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Updated By Lipi on 11 Aug, 2025 22:28
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Predict RankThe GATE 2026 Biotechnology syllabus has been released by IIT Guwahati, expectedly in August 2025. The GATE BT syllabus 2026 will include the topics that will be covered in the upcoming GATE 2026 exam. The IIT Guwahati has released the syllabus in the form of PDF files and is available for download for all. Moreover, you can find the direct link to GATE Biotechnology syllabus 2026 pdf on this page. The GATE syllabus 2026 for Biotechnology generally remains the same over the years, and will feature important topics such as General Biology, Genetics, Cellular & Molecular Biology, and Biological Engineering. The GATE 2026 syllabus for Biotechnology features 3 sections, including Engineering Mathematics (15% weightage), General Aptitude (15% weightage), and Biotechnology (70% weightage).
Also Check:
GATE 2026 Computer Science & Information Technology Syllabus | GATE 2026 Civil Engineering Syllabus |
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Attempt nowKnowing the syllabus is important because it helps manage time better by knowing what to study first. The syllabus acts like a guide to help you succeed in the exam. Provided below is the list of all the topics and subjects that will be covered in the GATE 2026 exam or class. It tells you what you need to study and understand.
Section | Topics | Subtopics |
|---|---|---|
Engineering Mathematics | Linear Algebra | Matrices and determinants; Systems of linear equations; Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors |
Calculus | Limits, continuity, differentiability; Partial derivatives, maxima and minima; Sequences and series; Tests for convergence | |
Differential Equations | Linear and non-linear first-order ODEs; Higher-order ODEs with constant coefficients; Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations; Laplace transforms | |
Probability and Statistics | Mean, median, mode, standard deviation; Random variables; Poisson, normal, and binomial distributions; Correlation and regression analysis | |
Numerical Methods | Solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations; Integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule; Single-step method for differential equations | |
General Biology | Biochemistry | Biomolecules (structure and function); Biological membranes; Metabolism (carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, nucleic acids); Photosynthesis, respiration, electron transport chain; Enzymes (classification, kinetics, inhibition) |
Microbiology | Bacterial classification and diversity; Microbial ecology; Viruses (structure, classification); Microbial growth and nutrition; Antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance | |
Immunology | Innate and adaptive immunity; Antibody structure/function; Antigen-antibody reactions; T and B cell development; Immune response regulation; Vaccines and immunization | |
Genetics, Cellular and Molecular Biology | Genetics and Evolutionary Biology | Mendelian inheritance; Gene interaction, linkage, recombination; Microbial genetics (transformation, transduction, conjugation); Genetic drift, species, speciation |
Cell Biology | Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure; Cell cycle and growth control; Cell signaling; Post-translational modifications; Cell death and autophagy | |
Molecular Biology | Gene structure and mutation; Gene expression regulation; Nucleic acid processes (replication, transcription, splicing, translation); RNA interference; DNA repair | |
Fundamentals of Biological Engineering | Engineering Principles | Material/energy balances for reactive and non-reactive systems; Stoichiometry; Degree of reduction; Electron balance; Oxygen demand |
Classical Thermodynamics and Bioenergetics | Thermodynamics laws; Reaction equilibria; Ligand binding; Metabolic pathways; Redox reactions | |
Transport Processes | Fluid flow (Newtonian/non-Newtonian); Mixing; Molecular diffusion; Oxygen transfer; Heat transfer; Heat exchangers | |
Bioprocess Engineering and Process Biotechnology | Bioreaction Engineering | Rate law; Reactor types (batch, mixed flow, plug flow); Enzyme immobilization; Kinetics (cell growth, substrate utilization, product formation); Optimization and scale-up |
Upstream and Downstream Processing | Media formulation, optimization; Sterilization; Filtration; Centrifugation; Cell disruption; Chromatography (ion exchange, gel filtration, affinity, HPLC, FPLC); Extraction, adsorption, drying | |
Instrumentation and Process Control | Pressure, temperature, flow measurement; Valves; Feedback/feedforward control; Types of controllers (proportional, derivative, integral) | |
Plant, Animal and Microbial Biotechnology | Plants | Totipotency; Plant tissue culture; Production of secondary metabolites; Transgenic plants; Somaclonal variation |
Animals | Animal cell culture; Hybridoma technology; Stem cell technology; Animal cloning; Transgenic, knock-in, knock-out animals | |
Microbes | Production of biomass, biofuels, bioplastics; Industrial enzymes, antibiotics; Large-scale production of recombinant proteins | |
Recombinant DNA Technology and Other Tools | Recombinant DNA Technology | Restriction/modification enzymes; Vectors (plasmids, bacteriophage, cosmids, Ti plasmid); Gene isolation and cloning; CRISPR-Cas |
Molecular Tools | PCR; DNA/RNA labeling, sequencing; DNA fingerprinting, RAPD, RFLP; Gene transfer technologies | |
Analytical Tools | Microscopy (light, electron, confocal); Spectroscopy (UV, IR, MS, NMR); Electrophoresis; Microarrays; ELISA, RIA, flow cytometry | |
Computational Tools | Bioinformatics resources and search tools; Sequence/structure databases; Sequence analysis, alignment, phylogeny; Genomics, proteomics, metabolomics; Metagenomics |
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The General Aptitude section of GATE 2026 is a common part of the exam for all, carrying 15% of the total marks. It includes topics like verbal ability, which covers grammar, sentence completion, and vocabulary, as well as numerical ability like basic math, percentages, averages, and data interpretation. Find below in detail the GATE 2026 General Aptitude syllabus.
Sections | Topics |
|---|---|
Verbal Aptitude | Basic English Grammar: Tenses, articles, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, verb-noun agreement, other parts of speech |
Basic Vocabulary: Words, idioms, phrases in context, reading and comprehension, narrative sequencing | |
Quantitative Aptitude | Data Interpretation: Data graphs (bar graphs, pie charts, other data representations), 2D and 3D plots, maps, tables |
Numerical Computation and Estimation: Ratios, percentages, powers, exponents, logarithms, permutations, combinations, series | |
Mensuration and Geometry | |
Elementary Statistics and Probability | |
Analytical Aptitude | Logic: Deduction and induction |
Analogy | |
Numerical Relations and Reasoning | |
Spatial Aptitude | Transformation of Shapes: Translation, rotation, scaling, mirroring, assembling, grouping |
Paper Folding, Cutting, and Patterns: 2D and 3D patterns |
Quick Links:
| GATE 2026 Exam Centres | GATE 2026 Eligibility Criteria |
| GATE 2026 Application Form | GATE 2026 Admit Card |
The GATE BT syllabus 2026 by IIT Guwahati is now available online at the official GATE 2026 website. You can check the direct link to download the official PDF of the GATE 2026 BT syllabus here:
| GATE BT Syllabus 2026 PDF Download Link |
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When you know which topics are important, you can use your time and energy on them instead of wasting time on less relevant areas. This makes your preparation more effective and increases the chances of scoring well. In short, knowing important topics helps you prepare smarter, not harder. Provided below are the GATE 2026 BT syllabus important topics to focus on.
Although you must prepare the whole syllabus very well, if there is less time, you can concentrate on the important topics where questions are frequently asked. For GATE 2026 Biotechnology, here are the important topics to focus on:
Sections | Important Topics |
|---|---|
Engineering Mathematics | Linear Algebra: Matrices, Eigenvalues, and Eigenvectors Calculus: Limits, Partial Derivatives, Maxima, and Minima Differential Equations: First-order and Higher-order ODEs Probability and Statistics: Distributions, Correlation, and Regression |
General Biology | Biochemistry: Structure and function of biomolecules, Metabolism Microbiology: Bacterial growth, Antibiotics, and Resistance Immunology: Immune response, Antigen-antibody reactions, Vaccines |
Genetics, Cellular, and Molecular Biology | Genetics and Evolutionary Biology: Mendelian inheritance; Gene interaction; Complementation; Linkage, recombination and chromosome mapping; Extra chromosomal inheritance; Microbial genetics - transformation, transduction and conjugation; Cell Biology: Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure; Cell cycle and cell growth control; Molecular Biology: Molecular structure of genes and chromosomes; Mutations and mutagenesis |
Fundamentals of Biological Engineering | Thermodynamics: Metabolic pathways, Ligand binding. Transport Processes: Fluid flow, Oxygen transfer, Heat exchangers |
Bioprocess Engineering | Bioreaction Engineering: Enzyme kinetics, Cell growth, Reactor types. Upstream/Downstream Processing: Filtration, Centrifugation, Chromatography |
| Plant, Animal and Microbial Biotechnology | Totipotency; Regeneration of plants; Plant growth regulators and elicitors; Kinetics of cell growth; Micro & macro-carrier culture; Hybridoma technology; Stem cell technology; Animal cloning; Production of biomass and primary/secondary metabolites - Biofuels, bioplastics, industrial enzymes, antibiotics; |
Recombinant DNA Technology and Tools | CRISPR-Cas, Gene isolation, and cloning. Molecular tools like PCR, DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis tools |
Knowing the expected weightage of marks from the GATE Biotechnology syllabus 2026 is important because it helps you prepare better. When you know which topics carry more marks, you can spend more time studying those areas to get a higher score. This way, you can complete their preparation on time and feel more confident during the exam.
Here is a look at the GATE BT syllabus 2026 topic-wise weightage of marks expected this year.
Sections | Key Topics | Expected Marks Weightage |
|---|---|---|
General Aptitude | Aptitude and Reasoning | 15 |
Section 1 | Engineering Mathematics | 13 |
Section 2 | General Biology | 23 |
Section 3 | Genetics, Cellular & Molecular Biology | 21 |
Section 4 | Fundamentals of Biological Engineering | 10 |
Section 5 | Bioprocess Engineering & Process Biotechnology | 7 |
Section 6 | Plant, Animal & Microbial Biotechnology | 6 |
Section 7 | Recombinant DNA Technology & Biotechnology Tools | 5 |
Total Marks | - | 100 |
To prepare for the GATE 2026 Biotechnology syllabus, you need a strategic approach. Here are a few valuable tips recommended by experts to help you prepare effectively for the exam:
Practice GATE previous year question papers thoroughly while learning the subject and after completing them. This will help you know how prepared you were and how much you developed.
Include all essential formulas, concepts, and unit conversions in your notes, and revise them regularly.
Keep track of the time while solving mock tests and question sets. By doing so, you can measure speed and accuracy.
Begin the test series after your first revision. Start with part tests, then move to subject-wise and multi-subject tests. From December, aim to complete 20-30 full-length tests.
Try to complete the syllabus within three months and practice test papers for the rest two months.
Knowing about the GATE 2026 syllabus alone is not enough; you must pick the right study materials and books to learn the concepts. Therefore, here we have listed some of the selected books recommended by experts that cover in-depth GATE BT 2026 syllabus.
Name of the Book | Authors/Publishers |
|---|---|
Principles of Biochemistry | Lehninger |
Molecular Cell Biology | Lodish and Baltimore |
Biotechnology | Pranav Kumar |
Immunology | Kuby |
Bioprocess Engineering Principles | P. Doran |
Advanced Engineering Mathematics | Erwin Kreyszig |
A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
Previous Year Books | Made Easy Workbook or Bits and Bytes |
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