In recent years, plant cells are being increasingly utilized as model systems to unravel the cellular and molecular mysteries of nature. The basic mechanisms of developmental biology, cellular and molecular interactions at the cell and tissue level, gene expression and regulation leading to genetic modifications and areas of genomics, are constant areas of research.

The following areas have been highlighted in this book:

• Embryogenesis, regeneration and micropropagation
• Genomics and genetic transformation systems
• Secondary metabolites, metabolic engineering and molecular biology
• Resistance to biotic and abiotic stress
• Tree biotechnology

The present book is an attempt to deal with all the topics in-depth and to find out the molecular aspects of different processes in cultured plant cells, so as to exploit them for h benefit of plant biotechnology.

Some Studies on Somatic Embryogenesis: A Tool in Plant Biotechnology / Cellular Differentiation and Genetic Transformation Studies in Indian Legumes, Crucifers, Mulberry and Cereals / Agrobacterium Mediated Transformation of Chickpea (cicer arietinum L.) / Constraints and Relvant Strategies in Genetic Transformation of Sorghum / Selection of Transgenic Plants Using Positive Selectable Markers and Other Non-antibiotic Marker Genes / Production of Hybrid Plants in Thompson Seedles Grapes (vitis vinifera) through Breeding and in ovulo Embryo Rescue Methods / Somatic Embryogenesis in Chickpea (cicer arietinum L.) / Polyamines and Long-term Plant Regeneration / Somatic Embryogenesis in Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.) / Molecular Diversity of Elite WA-CMS Maintainer Lines with EUI Gene for Hybrid Breeding in Rice / Characterization of Candidate Clumps of Dendrocalamus Strictus using RAPDs / Plantlet Regeneration from the Nodal Segments of Pomergranate (Punica Granatuk L.) / Hardening of Gracinc indica / Production of plumbagin a multifarious medicinal compund from cultured cells of Plumbago rosea L. / Secondary metabolites form tissue cultures of some arid zone plants / Steroidal sapogenin in moth bean cultivars in vivo and tissue culture / Production of bacoside by multiple shoot cultures and in vitro regenerated plantlets of slected cultivar of Bacopa monnieri (L) Wettst / Biotechnology medicinal plants / Somaclonal variants for salt tolerance and in vitro propagation of peanuts / Flow cytometry: A comparatively new tool in plant biotechnology / Steroid factories: Prospects and practicalities in effective farming of Solanaum plants / Genetic Transformation of grain legumes / In vitro Adventitive Embryony: A safe alternative to Citrus budwood importation / Micropropagation of Gmelina arborea Roxb. Using mature tree tissues – Optimization of in vitro responses / Challenges in cashew tissue culture: an overview.

Students and Research Scholars in Plant Biotechnology.