Training Workshops In Biotechnology & Lab Medicine
 

The Academy expresses deep gratitude to Sir Dorabji Tata Trust for a generous grant, which enabled it to establish a modest biotechnology training facility between 2004 - 2005 in Pune. The laboratory is equipped with all basic equipment and, in addition, has a number of sophisticated gadgets that include a fluorescent microscope, thermal cycler, vertical and horizontal gel and paper electrophoresis, spectrophotometer, hematological counter and tissue culture set up consisting of a laminar air flow hood, inverted microscope and a CO2 incubator.

A number of colleges offer degree and postgraduate courses in biotechnology. Unfortunately, many of them have inadequate laboratory infrastructure to run such courses. This prompted the Academy to launch a program of short duration (one-week) hands-on workshops in eukaryote Biotechnology The Academy now offers 6 modules . Spectrum of the workshop is being continuously expanded. One of the highlights in this field is the joint workshop held by the Academy in conjunction with National Center for Cell Sciences in June-July 2008. Some 15 participants mostly teachers attended the course

Outline of Modules offered by the Academy


Module 1: Elements of Protein Biotechnology

  • Preparation of solutions

  • Salting out of proteins

  • Gel filtration chromatography

  • Ion exchange chromatography

  • Affinity chromatography

  • Protein quantitation

  • Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)

  • Western blotting

Module 2: Basic DNA Techniques

  • Preparation of solutions

  • Extraction of DNA from mammalian tissues

  • Preparation and examination of gels

  • Concentration, purity and quality of DNA

  • Digestion of DNA with restriction endonucleases

  • PCR

  • Southern hybridization analysis

Module 3: Immunology

  • Preparation of solutions

  • Ouchterlony gel immunodiffusion; Single radial immunodiffusion

  • Immuno-electrophoresis, Rocket immunoelectrophoresis, staining

  • Separation of peripheral blood MNC using Ficoll-Hypaque

  • Mitogen/antigen stimulation of lymphocytes

  • Western blot

  • Immunoflorescence - Immunophynotyping of lymphocytes

  • Immunoperoxidase staining technique

Module 4: Tissue culture Module (This course will be conducted only at the Academy's laboratory at Pune)

  • General laboratory procedures (Glassware washing, sterilization)

  • Preparation of BSS, Culture media, other reagents and sterilization

  • Viable cell count, Giemsa staining, growth curve analysis, mitotic index

  • Primary chick fibroblast cultures

  • Lymphocyte cultures

  • Maintenance of cell lines

  • Soft agar cloning

  • Non-isotopic assay for screening of anticancer drugs

  • Hybridoma - Generation of monoclonal antibodies: General information

Module 5: Cytogenetics

  • Short term tissue culture of peripheral blood lymphocytes: PHA transformation

  • Chromosome preparations from the cultured lymphocytes

  • G banding and Giemsa staining

  • Karyotyping

  • FISH (Demonstration)

Module 6: Basic techniques in gene cloning

  • Preparation of passenger DNA by PCR, checking the product by gel electrophoresis

  • Cleavage of passenger DNA by restriction endonucleases

  • Inoculations of cultures for purifying plasmid DNA

  • Preparation of plasmid DNA to be used as a vector

  • Digestion of plasmid DNA by restriction endonucleases, checking for the digestion product by agarose gel electrophoresis

  • Ligation of vector and the passenger DNA

  • Transformation of E.coli. host with recombinant DNA

  • Selection of transformants

  • Confirming the presence of recombinant DNA in the transformants

  • Inoculations of culture for purifying plasmid DNA

  • Digestion of recombinant DNA with restriction endonucleases and agarose gel electrophoresis

Workshop program up to December 2009

Day/ Date

Duration

Topic

Place
September 29th 1 week Nucleic acid Pune
       
October 23rd 1 week Immunology Pune
       
November 1st 1 week Animal tissue culture Pune
       
November 9th 1 week Protein Pune
       
December 21st 12 days Nucleic acids, Protein, & immunology Pune

Mobile Technology Workshops in Laboratory Medicine (Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad)


It is estimated that medical related biotechnology will account for 60% of growth of industrial biotechnology. Poor basic knowledge of Medicos in the field should be a matter of deep concern as it will be a big hindrance for growth of medical biotechnology in India.

A pilot project was undertaken on transfer of Lab Medicine technologies using Mobile Hands-on Technology Transfer Workshop at KIMS Deemed University, Karad. The focus was on the PG students in pre- and paramedical disciplines. There were 13 participants. All necessary equipment was carried to the KIMS from the laboratory of MAMB in Pune. The faculty was also mostly from MAMB. The following modules, which are very crucial for promoting growth of Medical Biotechnology in medical colleges, were administered. To judge its impact the participants were administered pre and post workshop MCQ tests.

  • Protein Biotechnology

  • Basics in Nucleic acids

  • Chromosome biology

  • Basic Immunology:

  • Animal tissue culture

  • Cloning

The last two were demonstrations

There were 13 participants. The results of the pre and post workshop tests are shown. Beneficial effects of the workshop are evident. Average scores in pre- and post workshop were 43.5% and 57.7 % respectively. The workshop received the average rating of 8.5 in the scale of 10 in participants’ feedback.

The Academy has now signed MOU with Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences to conduct the workshop once in a year regularly.