Biotechnology

Biotechnology

The Biotechnology (Molecular biology) Department of KFRI has a strong background in forest genomics and has carried out various national and international projects to estimate the spatial population genetic structure, gene flow parameters, and genetic diversity status of natural populations, provenances, and clones. This was done using genome-wide molecular marker surveys such as isozymes, RAPD, AFLP, ISSR, and microsatellites.

Additionally, extensive work has been done to molecularly characterize the soil microbiota of plantations and natural populations using 16SrDNA sequences. These sequences are used to identify families, genera, and species of bacteria and to infer phylogenetic relationships.

The Molecular Biology facility conserves and genetically improves forest trees through genomic and transcriptomic approaches.

Current areas of research include,

• Functional genomics to improve the quality and productivity of forests
• EST-based association mapping for adaptive traits.
• DNA barcoding of forest trees
• Molecular Diagnosis of Haemoglobin Genetic Disorders
• Population Genetics of Forest trees

Ongoing Research Projects

1. Augmenting plant Tissue Culture facility at KFRI Kuzhur Sub- Centre for Commercial Bamboo Micropropagation

   Project No.GOK RP 876/2023   Funding Agency: Kerala State Bamboo Mission (KSBM) - Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (K-BIP)
   Principal Investigator: Dr. Donald James 

2. Development of Pandanus - based protocols for Ecosystem Restoration and Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-RDRR)

   Project No.GOK RP 895/2024   Funding Agency: Kerala Forest Department (KFD)
   Principal Investigator: Dr. Donald James 

3. Optimization of Commercial Micropropagation Protocols of selected Bamboo Species for Production of high-quality planting Material for Chhattisgarh

   Project No.GOC RP 898/2025   Funding Agency: Rajya Van Vikas Nigam Limited , Govt. of Chhattisgarh
   Principal Investigator: Dr. Donald James