M. Sc. Biotechnology Reading Materials
M.Sc. Biotechnology Resources
Cell Biology
Text / eBooks
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Fundamentals of Cell Biology – Lauren Dalton and Robin Young
OER Textbook – A freely available, well-illustrated introduction to cell biology covering molecular components, cellular structures, signaling pathways, and cell division. Designed for undergraduates, it uses accessible language and includes learning objectives, key terms, and review questions.
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MOOC course/Video lectures
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Introduction to Cell Biology – IISER Pune (Prof. Nagaraj Balasubramanian & Prof. Girish Ratnaparkhi)
NPTEL Online Course – A comprehensive course introducing the fundamental concepts of cell biology, including cell structure, membranes, organelles, cell communication, and the cytoskeleton, with a focus on experimental approaches and research perspectives.
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Cell Biology – IIT Guwahati (Dr. Sanjukta Patra)
NPTEL Online Course – Explores the structural and functional aspects of cells, from biomolecules to organelles, gene expression, signaling, and cell cycle regulation. Includes animations, lecture notes, and quizzes to aid learning.
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Cell Biology: Cellular Organization, Division and Processes – IISc Bangalore (Prof. Shikha Laloraya)
NPTEL Online Course – Covers cell structure, organization, DNA replication, mitosis, meiosis, chromatin organization, cell death, and cellular diversity. Designed for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates.
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Basic Biochemistry
Text / eBooks
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Biochemistry: Free For All
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Biological Chemistry
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MOOC course/Video lectures
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Biochemistry – IIT Madras (Prof. K. Subramaniam)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week undergraduate course covering biomolecules, enzymes, metabolism, photosynthesis, and metabolic regulation. Includes weekly assignments and optional certification.
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Biochemistry – IIT Kharagpur (Prof. Swagata Dasgupta)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week undergraduate-level course covering amino acids, protein structure, enzymes, lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, bioenergetics, and metabolism. Includes weekly assignments and an optional certification exam.
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Genetics and Molecular biology
Text / eBooks
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An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology by Andrea Bierema
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Genetics and Molecular Biology SECOND EDITION Robert Schleif
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Principles of Biology – Biology 211, 212, 213 (Lisa Bartee, Walter Shriner, Catherine Creech)
Open Textbook – A free, multi-part undergraduate biology textbook covering cell biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, and physiology, with exercises and illustrations.
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Online Open Genetics (Nickle and Barrette-Ng)
LibreTexts Open Resource – A freely available, comprehensive genetics textbook covering classical and molecular genetics, experimental approaches, and problem-solving exercises.
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MOOC course/Video lectures
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Molecular Biology – IIT Guwahati (Prof. Vishal Trivedi)
NPTEL Online Course – Covers DNA, RNA, replication, transcription, translation, gene regulation, and molecular techniques. Designed for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates.
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Human Molecular Genetics – IIT Kanpur (Prof. S. Ganesh)
NPTEL Online Course – Focuses on human genetics, including Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance, genetic diseases, genome organization, and modern molecular approaches.
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Cell and Molecular Biology – IIT Guwahati (Prof. Vishal Trivedi)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week core course providing in-depth insights into molecular biology concepts and mechanisms that control cell functions, including cell signaling, replication, transcription, protein expression, and development.
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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Text / eBooks
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Introduction to Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
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Understanding Evolution
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MOOC course/Video lectures
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An Introduction to Evolutionary Biology – IISER Pune (Prof. Sutirth Dey)
NPTEL Online Course – An introductory course covering the process of evolution and its connections to various disciplines of biology. It also explores how evolutionary thinking informs other domains like medicine, psychology, and antibiotic resistance.
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Biology Simulations – Evolution, Ecology, Heredity, and Cell Energy
Interactive Simulations – A collection of virtual labs and simulations for topics such as natural selection, genetic drift, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and primary productivity. Includes guided and inquiry-based labs suitable for classroom use.
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Wild Life Ecology – IIT Kanpur (Prof. Ankur Awadhiya)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week course exploring ecological principles applied to wildlife conservation, including population dynamics, community interactions, and human impacts. Features real-life case studies for practical understanding.
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Bio-analytical tools & techniques
Microbiology & immunology
Text / eBooks
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Microbiology
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Microbiology & immunology
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Microbiology (Kaiser) – LibreTexts
Open Access Textbook – An extensive resource on microbiology, including topics like prokaryotic cell anatomy, microbial metabolism, and pathogenesis. Features interactive exercises and quizzes for self-assessment.
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MOOC course/Video lectures
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Microbiology – IIT Guwahati (Dr. Gurvinder Kaur Saini)
NPTEL Online Course – A comprehensive 12-week course covering microbial cell structure, growth, metabolism, genetics, and pathogenicity. Includes practical techniques like microscopy and culture media preparation.
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Microbial Biotechnology – IIT Guwahati (Prof. Utpal Bora)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week undergraduate/postgraduate course covering microbial taxonomy, physiology, genome structure, gene expression, metabolism, and applications in food, agriculture, environment, energy, and pharmaceuticals.
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Immunology – IIT Kharagpur (Prof. Sudip Kumar Ghosh & Prof. Agneyo Ganguly)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week course introducing the immune system, including cell types, innate and adaptive immunity, antibody structure, immunological techniques, autoimmunity, hypersensitivity, and vaccine production.
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Genetic engineering
Text / eBooks
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Genetics, Agriculture, and Biotechnology by Walter Suza and Donald Lee
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MOOC course/Video lectures
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Genetic Engineering & Applications – IIT Guwahati (Dr. Utpal Bora)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week course covering genetic elements, gene expression regulation, recombinant DNA technology, cloning, and applications in medicine and agriculture.
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Learn Genetics – University of Utah
Educational Resource – Offers interactive modules on DNA, cloning, genetic disorders, stem cells, and virtual labs for DNA extraction and genetic analysis.
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Genetic Engineering: Theory and Application – IIT Guwahati (Prof. Vishal Trivedi)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week elective course designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students, focusing on genetic elements, gene expression regulation, recombinant DNA technology, cloning, and applications in medicine and agriculture.
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Plant Physiology and biotechnology
Text / eBooks
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PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
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MOOC course/Video lectures
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Basics of Crop Breeding and Plant Biotechnology – IIT Kharagpur (Prof. Joydeep Banerjee)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week undergraduate-level course covering the fundamentals of crop breeding, plant genetics, biotechnology techniques, and their applications in agriculture.
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Animal Physiology and biotechnology
Text / eBooks
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Anatomy and Physiology of Animals Open textbook
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MOOC course/Video lectures
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Animal Physiology – IIT Kanpur (Prof. Mainak Das)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week course designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students in biology, biotechnology, zoology, and bioengineering. It explores the structure and function of the human body, including systems like the skeletal, muscular, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, and reproductive systems. The course emphasizes how these systems maintain homeostasis and adapt to various physiological challenges.
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Plant and Animal Tissue culture
MOOC course/Video lectures
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Tissue Engineering – IIT Madras (Dr. S. Swaminathan)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week undergraduate/postgraduate course introducing tissue engineering principles, including scaffold design, cell-material interactions, and applications in regenerative medicine.
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Biostatistics and Bioinformatics
Text / eBooks
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Biostatistics and Bioinformatics
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MOOC course/Video lectures
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Introduction to Biostatistics – IIT Bombay (Prof. Shamik Sen)
NPTEL Online Course – An 8-week course designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students in biosciences and bioengineering. It covers statistical tools required to analyze observations, design experiments, and integrate data into unified models. Topics include data representation, measures of central tendency and variability, correlation, regression, and R programming. The course is taught by Prof. Shamik Sen from IIT Bombay.
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Biostatistics and Design of Experiments – IIT Madras (Prof. Mukesh Doble)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week course designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students in biosciences, biotechnology, and related fields. It covers statistical methods and experimental design principles essential for analyzing biological data and conducting research. Topics include data distributions, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and various experimental designs. The course is taught by Prof. Mukesh Doble from IIT Madras.
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Fermentation & Industrial biotechnology
MOOC course/Video lectures
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Industrial Biotechnology – IIT Kharagpur (Prof. Debabrata Das)
NPTEL Online Course – A 12-week undergraduate/postgraduate course introducing the application of biotechnology in industrial settings. It covers topics such as fermentation technology, bioreactors, enzyme production, and downstream processing. The course is taught by Prof. Debabrata Das from IIT Kharagpur.
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Biosafety, IPR, and Entrepreneurship
Research Methodology
MOOC course/Video lectures
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Research Methodology – UGC MOOCs
Online Course – A self-paced program covering research design, data collection, analysis, report writing, and ethical considerations. Suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
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