Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Centre of Science and Technology is bar coding the DNA of 60 plants from different parts of the state to store their information, said Pramod Sairkar of MPCST on Sunday. The 60 plants being bar coded include medicinal herbs and rare plants found in the state, he said.
The scientists are using leaves and seeds for genomic DNA. The database is to be deposited in GeneBank database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The complete data is being uploaded on the Barcode of Life website, added Sairkar.
He said that the team used a small piece of a tree or the plant to extract DNA from its specific gene to detect its species. Sairkar said that DNA of banyan, Maidachal (soft bollygum) and hibiscus plants are being bar-coded. Plants can be easily identified by DNA bar-coding. This will preserve biodiversity of the state, he added.
