Recombinant DNA technology appears in the syllabus of every life-science entrance exam: the molecular biology and recombinant DNA methods of CSIR-NET Life Sciences, the analytical techniques and genetic modification sections of GATE XL, and a full topic area of GAT-B Section B. These five free lessons cover it from cloning enzymes to transgenic organisms. Read them in this order.
5free lessons, in study order
3exams: CSIR-NET, GATE XL, GAT-B
17.3%GAT-B Section B: Methods in Biology
18.4%GAT-B Section B: Applied Biology
The learning path
- DNA Cloning SystemsCell-based and cell-free cloning, the enzymes used to cut, join and modify DNA, restriction-modification systems, and solved ligation problems, with a summary table of recombinant DNA enzymes.
- Vectors, Gene Transfer and Expression SystemsHow cloning vectors are built: plasmids, bacteriophage λ, cosmids, fosmids and P1 vectors, methods of getting DNA into cells, and systems for expressing foreign proteins.
- DNA Libraries, Genetic Markers and Genome MappingGenomic and cDNA library construction, the Clarke-Carbon formula for library size, library screening, genetic markers, genome mapping techniques, and DNA profiling in forensics.
- Genetic ManipulationsTransgenic animals by pronuclear microinjection and ES cell chimeras, gene knockouts by homologous recombination, somatic cell nuclear transfer and cloning, gene therapy vectors, Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation, and gene silencing by antisense and RNA interference, with solved problems.
- Plant and Animal Tissue CultureTotipotency, culture media and plant growth regulators, culture methods, haploid culture, somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis, somaclonal variation, somatic hybrids and cybrids, and the fundamentals of animal cell culture.
How much these topics are worth
Recombinant DNA methods fall under Methods in Biology, and transgenics, gene therapy and tissue culture under Applied Biology. These are the shares of questions those two units carried in past papers:
Methods in Biology and Applied Biology in past papers
Share of classified questions per exam
GAT-B Section B (473 questions, 2020 to 2024)
17.3%18.4%Other units 64.3%
CSIR-NET Parts B + C (1,497 questions, 2022 to 2025): Methods 9.2%, Applied 5.7%
Other units 85.1%
Methods in BiologyApplied BiologyAll other units
Sources: Lesson Basket’s GAT-B Section B and CSIR-NET Life Sciences weightage analyses. Both units also include topics beyond recombinant DNA.
Studying for GAT-B?Methods in Biology and Applied Biology are its two biggest Section B units, together about a third of the section, so these lessons are some of the highest-value revision you can do.
Related notes
Unit 3CSIR-NET Unit 3 notesDNA replication, transcription, translation and gene regulation, the molecular biology these techniques build on.Open the notes →LessonMolecular Basis of Genetic MutationsRead notes →
Practise on the Lesson Basket appEvery previous year paper in real exam mode with a timer, 130+ animated concept videos and full mock tests – free to start.
