Important Topics and Best Books for IIT JAM Biotechnology Preparation 2026
Indian Institute of Technology Joint Admission Test for MSc 2026 ( IIT JAM )
Admit Card - 13 Jan '26 - 14 Feb '26
Are you planning to appear for IIT JAM 2026 Biotechnology course? Want to know the JAM 2026 Biotechnology important topics and books to boost your preparation? Go through the important IIT JAM Biotechnology books that aspirants should read for important topics like Biochemistry, Genetic Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Organic Chemistry, etc. Scroll on for more details.
IIT JAM 2026 Important Topics & Books
IIT JAM 2026 exam will be conducted on February 15, 2026, at various exam centres across the nation. IIT Bombay, the exam officials have also released the JAM 2026 Biotechnology syllabus for the academic session. Candidates preparing for the biotechnology course must cover the syllabus specified by the officials and to gain an extra edge in the exam can refer to the mentioned JAM 2026 Biotechnology important topics and books in this Shiksha article.
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Since the JAM 2026 exam grants admission to the MSc and Integrated PhD programs at IITs and other JAM result-sharing institutes, the exam is extremely competitive. Because of the exam's popularity, candidates who want to get admitted to their selected universities must begin their JAM 2026 preparation as soon as possible.
These are some of the best books for IIT JAM 2026 exam preparation specifically for Mathematics Statistics subject:
Name of the Book | Author |
|---|---|
IIT JAM: MSc Mathematical Statistics | Anand Kumar |
Complete Resource Manual MSc Mathematics | Suraj Singh |
Fundamental of Mathematical Statistics | S.C. Gupta & V.K. Kapoor |
Introduction to Mathematical Statistics | Robert V. Hogg and Craig Mckean Hogg |
Problems and Solutions in Mathematical Statistics | S.C Gupta, Vikas Gupta and Sanjeev Kumar Gupta |
Candidates seeking admission to MSc Biotechnology courses offered at IITs should consider taking IIT JAM 2026. One of the most sought-after courses, Biotechnology, is an extremely technical field and it requires aspirants to be thorough with all the topics at hand. IIT JAM exam pattern for biotechnology course admissions is such that aspirants need to attempt Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.
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- IIT JAM 2026 Preparation
- Topics to Study for IIT JAM Biotechnology Exam
- Best Books for IIT JAM Biotechnology Preparation 2026
- IIT JAM Biotechnology Cut-Off
IIT JAM 2026 Preparation
IIT JAM 2026 Preparation is a major step for students to become a top scorer in the exam. For this academic session 2026-2027, the JAM 2026 exam will be held on February 15, 2026, at 118+ exam centres across the nation.
IIT JAM 2026 exam is a very competitive exam in which you need a well-planned and systematic preparation strategy to ace the exam, and you would get a chance to get into a renowned university. While preparing for the exam, candidates will understand that IIT JAM syllabus 2026 is vast. There is a lot of material that you need to cover to be successful in the exam. A preparation plan will help you ensure that you cover all of the JAM 2026 important topics.
This Science entrance examination for postgraduate programmes comprises a total of seven papers or subjects, and aspirants should review IIT JAM prep advice relating to the subject for which they are appearing in the examination. IIT JAM 2026 examination will be conducted for seven papers – Biotechnology (BT), Chemistry (CY), Physics (PH), Geology (GG), Mathematical Statistics (MS), Economics (EN), and Mathematics (MA). To apply for admission to a desired programme, a candidate is required to qualify in the relevant Test Paper, satisfy the Eligibility Requirements (ERs) and JAM 2026 Minimum Educational Qualifications (MEQs) of the respective Academic Programmes. Candidates can view the preparatory tips and scheme here on this page to ace IIT JAM examination.
Topics to Study for IIT JAM Biotechnology Exam
Candidates who want to appear for IIT JAM exam for Biotechnology course admission should formulate a strategy to crack the JAM 2026 exam. Here, candidates must go through important IIT JAM Biotechnology books, identify important topics, and thereafter solve as many IIT JAM Biotechnology previous years question papers as they can. This is a sure-shot way of getting a good rank in IIT JAM 2026 result. IIT JAM exam will be conducted in multiple shifts across India and as per students the exam was considered to be Moderate.
The weightage of questions asked in IIT JAM Biotechnology paper is as mentioned below:
| Subject |
Weightage (In per cent) |
|---|---|
| Biology |
44 |
| Chemistry |
20 |
| Mathematics |
18 |
| Physics |
18 |
Candidates can go through important topics that they should study to score well in IIT JAM Biotechnology exam in the table mentioned below:
| Subject | Important Topics for IIT JAM Biotechnology Paper |
|---|---|
| Biology | Cell Biology: Structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; Membrane structure and function; Organelles and internal organization of the eukaryotic cell Protein trafficking in a eukaryotic cell; Cell communication – signalling pathways: endocrine and paracrine signalling; Extracellular matrix and apoptosis; Cell cycle – stages of mitosis and meiosis, and control of cell division cycle. |
| Biochemistry: Structure and function of biological macromolecules; Allostery; Enzymes – basic mechanisms of enzyme catalysis, Michaelis-Menten kinetics, enzyme inhibition, vitamins as coenzymes, and regulation; Bioenergetics – free-energy change, high-energy compounds, biological oxidation-reduction reactions and reduction potential; Metabolism – glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, urea cycle, and regulation of glycolysis and TCA cycle. |
|
| Genetics: Mendel’s laws; Inheritance patterns of polygenic traits; Mendelian inheritance patterns of human disorders; Pedigree analysis; Chromosomal basis of inheritance; Genetic recombination; Mapping genes on chromosomes based on linkage analysis; Plant breeding. |
|
| Evolution: Darwinian view – natural selection, fossil record and descent with modification; Population genetics – sources of genetic variation, gene pools and allele frequencies, Hardy-Weinberg equation, genetic drift, gene flow and adaptive evolution; Different types of speciation; Phylogenetic classification; Origin of life – abiotic synthesis of biological macromolecules, protocell, dating fossils and origin of multicellularity. |
|
| Microbiology: Isolation; Cultivation; Structural features of viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa; Pathogenic microorganisms; Nutrition-based classification of microbes; Microbial metabolism; Growth kinetics; Submerged fermentation techniques; Microbial genetics. Plant Biology: Types of tissues and organs; Primary and secondary growth; Morphogenesis; Transport in vascular plants; Plant nutrition; Development of flowering plants – gametophytic and sporophytic generations, different developmental phases, genetic control of flowering, gametogenesis, incompatibility, embryogenesis, dormancy, germination and environmental influence;Plant hormones; Photobiology; Plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses |
|
| Molecular Biology: Landmark experiments that established DNA is the genetic material; DNA replication; Proof-reading and repair of DNA; DNA recombination; Transcription; RNA processing; Translation; Regulation of gene expression including operons bacteria and differential gene expression in multicellular eukaryotes. |
|
| Animal Biology: Digestive, circulatory, respiratory, excretory, nervous, reproductive and endocrine systems; Basics of immunology – Innate and adaptive immunity, Immune cells and Immunoglobulins; Animal development – Fertilization, embryonic pattern formation, cleavage, gastrulation, cellular differentiation and morphogenesis. |
|
| Ecology: Climate patterns; Terrestrial and aquatic biomes; Environmental constraints on speciesdistribution; Factors affecting population density; Interactions among communities; |
|
| Biotechnology: Plant tissue culture; Cloning of animals through somatic cell nuclear transfer; Applications of recombinant DNA technology in medicine, agriculture and forensic science. |
|
| Physics | Units and measurements; Motion in one and two dimensions; Laws of motion; Work and kinetic energy; Conservation of energy; System of particles and rotational motion; Mechanical properties of solids and fluids; Thermal properties of matter; Heat and laws of thermodynamics; Kinetic theory of gases; Electric charge and field; Electric potential and capacitance; Current electricity definition, resistance and simple circuits; Moving charges and magnetic field; Magnetism and matter; Electromagnetic induction; Electromagnetic waves; Alternating currents; Optics: Geometrical Optics – Reflection by spherical mirrors, Refraction at spherical surfaces and lenses, Total internal reflection and Optical instruments; Wave optics – Reflection and refraction of plane waves, Interference, Diffraction, Polarization, and Young’s experiment: Dual nature of radiation and matter; Atoms, nuclei and nuclear physics; Semiconductor materials, devices and simple circuits. |
| Chemistry | Structure and properties of Atoms: Periodicity in properties, Bohr's atomic model postulates |
| Bonding in molecules: Chemical bonding; Complex formation; Physical and chemical basis of molecular interactions. |
|
| Chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium: Chemical equilibrium; Chemical thermodynamics (first and second law); and Chemical kinetics (zero and first order reactions). |
|
| Physical and chemical properties of compounds: Chemical catalysis; Acid-base concepts; Concepts of pH and buffer; Conjugative effects and resonance; Inductive effects; Electromeric effects; Photochemistry; and Electrochemistry. |
|
| Physical and chemical properties of compounds: Chemical catalysis; Acid-base concepts; Concepts of pH and buffer; Conjugative effects and resonance; Inductive effects; Electromeric effects; Photochemistry; and Electrochemistry. |
|
| Instrumental techniques - Spectroscopy: fundamentals of molecular spectroscopy, emission and absorption spectroscopy, UV-Vis, IR and 1-D proton NMR spectroscopy, basics of mass spectrometry; Basics of calorimetry; Basic concepts of crystallography. |
|
| Mathematics(12-grade level) | Sets; Relations and Functions; Mathematical Induction; Logarithms; Complex numbers; Linear and Quadratic equations; Sequences and Series; Trigonometry; Cartesian System of Rectangular Coordinates; Straight lines and Family; Three Dimensional Geometry; Permutations and Combinations; Binomial Theorem; Vectors; Matrices and Determinants; Boolean Algebra; Functions; Limits and Continuity; Differentiation; Ordinary Differential Equations; Application of Derivatives; Integration as inverse process of differentiation; Definite and indefinite integrals; Methods of Integration; Integration by parts. |
| Statistics: Measures of dispersion; Mean Deviation for grouped and ungrouped data; Variance and Standard Deviation; and Analysis of Frequency Distribution. |
|
| Probability: Random Experiments; Event; Axiomatic Approach to Probability; Conditional Probability and its properties; Multiplication Theorem on Probability; Independent Events; Bayes’ Theorem; Random Variables and its Probability Distributions; Bernoulli Trails and Binomial Distributions. |
IIT JAM Biotechnology (BT) Expected Question Paper
Candidates preparing for IIT JAM 2026 Biotechnology exam can go through list of expected topics for JAM 2026 exam from here:
| Topic | Weightage |
|---|---|
| Biochemistry | 8-10 |
| Molecular Biology | 6-7 |
| Animal Physiology | 4-5 |
| Cell Biology | 2-4 |
| Taxonomy | 2-3 |
| Genetics | 4-5 |
| Recombinant DNA and Techniques | 5-6 |
| Immunulogy | 2-3 |
| Microbiology | 2-3 |
| Maths | 10-12 |
| Physics | 10-12 |
| Chemistry | 12-15 |
Candidates can check out the JAM 2026 important topics for other subjects from here:
Best Books for IIT JAM Biotechnology Preparation 2026
Aspirants can go through important books that they should consider studying from when they are preparing for IIT JAM Biotechnology exam.
IIT JAM Biotechnology Books to Read for Biology Prep 2026
Books that aspirants should consider reading for Biology and its subtopics are as mentioned below:
| IIT JAM Exam Topic |
Books to Read for IIT JAM Biotechnology Paper |
Author |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry |
Biochemistry |
Donald Voet & Judith G Voet |
| Biochemistry |
AL Lehninger |
|
| Analytical Biochemistry |
Holme |
|
| Biochemistry |
Zubay |
|
| Principles of Biochemistry |
Lehninger |
|
| Cell Biology |
Cell and Molecular Biology -Concepts and Experiments |
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., USA |
| Molecular Biology |
Molecular Biology of the Gene |
James D Watson, Tania A Baker, Stephen P Bell, Alexander Gann, Michael Levine & Richard Losick |
| Molecular Biology of the Cell |
Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter Walter |
|
| Molecular cloning |
Sambrook & Russel |
|
| Microbiology |
Lansing M Prescott, John P Harley & Donald A Klein |
|
| Microbiology |
Brock |
|
| Biotechnology |
Biotechnology |
U Satyanarayana |
| Physiology |
Principles of anatomy physiology |
Gerard J Tortora & Bryan Derrickson |
| A Text Book of Botany |
Annie Ragland, V Kumaresan & N Arumugam |
|
| Principles of Genetics |
Gardner, Simmons & Snustad |
|
| Immunology |
Richard A Golds, Thomas J Kindt, Barbara A Osborne & Janis Kuby |
|
| General Biology, Ecology and Evolution |
Campbell Biology |
Lisa A Urry, Michael L Cain, Steven A Wasserman, Peter V Minorsky & Jane B Reece |
| Developmental Biology |
Scott F Gilbert |
IIT JAM Biotechnology Books to Read for Physics Preparation 2026
Books that aspirants should consider reading for IIT JAM preparation for Physics are as mentioned below:
| Name of Book |
Author |
|---|---|
| Fundamentals of vibration & waves |
S P Puri (Tata McGraw Hill) |
| Concepts of Physics |
H. C. Verma |
| Concepts of Modern Physics |
A. Beiser |
| Properties of matter & Acoustics |
R. Murugeshan & K. Shivaprasath |
IIT JAM Biotechnology Books to Read for Chemistry Preparation 2026
Books that aspirants should consider reading when preparing for Chemistry topics are as mentioned below:
| Name of Book |
Author |
|---|---|
| Organic Chemistry |
OP Agrawal |
| Physical Chemistry |
Lewis |
| Reaction & Recovery of Chemicals |
SN Sanyal |
| A guide book to Mechanism in Organic Chemistry |
Peter Sykes |
IIT JAM Biotechnology Books to Read for Mathematics Prep 2026
Books that aspirants should consider reading for Mathematics topics are as mentioned below:
| Name of Book |
Author |
|---|---|
| Principles of Mathematical Analysis |
Rudin W |
| Differential Calculus |
Gorakh Prasad |
| An Introduction to Probability and Statistics |
Rohatgi, VK & Saleh |
| Elementary Linear Algebra |
H Anton |
| Calculus by MJ Strauss, GL Bradley |
KJ Smith |
Apart from the above-mentioned books, aspirants can also go through the books mentioned below to prepare for IIT JAM exam for Biotechnology 2026:
| Name of book |
Author |
|---|---|
| IIT-JAM: MSc (Biotechnology) Previous Papers (Solved) |
R Gupta |
| Solved Papers & Practice Sets IIT JAM (Joint Admission Test for MSc From IITs) – Biotechnology |
Arihant Publications |
| Biochemical Calculations |
Irwin H Segel |
| Bioinformatics |
Mount David W |
| Essential Cell Biology |
Bruce Alberts, Dennis Bray, Alexander D Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter Walter |
| Molecular Cloning |
Sambrook and Russel |
| Principles of Gene Manipulation |
Sandy B Primrose, Richard Twyman, Bob Old |
| Kuby Immunology |
Thomas J Kindt, Barbara A Osborne, Richard Goldsby |
| Basic Immunology |
Abbas and Litchmann |
| Prescott’s Microbiology |
Joanne Willey, Linda Sherwood, Chris Woolverton |
| Microbiology |
Michael Pelczar Jr |
| Genetics (Benjamin/Cummings Series in the Life Sciences) |
Peter J Russell |
IIT JAM Biotechnology Cut-Off
IIT JAM 2026 exam will be conducted on February 15, 2026, in two shifts at various exam centres across the nation. JAM is being conducted for seven subjects, which are: Mathematical Statistics, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Geology, and Biotechnology. Among these subjects, the maximum number of registrations takes place for IIT JAM Biotechnology paper. Thus, the competition level to make it to IIT JAM cutoff for biotechnology is quite high.
IIT JAM Biotechnology Previous Year Cut-Off
Candidates preparing for IIT JAM Biotechnology course can go through the previous year cut off from here:
| IIT JAM Biotechnology Previous Year Cut-Off | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Year | General | EWS/ OBC (NCL) |
SC/ST/PwD |
| 2024 | 44.46 | 40.01 | 22.23 |
| 2023 | 35.25 |
31.73 |
17.62 |
| 2022 | 35.25 | 31.73 | 17.62 |
| 2021 | 34.13 | 30.72 | 17.07 |
| 2020 | 39.86 |
35.87 |
19.93 |
Also Read: IIT JAM Cutoff: Check Category / Paper Wise Previous Year Cutoff
Candidates can check out the JAM 2026 syllabus for other subjects from here:
| JAM Biotechnology Syllabus | IIT JAM Economics Syllabus | JAM Mathematics Syllabus |
| IIT JAM Chemistry Syllabus | IIT JAM Mathematical Statistics Syllabus | |
The Biotechnology paper was also of moderate to tough difficulty level. A few questions were direct and easy to answer. Molecular Biology and Cell Biology had maximum number of questions.
Also Read: Check Year Wise IIT JAM Student Reaction and Difficulty Level from Here
The chapter-wise weightage is based on the number of questions asked from each chapter in previous years' exams. However, it is important to note that the weightage can vary from year to year, so students should not rely solely on the weightage to determine their study plan.
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The key texts for the IIT JAM Mathematics exam are: Principles of Real Analysis by S. C. Malik for Real Analysis; Linear Algebra by H. Anton or by Seymour Lipschitz from the Schaum's outline series for Linear Algebra; Integral Calculus - F. Ayres, or GorakhPrasad's Textbooks for Integral Calculus; For Differential Equations, either M.D. Raisinghania will work, or for excellent, Modern Algebra by A. R. Vasishtha or by Joseph A. Gallian will work fine.