Resources

Please click on one of the subsections below or scroll down the page.

1. Free Software
2. The Dolichos Compendium
3. Training Manuals
4. FTA Protocols
5. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
6. Laboratory Manuals & Protocols
7. hPAGE Video (by Ed Southern)
8. Marker Assisted Breeding: Learning Module
9. AGORA (Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture)

1. Free Software:

The following software is recommended by the Trust and is available free of charge. Much of it is "open source". In most cases a copy of the software can be downloaded free from the the link provided. Please note that some are very large files and it would not be recommended to download them on a slow internet connection. Some software is available to be sent to you on a CD, free of charge, or at low cost.

PC Protection & Housekeeping:

AVG Free Edition: Free anti-virus software. The Trust highly recommends that everyone has some form of anti-virus software installed on their computer. AVG is possibly one of the best free anti-virus software packages available. It's clean, easy to use and runs smoothly in the background without slowing your machine down. It stays up-to-date by quietly downloading updates whenever you're connected to the internet. The basic, free version of this software provides basic virus protection for your computer, along with a linkscanner which protects users against visiting potentially unsafe websites. You can opt to upgrade and get extra features (at a cost) if you wish.
Zonealarm Free Edition: Free firewall which blocks inbound and outbound traffic threats and makes you invisible to hackers. This free firewall is better than the default one that comes with Windows® based operating systems. However, you only usually need this software if you connect directly to the internet (i.e. through a modem in or attached to your computer, via a mobile phone, etc). If you connect through a wired or wireless computer network, then most modern routers should already have sufficient firewall capabilities already installed. This link will take you to the main commercial website. You will find the free version under "Download & Buy" » "Free Downloads".
Spybot - Search & Destroy: Free anti-spyware tool which removes unwanted programmes from your computer, such as tracking cookies, diallers and advertising software. Most commercial anti-virus software packages include these features as standard.

Office Based Packages:

Abi Word: Free word processing program similar to Microsoft® Word. It is suitable for a wide variety of word processing tasks. It will work on some older machines when OpenOffice may be slow.
Adobe Reader: Free program that allows you to read PDF files. PDF (portable document format) files are generally used for sending, receiving and reading documents. Adobe Reader® does not let you create or edit PDF files.
Cute PDF Writer: Free program which allows you to create PDF files. Note that once you have installed the program, it will be listed under your printers. To create a PDF, you must select the "Cute PDF Writer" as your printer. Users should note to change the printer settings when creating a pdf, to significantly reduce file sizes. Reducing the dpi setting to around 144 will usually suffice for the majority of documents. This can usually be found under "Print" » "Properties" » "Advanced" buttons.
Open Office: Free open-source software for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and databases, etc. It can create and read files in Microsoft Office formats.

Communication:

Mozilla Thunderbird: Free e-mail and newsgroup client from Mozilla. Good alternative to Microsoft® Outlook or Outlook Express.
Skype: Free chat programme that allows you to speak with anyone in the world for free (provided the other user also has Skype), using your internet connection as a telephone line. For a small fee you can use it to call land lines and / or text mobiles anywhere in the world. Your computer requires a microphone to use the chat feature of this program. You can also use it to share your screen with other users, which is perfect for delivering presentations over the internet.

Photo & Picture Editing:

ImageJ: Free image processing programme which allows you to edit pictures. Fairly powerful and free.
Paint.net: A powerful image/graphics editing programme that is similar to Adobe Photoshop®, but free. Although this programme only works on Windows® based operating systems, the latest version of Ubuntu comes bundled with a similarly powerful programme.

Internet Browsers:

Google Chrome: Free internet browser, for use as an alternative to Microsoft® Internet Explorer. Very clean and quick. Now supported by Ubuntu, but only as a beta release at the moment.
Mozilla Firefox: Free internet browser, for use as an alternative to Microsoft® Internet Explorer. Included with the latest version of Ubuntu.

Operating Systems:

Ubuntu: This is an alternative to Windows®. It is a free operating system and does not get viruses. You can do most things with it that you can with Windows® and more. However, it will not run Windows® programs, as it uses its own. It is a community developed, Linux-based operating system for laptops, desktops and servers. It comes with a web browser, Open Office and many other freeware programs. It can also be obtained free of charge on CD by clicking here, or by downloading it. This software is licensed to allow and encourage you to copy it and pass it to others (Software Libre). Free, downloadable guides are available by clicking here.

Statistical Packages:

Genstat & Genstat Discovery: GenStat is a product of VSN International and is a comprehensive statistics system, developed specifically for use in biosciences, which offers ease-of-use for the novice user through a Windows menu interface, or power and flexibility for the more experienced user through a powerful command language interface. The Discovery Edition is a free version of GenStat developed for use by not-for-profit research organisations, charities and educational institutes based in the developing world.

Note: Some of the programs above are also available on The Open CD. This is a collection of 30 or so free open source programs for use on Windows®. Please also see the Open Education Disc. Programs are available to be downloaded individually too.

2. The Dolichos Compendium:

Written by Dr C. Kempanna, Dr T. K. Siddarame Gowda and Dr M. Byre Gowda, the dolichos compendium has managed to pull together a substantial amount of research on Lablab purpureus L. (dolichos bean). It is a collection of research literature which attempts to compile and collate work done on dolichos. throughout the world. It is hoped that this digest has made it easier for students and scientists from around the world to access research on dolichos.
If you would like to obtain a copy, please contact Dr M. Byre Gowda at the University of Agricultural Science, Bangalore by clicking here.

3. Training Manuals:

The following paragraph describes the first two links below.

These training manuals were part of the 'International Training Programme' on 'Molecular Marker Techniques For Crop Improvement'. These courses were held annually at the University of Agricultural Science, Bangalore. The Trust has provided funding for six of these courses, the most recent taking place in December 2008. The training manuals can be downloaded by visiting our downloads page or by clicking on the corresponding links below.

4. FTA Protocols:

These two PDF documents describe the effective use of FTA® and Clonesaver^TM cards.

5. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS):

Please click here to view these documents.

6. Laboratory Manuals & Protocols:

Please click here to view these documents.

7. hPAGE Video (by Ed Southern):

Part 1 - casting a polyacrylamide gel in the hPAGE apparatus.
Part 2 - running, staining and photographing the gel.

8. Marker Assisted Breeding: Learning Module:

Marker Assisted Breeding: Learning Module. The use of molecular markers in efficient crop improvement: Marker Assisted Breeding, a Learning Module (by Theresa Fulton; Cornell University, and with Robert Koebner; CropGenInternational.com).
This learning module was designed to be used either as the basic material for a course or as a self-tutorial. It is geared towards scientists or upper-level students with a good background of biology, genetics and plant breeding. It is expected that readers have some understanding of molecular markers (a number of resources are given throughout, if not). It is meant to complement other learning modules available on the Generation CP website, such as those available or in progress for molecular markers, genetic diversity, phenotyping, and plant breeding.

9. AGORA (Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture:

AGORA (Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture). AGORA is a program to provide free or low cost access to major scientific journals in agriculture and related biological, environmental and social sciences to public institutions in developing countries. The AGORA program was set up by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) together with major publishers. AGORA is a digital library collection of food, agriculture, environmental science and related social sciences journals. Institutions wishing to use AGORA must register with FAO. Access to AGORA is password controlled, and upon successful completion of the registration process, your institution's library will receive a password that can be used by all students, faculty and/or staff at your institution.