CSIR NET Life Sciences Applied Biology Syllabus

Applied Biology syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Applied Biology in CSIR NET Life Sciences, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Microbial Fermentation and Production

   3 topics

   • Fermentation Process
   • Small Molecules Production
   • Macro Molecules Production
2. 2

   Immunological Principles and Applications

   2 topics

   • Vaccines Development
   • Diagnostics
3. 3

   Tissue and Cell Culture Methods

   2 topics

   • Plants
   • Animals
4. 4

   Transgenic Animals and Plants

   2 topics

   • Molecular Approaches to Diagnosis
   • Strain Identification
5. 5

   Genomics Applications

   2 topics

   • Health
     • Gene Therapy
   • Agriculture
6. 6

   Bioresource and Biodiversity

   1 topic

   • Biodiversity Uses
7. 7

   Breeding in Plants and Animals

   1 topic

   • Marker-Assisted Selection
8. 8

   Bioremediation and Phytoremediation

   2 topics

   • Bioremediation
   • Phytoremediation
9. 9

   Biosensors

   overview

   Examined as a single unit within Applied Biology — no further topic split in the official outline.

Applied Biology flashcards for CSIR NET Life Sciences

22 of 51 cards from the Applied Biology deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is fermentation in the industrial/biotechnological sense?

   A controlled microbial process in which microorganisms (or their enzymes) convert substrates into desired products inside a bioreactor under defined physico-chemical conditions; industrially it includes both aerobic and anaerobic large-scale cultures, not just anaerobic respiration.

2. Differentiate batch, fed-batch and continuous fermentation.

   Batch: all nutrients added at start, closed system, products harvested at end. Fed-batch: substrate fed intermittently/continuously to avoid substrate inhibition while no product is removed until end. Continuous (chemostat): fresh medium added and culture removed at the same rate, maintaining steady state.

3. What are primary metabolites versus secondary metabolites in fermentation?

   Primary metabolites are produced during the active growth (trophophase) and are essential for growth (e.g., ethanol, lactic acid, amino acids, vitamins). Secondary metabolites are produced typically during stationary phase (idiophase), are not required for growth, and include antibiotics, alkaloids and pigments.

4. Name the key components/parts of a typical stirred-tank bioreactor.

   Vessel, impeller/agitator, sparger (for aeration), baffles, jacket/coil for temperature control, pH and dissolved-oxygen probes, foam control, and inlet/outlet ports for medium, inoculum and sampling.

5. Give examples of small molecules produced by fermentation.

   Organic acids (citric, lactic, acetic, gluconic acid), amino acids (glutamic acid/MSG, lysine), vitamins (B12, riboflavin), antibiotics (penicillin), ethanol, and solvents (acetone-butanol).

6. Which organism is industrially used for citric acid production and what limits its yield?

   Aspergillus niger; high yield requires limiting trace metals (especially manganese), low pH, and excess sugar, which channels metabolism toward citrate accumulation.

7. Which bacterium is used for industrial production of glutamic acid (MSG) and lysine?

   Corynebacterium glutamicum (and Brevibacterium spp.); auxotrophic/regulatory mutants are used to overproduce these amino acids.

8. Give examples of macromolecules produced biotechnologically.

   Proteins/enzymes (amylase, protease, lipase, cellulase), therapeutic proteins (insulin, human growth hormone, erythropoietin), antibodies, polysaccharides (xanthan, dextran), and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastics.

9. How is recombinant human insulin produced industrially?

   The human insulin gene is cloned and expressed in E. coli (or yeast); separate A and B chains (or proinsulin) are produced, purified, and combined/processed to yield functional insulin, replacing animal-extracted insulin.

10. What is the difference between an upstream and a downstream process in bioprocessing?

    Upstream covers everything up to and including fermentation: strain selection, medium preparation, inoculum development and cultivation. Downstream covers recovery and purification: cell separation, extraction, concentration, purification, and formulation of the product.

11. What is a vaccine and what is its basic principle?

    A vaccine is a preparation of antigen (whole pathogen or its components) that stimulates active acquired immunity and immunological memory, so that on later exposure the host mounts a rapid protective response without causing the disease.

12. Distinguish live-attenuated from inactivated (killed) vaccines.

    Live-attenuated vaccines use weakened but replicating pathogens (e.g., MMR, BCG, OPV) giving strong, long-lasting immunity but risk reversion. Inactivated vaccines use killed pathogens (e.g., IPV/Salk, rabies) which are safer but often need booster doses and adjuvants.

13. What is a subunit/recombinant vaccine? Give an example.

    A vaccine containing only specific antigenic components (proteins or polysaccharides) rather than the whole pathogen. Example: Hepatitis B vaccine made from recombinant HBsAg expressed in yeast.

14. How do mRNA vaccines work?

    They deliver lipid-nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA encoding a pathogen antigen (e.g., SARS-CoV-2 spike); host cells translate it, display the antigen, and trigger humoral and cellular immunity. The mRNA is non-integrating and transient.

15. What is an edible/plant-based vaccine?

    A vaccine produced by expressing pathogen antigens in transgenic edible plants (e.g., banana, potato, tomato) so that consuming the plant delivers the antigen and stimulates mucosal immunity, avoiding cold-chain and needles.

16. What is the difference between active and passive immunization?

    Active immunization stimulates the host's own immune system to produce antibodies and memory (vaccines), giving long-lasting protection. Passive immunization supplies preformed antibodies (antisera, monoclonal antibodies, maternal IgG) for immediate but temporary protection.

17. What distinguishes a diagnostic test's sensitivity from its specificity?

    Sensitivity = ability to correctly identify true positives = TP/(TP+FN). Specificity = ability to correctly identify true negatives = TN/(TN+FP). High sensitivity minimizes false negatives; high specificity minimizes false positives.

18. What is ELISA and what does it detect?

    Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; an antibody-based immunoassay using an enzyme-linked antibody/antigen and a chromogenic substrate to detect and quantify specific antigens or antibodies in a sample (e.g., HIV, hormones).

19. How does PCR-based molecular diagnosis detect a pathogen?

    PCR amplifies a pathogen-specific DNA/RNA sequence (RNA via RT-PCR) using specific primers; detection of the amplified product (by gel, fluorescence in real-time PCR, etc.) confirms presence of the pathogen with high sensitivity and specificity.

20. What is the principle of a lateral flow (immunochromatographic) rapid diagnostic test?

    Sample flows along a membrane by capillary action; target analyte binds labelled (e.g., gold nanoparticle) antibodies and is captured at a test line, producing a visible band, with a control line confirming validity (e.g., pregnancy and rapid antigen tests).

21. What are monoclonal antibodies and how are they classically produced?

    Identical antibodies specific to a single epitope, produced by hybridoma technology: fusing antigen-primed B lymphocytes with immortal myeloma cells to form hybridomas that are cloned and selected (e.g., using HAT medium) for the desired antibody.

22. Name common diagnostic biotechnology applications of recombinant DNA / molecular markers.

    Detection of genetic disorders (sickle cell, cystic fibrosis), prenatal diagnosis, pathogen detection, cancer mutation profiling, and DNA fingerprinting for identity testing.

See more Applied Biology flashcards →

Planning Applied Biology for CSIR NET Life Sciences

Applied Biology (CSIR NET Life Sciences) FAQ