Plant Tissue Culture Syllabus & Course Outline (BOT-608) – Theory and Practical Guide

🌿 Course Title: Plant Tissue Culture

Course Code: BOT-608
Credit Hours: 3 (2-1)

📘 Course Description

This course provides comprehensive knowledge of plant tissue culture techniques, principles, and applications in plant biotechnology. It covers laboratory practices, culture media preparation, regeneration systems, hybridization techniques, and modern applications including germplasm conservation and somaclonal variation. The course integrates theoretical concepts with practical exposure to develop professional laboratory skills.

🎯 Course Objectives

To understand the fundamental principles of plant tissue culture.
To develop skills in aseptic techniques and media preparation.
To study different types of plant cultures and regeneration pathways.
To explore applications in plant improvement and conservation.
To understand genetic and cytological variations in regenerated plants.

📚 Course Contents (Theory)

1️⃣ Introduction

Concept and importance of Plant Tissue Culture
Historical background
Totipotency concept

2️⃣ Culture Techniques (Asepsis)

Laboratory organization
Sterilization methods
Contamination control

3️⃣ Tissue Culture Media

Components of culture media
Role of macro & micronutrients
Growth regulators
Preparation and pH adjustment

4️⃣ Micropropagation

Stages of micropropagation
Commercial applications

5️⃣ Callus Cultures

Leaf cultures
Stem cultures
Root cultures

6️⃣ Types of Culture

Organ Culture
Callus Culture
Cell Suspension Culture
Protoplast Culture

7️⃣ Types of Regeneration

Callogenesis
Organogenesis
Embryogenesis

8️⃣ Root Differentiation

Mechanism and hormonal control

9️⃣ Micropropagation and Micrografting

Techniques
Applications in horticulture

🔟 Plant Regeneration

Direct regeneration
Indirect regeneration

1️⃣1️⃣ Somatic Hybridization

Protoplast fusion
Applications in crop improvement

1️⃣2️⃣ Germplasm Conservation

In vitro conservation
Cryopreservation

1️⃣3️⃣ Cytoplasmic Hybridization

Cybrid production
Agricultural significance

1️⃣4️⃣ Cytology of In Vitro Regenerated Plants

Chromosomal stability
Cytological variations

1️⃣5️⃣ Regenerated Plants Culture

Leaf culture
Root culture

1️⃣6️⃣ Chemical Analysis

Analysis of callus cultures
Root analysis
Analysis of regenerated plants

1️⃣7️⃣ Somaclonal Variation

Causes
Advantages and limitations

1️⃣8️⃣ Somatic Embryo

Development stages
Synthetic seed concept

🧪 Practical Component (1 Credit Hour)

Media preparation
Explant sterilization
Callus induction
Micropropagation techniques
Observation of regeneration stages

📈 Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students will be able to:

Establish aseptic plant tissue cultures.
Prepare and optimize culture media.
Perform micropropagation and regeneration techniques.
Analyze somaclonal variations and cytological changes.
Apply tissue culture techniques in plant improvement programs.

Practical:

Laboratory Equipment Working and Maintenance
Stock Solutions and Media Preparation
Asepsis Techniques Application
Shoot Tip Culture and Nodal Culture
Callus Initiation on Various Explants
Morphological Studies of Cultures
Initiation and Maintenance of Cell Suspensions
Plantlets Formation in Cultures
Acclimatization Studies
Chemical Analysis Techniques
Visits to Tissue Culture Laboratories

Books Recommended:

Evans, D.E., J.O.D. Coleman and A. Kearns, 2003. Plant Cell Culture (The Basies). BIOS Scientific Publishers, London.
Razdan, M.K. 2004. Introduction to Plant Tissue Culture (2nd Ed.), Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
Chawla, H.S. 2003. Plant Biotechnology. Laboratory Manual for Plant Biotechnology, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.
Bajaj, Y.P.S. (Latest edition). Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, John Wiley Inc., London, UK.
Street, H.E. (Latest Edition). Plant Tissue Culture, Blackwell, London, U.K.
Smith, R.H. (Latest Edition). Plant Tissue Culture – Techniques and Experiments, Academic Press, San Diego, California, USA.
Margit Laimer and Waltraud Rucker, 2004. Plant Tissue Culture.
S.S. Purogit, 2005. Plant Tissue Culture.
John H. Dodds, Lorin W. Roberts, and J. Heslop-Harrison, 1995. Experiments in Plant Tissue Culture.
Edwin F. George, Michael A. Hall, and Geert-Jan De Klerk, 2007. Plant Propagation Tissue Culture.
Gupta and Yasuomi Ibaraki, 2005. Plant Tissue Culture Engineering (Focus on Technology).