Jammu & Kashmir state is rich storehouse of medicinal,
aromatic and other economic plants due to the wide variation
of temperature (-20?C to 45?C ) and altitudes ( 300 to
8,600 meter above the sea level) found throughout the
state. The Plant Biotechnology Division at IIIM, taking
advantage of rich biodiversity of India in general and
J&K in particular, uses cutting edge molecular biology
and genetic tools to engineer metabolic pathways and produce
elite varieties with desired chemoprofiles and for production
of novel phytochemicals.
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To prepare a detailed database of
medicinal plants, their active principals and medicinal
activities. |
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To enrich the existing herbarium and
drug repositories with newer varieties. |
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Discover new phytochemicals as well
as newer uses of existing phytochemicals in (a)
Medicine (b) Health foods (c) Aromatics (d) Culinary
(e) Beauty care (f) Oral care (g) Baby care (h)
Life style ailments (like obesity). |
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Conservation of plant varieties with
desired properties and development of agrotechniques
for their large scale propagation. |
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Gene prospection, pathway elucidation
and gene-expression and regulation analysis via
systems biology approach encompassing transcriptomics,
proteomics, metabolomics, genome annotations and
bioinformatics. |
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Develop tissue culture and genetic
transformation methods for medicinal plants. |
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Genetic engineering of medicinal &
aromatic plants for making them resistant to diseases,
to produce novel phytochemicals, to alter the metabolic
pathways in order to overproduce desired metabolites
and suppress production of toxic compounds. |
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A strong herbal resource base with
huge biodiversity |
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Extension farms with different agroclimatic
niches suitable for cultivation of varied medicinal
and aromatic plants. These experimental farms are
being used for large-scale field trials. |
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Large scale tissue culture facility
and related expertise for micro-propagation of endangered
varieties |
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A large herbarium collection, Repository
of raw and synthetic drugs derived from plant sources
and a database of all medicinal and aromatic properties
associated with major Indian medicinal plants. This
rich resource is used not only for experimental
work, but the knowledge is used for certification
and quality estimation of various plant based drugs
sold in open markets. |
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State-of-the-art facilities and scientific
expertise for chemical (GC-MS, HPLC etc) and molecular
(DNA markers for genetic diversity) evaluation and
quality assurance conforming to global standards |
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Facility and scientific expertise
for modern day molecular biology techniques like
EST library preparation, DNA sequencing, Full length
cDNA cloning, heterologous protein expression and
purification, in vitro enzymatic activity characterization,
Transgenic overexpression of a gene, use of RNA
interference for down regulation of genes in transgenics
etc. |
|
| Sr. NO |
Name |
Expertise |
E-mail |
| 1. |
Y.S. Bedi |
Resource Documentation, Identification
& Authentication of plant material, Taxonomy. |
ysbedi@iiim.res.in |
| 2. |
S.K. Lattoo |
Molecular Biology |
sklattoo@iiim.res.in |
| 3. |
S.N. Sharma |
Biosystematics |
snsharma@iiim.res.in |
| 4. |
R. Sapru |
Molecular Biology |
rsapru@iiim.res.in |
| 5. |
S.G. Gandhi |
RNAi and Functional Genomics |
sumit@iiim.res.in |
| 6. |
S. Gupta |
Biotechnology, Proteomics |
sgupta@iiim.res.in |
| 7. |
S. Jaglan |
Biotechnology |
sundeepjaglan@iiim.res.in |
|
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Supply of authenticated plant material
for all in-house & network projects including bulk
collection of crude drugs for pilot scale studies
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Collection, conservation, characterization
of germplasm for morphological & agronomic traits
and field evaluation using molecular tools for selected
medicinal plants. |
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Molecular characterization of germplasm
for assessment of genetic diversity for resolving
taxonomical problems at genus / species and subspecies/
variety level. |
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Biochemical engineering of secondary
metabolic pathway genes in medicinal plants |
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Establishment of cDNA libraries and
annotated EST banks from utility tissues (leaf and
root) |
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Isolation and molecular characterization
of known pathway genes (squalene synthase, squalene
epoxidase and CYP450 reductase) |
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Establishment of tissue-specific
proteome reference maps at defined physiological/developmental
stages |
Janaki Ammal Herbarium houses more than 21500 specimens
representing 3254 species, 1,152 genera and 218 families.
This facility is used by scientists from academia & herbal
drug Industry as ready reference for authentication of
plants. It is recognized internationally and is registered
in Index herbariorum at New York, U.S.A under the acronym
RRLH.
Herbal Drug Repository contains 3600 crude drug
samples of authenticated parts of the plants, used as
medicine. This referral facility is accessible to pharmaceutical
industry, traders, medicinal practitioners, natural product
chemists, students and academics and provides ready material
for laboratory scale experiments.
Experimental Farms at different altitudes in Jammu,
Srinigar and Yarrikha offer unique opportunity to conduct
field trials on tropical, subtropical and temperate climate
plants. Large scale cultivation of plants as and when
required can also be carried out.
Molecular Biology facility contains 96 slot gradient
PCR machines, Real-Time PCR, High throughput automated
DNA sequencer used for sequencing large scale EST libraries,
Gel Documentation systems and other such lab equipment
for molecular biology work make it possible to plan and
execute any mol-bio based project in the lab. We also
have the facility to do differential expression analysis
using 2D protein gels. The spots are eluted and then handed
over to the analytical division of IIIM for identification.
We also have softwares for automated analysis of DNA marker
polymorphism and other routine molecular biology work.
Plant tissue culture and Hardening unit is used
in-vitro regeneration and transgenesis. The facility is
well equipped with laminar air hoods, plant growth chambers
and culture rooms. Large green house is used for acclimatization
of tissue culture raised plants before transferring them
to the fields.
Cell Biology and Cytogenetics studies like Karyotyping
and Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) is carried
out using sophisticated microscopes and softwares for
automated analysis.
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A large collection of germ plasm of
292 cultivars of ginger (Zingiber officianale) collected
from north western part of India, has been established
in the experimental farms of IIIM. We are carrying
out Proteomic and Genetic marker studies from these
accessions. From our studies, rhizomes show extensive
differences in chemoprofiles, which will be later
correlated to the genetic diversity and differential
expression analysis of proteins. |
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EST libraries are being made from
important Indian medicinal plants, Withania somnifera,
Picrorrhiza kurrora and Podophyllum hexandrum. Nearly
1100 of these ESTs from Withania have already been
sequenced and and assembled into contigs. Finally
annotated EST banks from these libraries will be
established. |
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Real-Time expression analysis, Isolation,
Cloning and expression of known pathway genes like
squalene synthase, squalene epoxidase and CYP450
is being carried out. |
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DNA marker studies for genetic diversity
in Ocimum spp. |
|
| 1. |
Comprehensive Traditional Knowledge
Digital Library ( CSIR Network Project) |
| 2. |
Knowledge Network on Medicinal Plants
(Sponsor : ICMR) |
| 3. |
Database ( web enabled) on Medicinal
plants of Himalayas ( Sponsor : NMPB) |
| 4. |
Pathway engineering and systems biology
approach towards homologous and heterologous expression
of high-value phytoceuticals ( CSIR Network Project).
|
| 5. |
DNA Fingerprinting, Proteomics and
Chemo-profiling of Traditional Ginger Cultivars
of Northwestern Himalaya ( Sponsor: DBT ) |
| 6. |
Geranium propagation,
demonstration and commercialization ( Sponsor: NHB).
|
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