Biotechnology overview

Germplasm collection and conservation

Mainly banana and conserved using both field collection and tissue culture techniques such as Cryo-preservation

Conventional breeding

Conventional breeding Continues to generate improved breeding lines and developments of new and better varieties of banana and beans.

Genomics and gene discovery

Molecular biology techniques are being used and developed assist conventional breeding, understanding germplasm diversity, fingerprinting and discovery of new useful genes.

Genetic engineering of crops

Genetically engineered is important due to difficulty in its conventional breeding and the lack of resistant genes. New traits for pest and disease resistance, nutritional quality and crop productivity are being tested mainly for banana and other crops such potato, Cassava Millet and ground nuts.

Pathogen free planting material multiplication

We use tissue culture techniques to develop protocols for rapid multiplication of vegetative propagated crops mainly coffee and banana. These planting materials are free from fungal and bacterial pathogens

Virus indexing

Techniques for virus indexing and cleaning are developed and adapted for viral diseases afflicting important Ugandan crops

Development of cell suspension system

ell suspensions are maintained in liquid medium. cells can also be preserved frozen in liquide nitrogen(-196 degrees Centigrade) thawed and re-grown when needed for genetic improvement or plant propagation. this is a key step that proceeds transformation

Micropropagation

Banana tissue culture is a first-generation plant biotechnology tool used to curtail the spread of pests and diseases, especially fungal and bacterial wilt diseases, by making disease-free planting material available for the propagation of new crops. Simple tissue culture techniques such as shoot-tip and embryo culture are well-developed in Africa and have greatly improved banana breeding, whereby the shoot meristem is extracted from the male flower and aseptically multiplied into hundreds of shoots for eventual planting in fields.

Overview

The application of biotechnology techniques in crop improvement is of increasing importance for the African continent. The utilization of modern biotech techniques complemented by conventional plant breeding can play a major role in ensuring food and health security in Africa. Biotech therefore holds promise for many small or marginal farmers of Africa. The utilization of available agricultural technologies in Africa is limited because adoption requires purchased inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Biotech may supplement or provide alternatives to these inputs hence increasing efficiency and food productivity. This means that the less fortunate in our continent, with dwindling food fortunes, stand to benefit from this technology.

Crop improvement is the highest priority research activity in Uganda's effort to increase crop productivity and subsequently food security. In order to exploit the benefits of biotechnology Uganda Government has established a National Agricultural Biotechnology Centre whose goal is to do research designed to meet challenges in food security, poverty alleviation and agricultural productivity.

Equipment

The National Agricultural Biotechnology Centre consists of two well equipped laboratories. The molecular biology and tissue culture labs have capacity to do micropropagation, cell culture, embryo rescue, diagnostics and molecular biology.

The molecular biology laboratory consists of Transiluminator with a photo documentation system, hybridization oven, water bath, thermocyclers, gel apparatus for DNA eletrophoresis, vertical and horizontal laminar flow hoods, microfuges, bench top refrigerated centrifuge, fridge, freezers (-20, -80), incubators, Orbital shaker, stereo microscope, ice machine, Autoclave, ELISA machine, Nitrogen tank, spectrophotometer and a pure lab classic water source.

The tissue culture laboratory, with too transfer rooms consisting 7 laminar floor hoods, 3 growth rooms and a modern hardening facility is capable of undertaking commercial projects commercial projects in addition to research. Other equipment in this facility includes autoclaves, inverted microscope and stereo microscopes.

Activities

" Diagnostic of plant diseases and viruses

" Marker assisted selection

" Transformation

" Cloning

" Biochemistry (protein detection and quantification)

" Micropropagation

" Embryo rescue

" Cell culture

" Germplasm conservation

" Cryopreservation