Undergraduate-appropriate, defendable, and publication-ready thesis proposal ideas, grouped by theme. Very doable with standard lab facilities (tissue culture lab + basic molecular lab like PCR/gel electrophoresis).
A. Cell & Tissue Culture (Plant Biotechnology)
1. Optimization of In Vitro Callus Induction in Aquilaria malaccensis Using Different Plant Growth Regulator Combinations
Focus: Tissue culture
Methods:
- Explant: leaf / nodal segment
- PGRs: 2,4-D, NAA, BAP, kinetin
- Measure callus induction rate, texture, color
✅ Very undergrad-friendly
🌍 Strong relevance to conservation & agarwood industry
2. Comparative Shoot Regeneration Efficiency of Nodal vs Leaf Explants in a Woody Tree Species
Focus: Micropropagation
Methods:
- MS medium variations
- Shoot length, number of shoots, rooting success
✅ Simple design, clear statistics
📈 High applicability for mass propagation
3. Effect of Activated Charcoal on In Vitro Growth and Browning Reduction in Woody Plant Cultures
Focus: Tissue culture problem-solving
Methods:
- With/without activated charcoal
- Growth rate, browning index
✅ Common issue in woody plants
🧪 Elegant, practical thesis
B. Molecular Markers (DNA-Based Studies)
4. Genetic Diversity Analysis of Aquilaria Populations Using RAPD or ISSR Markers
Focus: Molecular markers
Methods:
- DNA extraction
- RAPD / ISSR PCR
- Gel electrophoresis & cluster analysis
✅ Perfect for undergrad
📊 Strong data visualization
🌱 Conservation genetics angle
5. Molecular Identification of Closely Related Tree Species Using DNA Barcoding (rbcL / matK / ITS)
Focus: Species authentication
Methods:
- PCR amplification
- Sequencing or reference matching
- Phylogenetic tree
✅ Highly publishable
🔍 Addresses misidentification issues in trade
6. Assessment of Genetic Stability of In Vitro-Propagated Plantlets Using ISSR Markers
Focus: Somaclonal variation
Methods:
- Compare mother plant vs tissue-cultured plants
- Banding pattern analysis
✅ Excellent combo of tissue culture + molecular
🎓 Strong defense topic
C. Introductory Genomics / Gene-Focused Studies
(No whole-genome sequencing needed)
7. In Silico Characterization of Stress-Related Genes in a Selected Plant Species
Focus: Bioinformatics / genomics
Methods:
- NCBI database mining
- BLAST, gene annotation
- Domain prediction
✅ Lab-light, computation-heavy
💻 Great if wet lab access is limited
8. Expression Analysis of Defense-Related Genes in Plants Under Wounding Stress (RT-PCR or qPCR-based)
Focus: Functional genomics (light)
Methods:
- RNA extraction
- cDNA synthesis
- RT-PCR
⚠️ Slightly advanced but doable
🌿 Connects genes to real physiology
9. Comparative Codon Usage and GC Content Analysis of Chloroplast Genes Across Related Species
Focus: Comparative genomics
Methods:
- Download sequences
- Bioinformatics analysis
✅ No wet lab needed
📊 Clean, defensible thesis
D. Integrated (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR YOU)
10. Development of a Micropropagation Protocol and Molecular Verification of Genetic Fidelity Using ISSR Markers
Why this is GOLD:
- Combines tissue culture + molecular markers
- Looks like a master’s-level thesis but doable as undergrad
- Industry-ready
11. Callus Induction Followed by Molecular Detection of Stress-Responsive Gene Markers
Angle: Early step toward secondary metabolite research
🔬 Bridges biotech + genomics