Molecular Genetics is a broad field spanning from functional genomics (elucidation of gene function) to CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing to the development of novel DNA technologies for genotyping animals, plants, humans and the microbes associated with them.
Functional genomics often involves genetics, protein biochemistry, cell and molecular biology in both wild and transgenic/gene-edited organisms to elucidate fundamental biological phenomena with the aim of developing markers, cultivars or breeds with desired traits in plants and animals. The use of diagnostic genetic markers for environmental organisms ensures efficient and safe production of plants, animals, fish and food; other diagnostic markers, both human and microbial, are amenable in medical genetics.
Our group also employs well-established genetic markers on wild and bred populations to elucidate information relevant to ecology and conservation biology, or to facilitate marker-assisted breeding in agri- and aquaculture.
Our activities also include the development of novel DNA technologies for the cost-efficient detection of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and indel markers that can be employed in genotyping, diagnostics and environmental monitoring.