The department has been running since 1980 being the first Post Graduate programme of this college offering Master Degree of Life Science. The course is so designed and revised from time to time keeping the students’ theoretical and practical knowledge in mind while their future career prospects in academy and research as well. There is a four semester system of examination along with regular internal evaluation. At present the course has a seat strength of 16( 8 each for Plant and Animal Science branches). In addition to the regular classroom teaching, Special Seminars and Guest Lectures on various related topics are conducted regularly for student’s knowledge expansion in a broader sense. Regular weekly seminars are conducted for the students for their overall skill development. In addition to this the faculty member of this department received fund from various extramural funding agency (Department Of Biotechnology, Govt. Of India, UGC).Several students of this department have qualified various entrance examinations as well as in different State and national level competitive examinations.

The Department provides following laboratory facilities:

  • Students ’ Light Microscopes
  • Binocular Research Microscopes
  • Inverted Biological Microscope
  • Laminar Airflow Cabinet
  • Tissue Culture Rack
  • Low(-20 0C) Fridge
  • Photoelectric Colorimeter
  • Centrifuge
  • Electrophoresis Units
  • Inoculation Chamber
  • Colony Counter
  • Autoclave, Hot Oven
  • Electronic Digital Balance

Expertise Available at present in the Department:

  • Mass scale propagation of elite and improved varieties of several medicinal aromatic plants of economic importance like, Cinnamomum, Hemidesmus and Cymbopogon.
  • Methods for regulating the instability of culture-grown tissues, thereby developing relatively stable regenerants.
  • Genetic improvement of aromatic and medicinal plants through induction of somaclonal variation and mutation (using chemical mutagens like EMS, NG & Cochicin).
  • In-vitro induction of salt tolerance (NaCl & sea water) and generation of high (up to 300 mM NaCl & 40% v/v sea water) salt adapted callus lines and re-generants tested for net house and multi-locational on field soil salinity tolerance trials in Cymbopogon sps.
  • Establishment of stable embryonic cell suspension cultures in Cymbopogon.
  • Standard protocol formulations for artificial seed synthesis and their in-vivo & in vitro germination in Hemidesmus and Cymbopogon.
  • Extraction of cinnamon oil through hydro distillation of nodal explants- generated callus Cinnamomum zeylanicum
  • Study of genetic diversity using different molecular markers (RAPD, ISSR, AFLP etc.).
  • Assessment of stability of tissue culture plants through analysis of chromosome number and nuclear DNA content.

Vision

  • To facilitate students with deep and clear understanding of the Science and Scope of Life Sciences as a subject at Masters level.
  • To conduct various training programmes to introduce the student with the recent advances in relevant fields in Life Sciences.
  • Project design by the students to improve their scientific temperament and orientation.
  • Topical Seminar presentation, Field Study Report is mandatory for students of final Semester.
  • Technical study tours undertaken to research labs and Universities.
 

Mission:

  • Keeping in view the restructured syllabus of providing research scope for staff/students, the following steps will be taken.
  • Curriculum restructure for PG classes with Biotechnology as a common paper in Second Semester.
  • Plant Tissue Culture & Molecular Lab is set up to which more facilities to be added .
  • Micro-propagation of rare & threatened medicinal plants are being envisaged.
  • Establishment of In-Vitro Bank & subsequently DNA Bank of Rare Medicinal plants of Mahendra Giri Biodiversity.
  • DNA/RNA isolation, purification and separation facility to be developed.
  • Inculcate research aptitude among students to make it a career in future.

Activities

  • Weekly seminars by departmental seminar society.
  • Study tour and filed study.
  • Career counseling session.
  • Online classes
  • Science Project writing on topics pertaining to syllabus.

Departmental Seminars:

  • Transgenics: Hopes And Hypes; by Dr. B.B. Panda, Retd. Professor & Head PG Department of BOTANY,Berhampur University, . Berhampur Feb -2015
  • Biotechnology :” Routes to Perspective”, Dr. S.K. Dash Retd. Professor & Head, PG Depart of Biosciences, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Berhampur. Feb -2015
  • Micropropagation Techniques and their applications, Prof Dr Pushpalata Ganesh, School of Agri-Biotechnology, Centurion University, Paralakhemundi, Feb, 2016
  • Microbiological Diversity and their Industrial Applications, Prof Dr Sangita Raut, GIET University, Gunupur, November, 2017

List of Ongoing & Completed Projects

  • Ecotyping, chemotyping and genotyping of some important drug yielding plants of Eastern India for authentic identification, selection and conservation of elites (On Going);Co-PI- DBT Funded.
  • Induction and selection of somaclones with stable drug yield potential in commercially important white ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium). MRP-Project sanctioned 2017 (UGCSponserded.)
  • Identification of elite chemotypes, chemical finger printing and optimization of drug yield through development of prediction model in four high valued medicinal plant species. One of the 5 Cluster Projects under CEIB submitted 2015 by SOA University, Bhubaneswar. (DBT Sponsered)
Name:Dr. Jeetendra Nath Pattnaik
Designation:Assistant Professor & Head
Qualification:M.Sc, M.Phil, Ph.D, PostDoc, CSIR-UGC NET
Research Area:Plant Tissue Culture
Phone:9438352466
E-mail:jeetendranath.patnaik@gmail.com
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1 Courses of Studies In +2 Stream   View
2 Courses of Studies For The U.G. Examination   View
3 Courses of Studies For The P.G. Examination   View