ANNUAL REPORT - Department of Biotechnology

three of the BACs (374Kb) of chromosome 5 of
tomato allocated to it in the Solanaceae Genome
Network (SGN) project.
The Centre has published 13 research papers in
journals of high impact factor, and it is playing an
important role for human resource development.
Presently there are as many as 45 research
students pursing their research work in the institute
for the award of Ph.D.
Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable
Development, Imphal
The research programmes of the institute have
continued towards bioresource development and
their sustainable use through biotechnological
interventions for the socio-economic growth of the
North-East region. The scientific progress of the
institute was reviewed in the first meeting of the reconstituted
Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of
IBSD held in October, 2006. Meeting of the
Governing Council and IBSD Society was also held
in November, 2006. The institute has brought out 14
research publications and received extra-mural
funding for three R&D projects during the period
under report. The progress made during the year is
summarized below:
Bioresource(s) Database Unit
A digitized database of bioresources of North-East
region has been further updated with an addition of
1,619 records from primary and secondary sources
to amounting a total of 4085 records. Currently, 41
species records from Manipur have been added to
the database on Zingiberals of North-East region.
Transfering the data base on Zingiberals to the
format of Indian Bioresources Information Network
(IBIN) of the National Bioresources Development
Board (NBDB) is in progress.
Work on a database on microorganisms with special
reference to Cyanobacteria has been initiated. A
Distributed Information Sub-Centre (Sub-DIC) has
been recently set up at the institute under the
Bioinformatics Network (BTIS net) of the DBT.
Medicinal and Horticultural Plants Resources
DBT Annual Report 2006-07
190
Morphological characterization of 25 accessions of
Hedychium, 8 accessions of Boesenbergia and 35
accessions of Curcuma was carried out. A new
record as Boesenbergia longiflora was identified
from Manipur. Twenty five local cultivars of aroids
have been collected and maintained in the field gene
bank. Fortytwo species of Zingiberals and 22
accessions of five Citrus species have been
collected and maintained.
Hardened plantlets of a. Kampferia rotunda, b. Curcuma
Zedoaria and c. K. galanga
In vitro multiplication and hardening of tissue culture
plantlets of Kaempferia galanga is in progress for
supply as nuclear stock planting material to the local
NGOs. Induction of callus from root explants, plantlet
regeneration from calli, direct shoot regeneration
from root culture, rooting and hardening of in vitro
grown plants for Aerides odoratum has been
achieved.
Hybridization of two rare vandaceous orchids -
Aerides vandarum and Vanda coerulea and in vitro
culture of the parent species and their hybrids has
been established. PCR-RAPD profiling of the cross
to confirm the hybridization and its reciprocal cross
was carried out.
Genetic differentiation of elite tree bean (Parkia