As a microbiologist, these are 15 unique areas of Biotechnology you should be familiar with, especially at the master's level Please Note: If you can't read any text, kindly download and view as ppt

1. 15 TOPICS IN
BIOTECHNOLOGY LAB EVERY
MICROBIOLOGIST SHOULD
KNOW
By
Okechukwu Francis
PhD scholar, UPES,
Dehradun

2. 1. Isolation of Plasmid and Genomic DNA: The process of extracting
and purifying specific types of DNA from cells. Plasmid DNA refers to
small, circular DNA molecules found in bacteria and used in genetic
engineering. Genomic DNA refers to the total DNA content of an
organism's genome.
2. Plasmid as Cloning Vector: A plasmid is a small, circular DNA
molecule that can replicate independently within a host cell. In
biotechnology, plasmids are often used as carriers or vectors to transfer
specific genes into host organisms for cloning and expression
purposes.
3. Restriction Enzymes and Their Role in Biotechnology: Restriction
enzymes are enzymes that cut DNA at specific recognition sites. They
play a crucial role in genetic engineering by allowing precise cutting and
manipulation of DNA molecules. They are used for tasks like generating

3. 4. Ligation Method: Ligation is the process of joining DNA fragments
together using DNA ligase, an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of
phosphodiester bonds between adjacent DNA strands. It's a
fundamental step in creating recombinant DNA molecules.
5. Expression of Recombinant Proteins Using Bacterial, Animal,
and Plant Vectors: Recombinant proteins are proteins produced by
introducing foreign genes into host organisms. Bacterial, animal, and
plant vectors are systems used to express these genes and produce
the desired proteins in the respective hosts.
6. Agrobacterium-Mediated Gene Transformation: Agrobacterium
tumefaciens is a bacterium used to introduce foreign DNA into plants.

4. 7) Preparation of Competent Cells and Transformation: Competent
cells are cells that have been treated to become more receptive to
taking up foreign DNA. Transformation is the process of introducing
exogenous DNA into these cells. This is a key step in genetic
engineering to insert foreign DNA into host organisms.
8) Microbial Cell and Enzyme Immobilization: Immobilization refers
to the technique of attaching cells or enzymes to a solid matrix, often
for industrial processes. Immobilized cells/enzymes can be used in
various applications, like wastewater treatment or biofuel production.
9) Designing of Gene-Specific Primers: Primers are short DNA
sequences used in PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) to target and
amplify specific DNA regions. Gene-specific primers are designed to
specifically bind to regions of interest in a gene for amplification and

5. 10. Estimation of Protein, RNA, and DNA: Techniques to quantify the
amounts of protein, RNA, and DNA in a sample, often using
spectroscopy, electrophoresis, or PCR-based methods.
11. SDS-PAGE of Proteins: SDS-PAGE (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis) is a technique used to separate
proteins based on their molecular weight using an electric field and a
polyacrylamide gel.
12. Ethanol Production, Antibiotics, Microbial Enzymes: These refer
to processes involving the production of ethanol (alcohol), antibiotics
(substances that inhibit the growth of bacteria), and microbial
enzymes (enzymes produced by microorganisms) for various

6. 13. Genetic Improvement of Microorganisms for Metabolite
Production: Modifying the genetic makeup of microorganisms to
enhance their ability to produce specific metabolites, which are
molecules important for various biological processes.
14. Comparative Studies of Ethanol Production Using Different
Substrates: Investigating and comparing the efficiency of producing
ethanol from different raw materials (substrates) in various
fermentation processes.
15. Production of Antibiotics and Microbial Enzymes: The cultivation
of microorganisms to produce antibiotics or enzymes that have
practical applications, such as medicine or industrial processes.

7. “DAALU”
THANK YOU