nucleotide sequences, protein sequences against protein sequences, and protein sequences against translated nucleotide sequences in the databases. BLAST is widely used to study sequence similarity, identify target sequences, analyze the functional aspects of molecular sequences, and investigate evolutionary relationships. This chapter details on the BLAST and its applications.

DNA Migration in Agarose and Polyacrylamide Gels

Recommended Gel Percentages for Separation of Linear DNA

In this chapter, the essentials of basic statistics are explored, with a focus on obtaining all key measures of basic statistics with just a single click. Additionally, the process of creating informative data distribution graphs is also explained.

Basic Statistics

Basic statistics offer fundamental tools that help us to make sense of data. Below, you’ll find concise descriptions of key basic statistical measures.

i. Arithematic mean (average)

The average represents the central value of a dataset, calculated by summing all values and dividing by the number of data points.

ii. Median (middle value)

It is the middle value in a dataset when all values are arranged in ascending order. It’s less sensitive to outliers.

iii. Mode (most common value)

The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a dataset.

iv. Variance

Variance measures how much individual data points deviate from the mean. A higher variance indicates a greater spread.

v. Standard deviation

The standard deviation is the square root of the variance. It provides a measure of how spread out the data is.

vi. Range

It is the difference between the maximum and minimum values in a dataset.

3.1 Introduction
Since the dawn of humanity, the expansion of invention and technological innovation has made it possible to make a variety of goods to meet its needs. To get a competitive edge in the market, the manufacture of a product has three main goals, viz. efficient product planning, efficient manufacturing, and effective cost control.
These can be achieved through a random thinking, if the designer is fortunate to have the best design of a product of interest, which satisfies the needs of its customers. But it will rarely happen. Design thinking maximizes the possibility of happening of the best design in the journey of design a product in shorter possible time.
Design thinking, an emerging field in this direction, tries to create a product by utilizing the following steps.
i. Empathize
ii. Define
iii. Ideate
iv. Prototype
v. Test
3.2 Definition of Design Thinking
A design methodology called “Design Thinking” offers a problem-based approach to problem solving. By understanding the human needs which changes quickly, re-framing the issue in human-centric ways, generating a lot of ideas during brainstorming sessions, and taking a hands-on approach during prototyping and testing, design thinking is incredibly helpful in handling complicated challenges that are ill-defined or unknown. Anyone can use the Design Thinking approach to tackle complex problems that arise in our society, such as those in our businesses, governments, and other spheres of influence, if they have an understanding of these five steps of the process.

Electron microscopy is a specialized branch of science, which uses the electron microscope as a tool. The electron microscope is an instrument which magnify smallest object thousands times. The magnification is not only requirement to see the smallest otherwise invisible object but the details of the object are most important. The details of the object are depending upon the resolving power of the microscope, which is known as the resolution of the microscope. This resolution or power of the microscope is depends upon the wavelength of the illuminating source. The smallest the wavelength of the illuminating sources is the best resolution of the microscope. Electron microscopes use electrons as an illumination source to take advantage of the very short wavelengths attainable in electron beam, which permit a considerable improvement in resolution over the light microscope.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule made up of pairs of building blocks called nucleotides. The four kinds of nucleotides that make up DNA are adenine (abbreviated as the single letter A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). The DNA molecule has the shape of two intertwined spirals, referred to as a double helix. DNA is packaged into chromosomes that are located within the nucleus of all cells. These chromosomes are the same in every cell of an organism and together make up the organism’s genetic information, its genome. Chromosomes contain stretches of DNA called genes that code for amino acids that make proteins. It is the proteins that are the foundation of life for all organisms. The interaction and structure of proteins determine the visible characteristics or phenotype of an organism, while the genetic makeup of an organism is called its genotype.

The sequence of nucleotides that make up a gene can differ among individuals. The different forms of a gene are called alleles. The alleles are the result of nucleotide differences in a gene that affect an amino acid sequence of a protein. This can result in a change, addition, or deletion of a protein that can affect the phenotype.

Abstract

The medicinal plant, Nithyakalyani, Catharanthusroseus is valued for its alkaloid and the content varied, among root (0.14 to 1.43%), stem (0.48%), fruit (0.4%), seed (0.18%) and pericaup (1.14%). The biofertilizer consortium development includes Catharanthusroseus. Azosppirillumlipoferum CAZS-4, Azotobaterchroococcum CAZB-1, Bacillusmegaterium CPB-18 and Pseudomonasflourescens CPF-14. The relative chemotactic response (RCR) of the strains to anionic fraction is more than that of cationic and neutral fractions. The consortium treated plants possessed 1.120 mg g^-1 of ajmalicine on 180 DAS, and the antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) (13.240 U mg of protein hr-1), peroxide (POX) (11.240 U mg of protein hr-1) and catalase (CAT) (9.000 U mg of protein hr^-1) values were higher on 150 DAS. The consortium increased the biomass production by 50-75 per cent with proportionate increase in the mineral nutrient content. Biofertilizer consortium is the most effective organic input for biomass production.

It is the most significant international convention in the field of protecting copyright. The Berne Convention deals with the protection of works and the rights of their authors. It is based on three basic principles and contains a series of provisions determining the minimum protection to be granted, as well as special provisions available to developing countries that want to make use of them. The Berne Convention, signed on 9 September, 1886, was revised at Paris in 1896 and at Berlin in 1908, completed at Berne (Switzerland) in 1914, revised at Rome in 1928, at Brussels in 1948, at Stockholm in 1967 and at Paris in 1971, and was amended in 1979.

Revolutionizing skin cancer detection
The diagnostic process for skin cancer is evolving. Physicians have in the past relied upon physical exams to be followed by scanning and biopsies taking anywhere between 15 days to return results. Although most abnormalities turn out to be non-cancerous, this is distressing to patients and contributes to healthcare costs. Additionally, certain growths that turn out to be cancerous remain undiagnosed since they have not been visible.
Breakthrough startup Damae Medical is set to reverse this process. The startup has developed an advanced probe that is able to take 3D images of the skin to unveil the full extent of abnormalities in real time. This enables doctors to diagnose in an instant, enabling improved personalized treatment. When an operation is required only diseased tissue is removed to prevent unnecessary treatments and improved outcomes in patients.
The Origins in the Institut d’Optique
The beginnings of Damae Medical can be traced to Palaiseau-based Institut d’Optique where in 2013 two photonics students envisaged potential in an emerging imaging tech. Together with the inventor himself in 2014, they cofounded Damae Medical by taking an exclusive license to the core family of patents held by three partner institutions. While this contract was beneficial in launching the company to an early growth spurt, in the long run created difficulty in exercising control. This was resolved by taking an equity-forcontrol purchase in 2019 by Damae to acquire the foundational patent