1. Introduction: Tissue Culture is the in vitro culture of cells, tissues, organs or whole plant under controlled nutritional and environmental Conditions(T. Thorp, 2007). The science of plant tissue culture takes its roots from the discovery of Cells (Robert Hooke in 1665) and propounding of cell theory. In 1838, Schleiden and Schwann proposed that cell is the basic structural unit of all living organisms. They visualized that cell is capable of autonomy and therefore it should be possible for each cell if given an environment to regenerate into whole plants. 2. Plant Tissue Culture: Past & Present Prospects In 1902, a German physiologist, Gottieb Haberlandt for the first time attempted to culture isolated single palisade cells from leaves in knop’s salt solution. The cell remained alive for up to 1 month, increased in size, accumulated starch but failed to divide. Though he was unsuccessful but he laid the foundation of tissue culture so he is regarded as Father of Plant Tissue Culture. In the Subsequent years different landmark discoveries were made. Some of them are: Use of specialized media for aseptic culture of Orchid seeds (Knudson, 1925) and other workers also demonstrated that plants could be propagated in vitro from the minuscule seeds of the Orchidaceae. Further culture of other plant tissue was not possible due to lack of knowledge of the specific hormones to be added to the culture media. This limitation was overcomed by the elucidation of the nature of Auxin, IAA, by Thimann and Went(1930) that plants would be subsequently regenerated through the use of IAA or its analogs. Discovery of Cytokinins, specially Kinetin(6-furfurylaminopurine) by Miller et al. (1956), the regeneration of intact plants from tissue of many herbaceous species became a practical reality.

1. Prospect Of Tissue Culture
in India
M.Sc. 2nd Semester, Roll No. 19
Dept. of Life Science & Bioinformatics, AUS

2. Introduction
Tissue Culture is the in vitro culture of cells, tissues, organs or
whole plant under controlled nutritional and environmental
Conditions(T. Thorp, 2007).
The science of plant tissue culture takes its roots from the
discovery of Cells (Robert Hooke in 1665) and propounding of
cell theory.
In 1838, Schleiden and Schwann proposed that cell is the
basic structural unit of all living organisms. They visualized that
cell is capable of autonomy and therefore it should be possible for
each cell if given an environment to regenerate into whole plants.

3. Plant Tissue Culture: Past &
Present Prospects
G. Haberlandt (28-11-1854 to 30 -01-1945)
In 1902, a German physiologist,
Gottieb Haberlandt for the first time
attempted to culture isolated single
palisade cells from leaves in knop’s
salt solution.
The cell remained alive for up to
1 month, increased in size, accumulated
starch but failed to divide.
Though he was unsuccessful but
he laid the foundation of tissue culture
so he is regarded as Father of Plant
Tissue Culture.

4. In the Subsequent years different landmark discoveries were made.
Some of them are:
 Use of specialized media for aseptic culture of Orchid seeds
(Knudson, 1925) and other workers also demonstrated that plants
could be propagated in vitro from the minuscule seeds of the
Orchidaceae.
 Further culture of other plant tissue was not possible due to lack of
knowledge of the specific hormones to be added to the culture
media.
 This limitation was overcomed by the elucidation of the nature of
Auxin, IAA, by Thimann and Went(1930) that plants would be
subsequently regenerated through the use of IAA or its analogs.
 Discovery of Cytokinins, specially Kinetin(6-
furfurylaminopurine) by Miller et al. (1956), the regeneration of
intact plants from tissue of many herbaceous species became a
practical reality.

5. Further Advances
Kanta and Maheshwari (1960) developed test tube fertilization
technique and again in 1964, Guha and Maheshwari of Delhi University
produced first haploid plants from pollen grains of Datura innoxia (Anther
Culture). This is one of the path breaking discoveries in plant tissue
culture.
Medium development was a focus of range of studies in the 1960’s.
In 1962, Murashige and Skoog developed MS medium with high salt
concentration. The development of MS medium opened the path of Tissue
culture scientist to study a wide range of Plants through micropropagation.
They did a series of experiments with different concentrations of different
media constituents and finally they succeed in 1962.

6. They used different proportions of micro and macro
nutrients, vitamins, amino acids and other plant growth
regulator hormones. Non-defined additives such as
coconut milk, banana homogenate and orange juice
were also added.
 Following MS Medium several other mediums were
also developed, some are: Gamborg’s (B5) medium
(1968), Chu et al. N6 medium (1975) for in vitro
Anther Culture of Oryza sativa, Nitsch Medium (1989).
 Asepsis was proved to be critical & the physical
condition of the culture medium was found to be
important in the success rate of plantlets and quality of
plantlets produced in vitro.

7. Recent achievements that may predict
Potential Success in Future
Examples of recent achievements that may predict potential
success for future applications of plant tissue culture are
abundant.

8. Apple (Malus domestica Borkh), which is of native and medicinal importance. As apple
genome sequencing is going on, so availability of genome sequence and its proper annotation
would help in isolating genes and their utilization for apple improvement. It may also
facilitate the development of intergenic vectors with all the DNA sequences derived from
apple. This is an emerging Concept (Shammi Bhatti & Gopaljee Jha, 2010).

9. The valuable plant resources of India particularly of the North-east region are being lost at
an alarming rate due to varied human activities. Realizing the importance of plant genetic
resources, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources has provided a number of protocols.
This approach in which the techniques of tissue culture more precisely Micropropagation
were employed seems to be of great significance in near future.

10. Use of molecular markers to verify identity (Genetic and
phenotypic fidelity) of Micropropagated plants (2004,2006).

11. Prospects of Drug Production in
Plant Tissue Culture
 Plant cell cultures have great potential for the
production of secondary metabolites. In recent years,
considerable success has been achieved in increasing
the secondary metabolites using cell suspension
cultures in several plant species.
 Plant cells grown in culture have potential to produce
and accumulate chemicals similar to the parent plant
from which they were derived.

12. Future Prospects Of Tissue Culture
in India
The promise of Biotechnology may be realized by successfully
inserting horticulturally important genes into the genome of desirable
genotypes. This is been achieved by Parasexual hybridization
(Protoplast fusion)
In near future the following can help the further development of
tissue culture techniques:
 Determination of Mechanism, frequency and utility of Somaclonal
variants.
 New technologies can be undertaken for further understanding plant
physiology and genetics (Ali et al., 2006)
 Discovery of new chemicals useful in tissue culture.
 Efficient computer controlled, flow-through systems will be tailored to
meet environmental and medium requirements from explants to
finished plantlets (Kozai et al., numerous citations).

13.  Mass production of plant constituents (secondary products) for
pharmaceutical, flavoring and other uses.
 Tissue Culture Plants (TCPs) may have increased branching and
flowering, greater vigour and higher yield, mainly due to the
possibility of elimination of diseases.

14. Ongoing Researches In India
 Development of Commercial Scale Technology for Micro -
propagation of Elite Date Palm:
Sun Agrigenetics is working on micro propagation of high
yielding, commercial cultivars of elite date palm, which will
produce true type plants on a mass scale. Using this
technique, the desert region of India comprising 100000 ha
can be planted with elite planting materials generating
revenue worth Rs 5 billion from quality date fruits.
 At ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research:
Tissue culture systems in horticultural crops with reference to
management and Exploitation of Endophytes.

15.  Development of Commercial Scale Technology for
Micro - propagation of Elite Red Sandalwood in
India:
Red sanders, a species endemic to Cuddapah district of
Andhra Pradesh (India), is vanishing day by day due to
conventional propagation problems, changes in habitat and
human interference in view of socio- economic conditions
of the local people. On the other hand, red sandalwood
trade is blooming as a multi-dollar-business in the global
market, mainly due to its use as highly prized timber
(approximately Rs. 3 crores per ton in the international
market), and a means of radiation containment in nuclear
reactors.

16. Conclusion
Tissue culture, and especially improved micro-
propagation, will continue to be components
fundamental to application of new and modern
technologies for the benefit of all mankind.
Further prospects of contribution of Biotechnology
to the science and world we live in are indeed very
bright.

17. References
 Abdul Bakrudeen Ali Ahmed and Rosna Mat Taha, 2012, Current
Trends and Future Prospects of Biotechnological Interventions
Through Plant Tissue Culturein Seaweeds, Handbook of Marine
Macroalgae: Biotechnology and Applied Phycology, First Edition;
 Altaf Hussain, Iqbal Ahmed Qarshi, Hummera Nazir and Ikram Ullah,
2012, Plant Tissue Culture: Current Status and Opportunities,
 P .V. Lakshmana Rao, 1996, Plant Biotethnology:,Promises
and Challenges, Defence Science Journal, Vol 46, pp 31-39.
 Pramod Tendon and Suman Kumaria, 2005, Prospects of plant
Conservation biotechnology in India with special reference to
Northeast Region, Biodiversity: Status and prospects.

18.  Paul E. Read & Kee-Yoeup Paek, 2007, Plant Tissue Culture:
Past, Present and Prospects for the Future, Plant Biotechnology,
pp41-45.
 Shammi Bhatti & Gopaljee Jha, 2010, Current trends and future
prospects of biotechnological interventions through tissue
culture in apple, Plant Cell Rep(Springer), pp1215-1225.

19. “Thank You”