1. Bryology research began in India in the early 20th century led by Professor Shiv Ram Kashyap, known as the "Father of Indian Bryology".
2. Subsequent Indian bryologists like Professors S.K. Pande and Ram Udar furthered the study of bryophytes in India through publications, identification of new species, and training students.
3. While bryology was originally a core area of botanical study in India, it has declined in recent decades due to a lack of research opportunities and an emphasis on more modern fields like biotechnology.
The "Telome theory" of Walter Zimmermann (1930, 1952) is the most accepted theory that is based on fossil record and synthesizes the major steps in the evolution of vascular plants.
It describes how the primitive type of vascular plants developed from Rhynia like plants.
* The Gymnosperms originated in the Devonian period of the Palaeozoic Era and formed the supreme vegetation in the Mesozoic Era.
* It was Robert Brown (1827) who first recognised gymnosperms as a separate entity among plant kingdom.
The "Telome theory" of Walter Zimmermann (1930, 1952) is the most accepted theory that is based on fossil record and synthesizes the major steps in the evolution of vascular plants.
It describes how the primitive type of vascular plants developed from Rhynia like plants.
* The Gymnosperms originated in the Devonian period of the Palaeozoic Era and formed the supreme vegetation in the Mesozoic Era.
* It was Robert Brown (1827) who first recognised gymnosperms as a separate entity among plant kingdom.
Traditional Indian plant medicine: Western notice and mainstreamingRajesh Kochhar
Oceanic voyages, multi-point maritime trade, colonial settlements, and long-distance empires expanded Europe’s economy; introduced it to new ecology, geography and people; and, as time progressed, weakened classical and Biblical authority, making it receptive to new things and ideas. Health-care considerations compelled Europeans in distant lands to learn about plants and plant medicines for reasons of their own survival and for commerce. Medical botany was a colonial necessity. General scientific botany came out of it and went hand in hand with it.
Observation of Io’s Resurfacing via Plume Deposition Using Ground-based Adapt...Sérgio Sacani
Since volcanic activity was first discovered on Io from Voyager images in 1979, changes
on Io’s surface have been monitored from both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes.
Here, we present the highest spatial resolution images of Io ever obtained from a groundbased telescope. These images, acquired by the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large
Binocular Telescope, show evidence of a major resurfacing event on Io’s trailing hemisphere. When compared to the most recent spacecraft images, the SHARK-VIS images
show that a plume deposit from a powerful eruption at Pillan Patera has covered part
of the long-lived Pele plume deposit. Although this type of resurfacing event may be common on Io, few have been detected due to the rarity of spacecraft visits and the previously low spatial resolution available from Earth-based telescopes. The SHARK-VIS instrument ushers in a new era of high resolution imaging of Io’s surface using adaptive
optics at visible wavelengths.
Richard's aventures in two entangled wonderlandsRichard Gill
Since the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2020 and the Nobel prizes in physics of 2022, critics of Bell's work have retreated to the fortress of super-determinism. Now, super-determinism is a derogatory word - it just means "determinism". Palmer, Hance and Hossenfelder argue that quantum mechanics and determinism are not incompatible, using a sophisticated mathematical construction based on a subtle thinning of allowed states and measurements in quantum mechanics, such that what is left appears to make Bell's argument fail, without altering the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. I think however that it is a smoke screen, and the slogan "lost in math" comes to my mind. I will discuss some other recent disproofs of Bell's theorem using the language of causality based on causal graphs. Causal thinking is also central to law and justice. I will mention surprising connections to my work on serial killer nurse cases, in particular the Dutch case of Lucia de Berk and the current UK case of Lucy Letby.
The increased availability of biomedical data, particularly in the public domain, offers the opportunity to better understand human health and to develop effective therapeutics for a wide range of unmet medical needs. However, data scientists remain stymied by the fact that data remain hard to find and to productively reuse because data and their metadata i) are wholly inaccessible, ii) are in non-standard or incompatible representations, iii) do not conform to community standards, and iv) have unclear or highly restricted terms and conditions that preclude legitimate reuse. These limitations require a rethink on data can be made machine and AI-ready - the key motivation behind the FAIR Guiding Principles. Concurrently, while recent efforts have explored the use of deep learning to fuse disparate data into predictive models for a wide range of biomedical applications, these models often fail even when the correct answer is already known, and fail to explain individual predictions in terms that data scientists can appreciate. These limitations suggest that new methods to produce practical artificial intelligence are still needed.
In this talk, I will discuss our work in (1) building an integrative knowledge infrastructure to prepare FAIR and "AI-ready" data and services along with (2) neurosymbolic AI methods to improve the quality of predictions and to generate plausible explanations. Attention is given to standards, platforms, and methods to wrangle knowledge into simple, but effective semantic and latent representations, and to make these available into standards-compliant and discoverable interfaces that can be used in model building, validation, and explanation. Our work, and those of others in the field, creates a baseline for building trustworthy and easy to deploy AI models in biomedicine.
Bio
Dr. Michel Dumontier is the Distinguished Professor of Data Science at Maastricht University, founder and executive director of the Institute of Data Science, and co-founder of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) data principles. His research explores socio-technological approaches for responsible discovery science, which includes collaborative multi-modal knowledge graphs, privacy-preserving distributed data mining, and AI methods for drug discovery and personalized medicine. His work is supported through the Dutch National Research Agenda, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, Horizon Europe, the European Open Science Cloud, the US National Institutes of Health, and a Marie-Curie Innovative Training Network. He is the editor-in-chief for the journal Data Science and is internationally recognized for his contributions in bioinformatics, biomedical informatics, and semantic technologies including ontologies and linked data.
(May 29th, 2024) Advancements in Intravital Microscopy- Insights for Preclini...Scintica Instrumentation
Intravital microscopy (IVM) is a powerful tool utilized to study cellular behavior over time and space in vivo. Much of our understanding of cell biology has been accomplished using various in vitro and ex vivo methods; however, these studies do not necessarily reflect the natural dynamics of biological processes. Unlike traditional cell culture or fixed tissue imaging, IVM allows for the ultra-fast high-resolution imaging of cellular processes over time and space and were studied in its natural environment. Real-time visualization of biological processes in the context of an intact organism helps maintain physiological relevance and provide insights into the progression of disease, response to treatments or developmental processes.
In this webinar we give an overview of advanced applications of the IVM system in preclinical research. IVIM technology is a provider of all-in-one intravital microscopy systems and solutions optimized for in vivo imaging of live animal models at sub-micron resolution. The system’s unique features and user-friendly software enables researchers to probe fast dynamic biological processes such as immune cell tracking, cell-cell interaction as well as vascularization and tumor metastasis with exceptional detail. This webinar will also give an overview of IVM being utilized in drug development, offering a view into the intricate interaction between drugs/nanoparticles and tissues in vivo and allows for the evaluation of therapeutic intervention in a variety of tissues and organs. This interdisciplinary collaboration continues to drive the advancements of novel therapeutic strategies.
Nutraceutical market, scope and growth: Herbal drug technologyLokesh Patil
As consumer awareness of health and wellness rises, the nutraceutical market—which includes goods like functional meals, drinks, and dietary supplements that provide health advantages beyond basic nutrition—is growing significantly. As healthcare expenses rise, the population ages, and people want natural and preventative health solutions more and more, this industry is increasing quickly. Further driving market expansion are product formulation innovations and the use of cutting-edge technology for customized nutrition. With its worldwide reach, the nutraceutical industry is expected to keep growing and provide significant chances for research and investment in a number of categories, including vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and herbal supplements.
Professional air quality monitoring systems provide immediate, on-site data for analysis, compliance, and decision-making.
Monitor common gases, weather parameters, particulates.
Cancer cell metabolism: special Reference to Lactate PathwayAADYARAJPANDEY1
Normal Cell Metabolism:
Cellular respiration describes the series of steps that cells use to break down sugar and other chemicals to get the energy we need to function.
Energy is stored in the bonds of glucose and when glucose is broken down, much of that energy is released.
Cell utilize energy in the form of ATP.
The first step of respiration is called glycolysis. In a series of steps, glycolysis breaks glucose into two smaller molecules - a chemical called pyruvate. A small amount of ATP is formed during this process.
Most healthy cells continue the breakdown in a second process, called the Kreb's cycle. The Kreb's cycle allows cells to “burn” the pyruvates made in glycolysis to get more ATP.
The last step in the breakdown of glucose is called oxidative phosphorylation (Ox-Phos).
It takes place in specialized cell structures called mitochondria. This process produces a large amount of ATP. Importantly, cells need oxygen to complete oxidative phosphorylation.
If a cell completes only glycolysis, only 2 molecules of ATP are made per glucose. However, if the cell completes the entire respiration process (glycolysis - Kreb's - oxidative phosphorylation), about 36 molecules of ATP are created, giving it much more energy to use.
IN CANCER CELL:
Unlike healthy cells that "burn" the entire molecule of sugar to capture a large amount of energy as ATP, cancer cells are wasteful.
Cancer cells only partially break down sugar molecules. They overuse the first step of respiration, glycolysis. They frequently do not complete the second step, oxidative phosphorylation.
This results in only 2 molecules of ATP per each glucose molecule instead of the 36 or so ATPs healthy cells gain. As a result, cancer cells need to use a lot more sugar molecules to get enough energy to survive.
Unlike healthy cells that "burn" the entire molecule of sugar to capture a large amount of energy as ATP, cancer cells are wasteful.
Cancer cells only partially break down sugar molecules. They overuse the first step of respiration, glycolysis. They frequently do not complete the second step, oxidative phosphorylation.
This results in only 2 molecules of ATP per each glucose molecule instead of the 36 or so ATPs healthy cells gain. As a result, cancer cells need to use a lot more sugar molecules to get enough energy to survive.
introduction to WARBERG PHENOMENA:
WARBURG EFFECT Usually, cancer cells are highly glycolytic (glucose addiction) and take up more glucose than do normal cells from outside.
Otto Heinrich Warburg (; 8 October 1883 – 1 August 1970) In 1931 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his "discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme.
WARNBURG EFFECT : cancer cells under aerobic (well-oxygenated) conditions to metabolize glucose to lactate (aerobic glycolysis) is known as the Warburg effect. Warburg made the observation that tumor slices consume glucose and secrete lactate at a higher rate than normal tissues.
Seminar of U.V. Spectroscopy by SAMIR PANDASAMIR PANDA
Spectroscopy is a branch of science dealing the study of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy refers to absorption spectroscopy or reflect spectroscopy in the UV-VIS spectral region.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is an analytical method that can measure the amount of light received by the analyte.
1. Brief Account on some Indian
Bryologist
Vaishali S.Patil
Assosiate Professor, Department of Botany
Shri Shivaji College of Arts, Commerce & Science
Akola
3. Introduction-
•Bryology is the branch of plant science related with the methodical
study of bryophytes (liverworts, hornworts and mosses).
•The detail study of the bryophytes started in the 18th century.
"Reproduction of the ferns and mosses" is considered as the first ever
documented research compiled by the German botanist Professor Johann
Jacob Dillenius (1687–1747) in 1717.
• However, the credit for the establishment of bryology as a branch goes
to the work of Johannes Hedwig, who elucidated the reproductive system
of mosses in Fundamentum historiae naturalist muscorum (1792), and
also gave a taxonomic account.
•The initial areas of research in bryology include taxonomy and diversity
analysis followed by ecological, economical, medicinal and
ethnobotanical studies.
•Globally, the principal centers of bryology research include Germany,
Finland, USA, UK, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, China and India.
4. •In India, Bryology was initiated by Professor Shiv Ram Kashyap
(1882-1934), also known as ‘Father of Indian Bryology’.
• Later on, bryologists like Profs. S K Pande and Ram Udar nurtured
this branch of botany in India. Hence, there is a rich legacy of
bryological studies in India.
•Since Kashyap, the study of bryology has strengthened, consequently
several books and about thousands of research papers have been
published on various aspects of bryology.
•Kashyap published the first ever paper on liverworts of western
Himalayas in the year 1914. Later his work was published in two
volumes: Liverworts of Western Himalayas and the Punjab plain, Part I
in 1929 and Part II co-authored with R.S. Chopra in 1932, which
includes valid illustrations and distribution of forms. In his first volume,
33 genera and 70 species are described, out of which six genera and 50
species were restricted to India. Kashyap recognized four well
established genera new to the subject. These are Aitchinsoniella, Sauchia,
Sewardiella and Stephansoniella. The genera were monotypic and
endemic to India (Aitchinsoniella himalayensis, Sauchia, spongiosa,
5. Sewardiella tuberifera, Stephensoniella bravipedunculata).
•Besides, he also described 39 new species. Of the forms described in his
book, new species are Anthoceros erectus, A. chambensis, Notothylas
indica, Riccia cruciata, R. melanospora, R. pathankotensis, R. robusta, R.
sanguinea, Porella acutifolia, P. denticulata, P. obtusifolia, P. variabilis
and in general species limited to India are Anthoceros erectus, A.
himalayensis, A. chambensis,A. gollani, A. longii, Notothylas indica, N.
levieri, Marchantia nepalensis, M simlana, Riccia pathankotensis, R.
himalayensis, R. melanospora, R. robusta, R. cruciata, R. sanguinea, etc.
His theory of Retrogressive Evolution in Liverworts (Marchantiales) got
distinctive position in the worldand is recognized as a significant
contribution.
•According to this theory, simpler plants like Riccia are more evolved
than organized plants such as mosses.
6. •Prof. S. K. Pande, a noted student of Prof. Kashyap was the next gem
from India in the field of bryology. His research interests included
aspects on distribution, ecology, taxonomy, life cycle, ontogeny,
cytology, phylogeny, etc. Amazingly amidst this apparent diversity in
his study, a central theme always remained.
•He worked with zeal and put his best to assemble data on hepatic
vegetation of India. He published 38 research papers individually or
jointly in highly reputed journals.
• He published only one paper with Late Prof. Kashyap and described the
life history of Aneura indica. His first two papers on life history of Riccia
and Notothylas marked the beginning of his excellent contributions
which gave him an enduring reputation as a bryologist.
•An unremitting problem since the time of Leitgeb on the origin of
archesporium in Notothylas was perfectly concluded by him while
working on N. levieri. He demonstrated that the archesporium is
endothecial in origin and this he strongly held to emphasize the
underlying similarity of the Anthocerotales with the rest of the hepatics.
7. • He suggested retaining Anthocerotales under Hepaticopsida. He
established Nowellia indica (jointly with T.N. Srivastava), Riella
vishwanathai (jointly with K.C. Misra and K.P. Srivastava), Cephalzia
herzogiana (jointly with K.P. Srivastava), Riccia attenuata and R.
aravalliensis (jointly with R. Udar) as new species.
• In his Presidential addresses to the Indian Botanical Society, he
reviewed “Some aspects of Indian Hepaticology (Indian Botanical
Society, 1958) and “The Anthocerotales, some aspects of their
systematics and morphology” (Indian Science Congress, Botany Section,
1960).
•His important contributions are: Studies in Indian Liverworts: A Review
(1936); Studies on Indian Metzgerineae I to III (1954, 55, 56); Studies in
Indian Hepaticae I to IV (1942, 43, 49); Genus Riccia in Indian I to III
(1957, 58, 59); Bryology, Progress of Sciences in India (1957) etc.
Writing a commemoration credential of Late Prof. Pande, Dr. Udar
(1964) wrote “year after year since 1936 he undertook extensive plant
collection trips in nearly all parts of the country till the end of his life
every time bringing rich collections on which several valuable
8. contributions were made by him.
•However, it is a great loss to bryology that he could not publish results
of his study on most of these collections and his experience of a life time
is thus so sadly not available.” Udar who had more than 18 years of Prof.
Pande’s association as a student and colleague pursued his studies on
bryophytes and established a new species of Notothylas, N. pandei to
honor this great Indian bryologist. Professor Ram Udar shared the same
heritage of bryologists in India to which his mentor the late Professor
S.K. Pande belonged. He published two books and over 200 research
papers on varied aspects of Indian Hepaticology.
•His noteworthy contribution includes the discovery of the two orders:
Calobryales and Buxbaumiales in the bryoflora of India, monographic
studies on Indian Metzgeriaceae, Fossombroniaceae and Aneuraceae.
•Besides, he also worked on many members of Marchantiales and
Jungermanniales, a group earlier not so well understood in India as it is
today.
9. •His contributions on Indian Anthocerotae, particularly on the genus
Notothylas are worth mentioning. He imparted training in research to a
number of students of whom ten have received their Ph.D. degree under
his able guidance.
• An ardent field botanist, Professor Udar led regular excursion trips to
nearly all the parts of India and built up a very rich collection of
liverworts along with his research associates. Most of his collections
have been preserved in the Lucknow University Hepatic Herbarium
(LWU) (Srivastava, 1986).
•Professor Udar was a member of the American Bryological and
Lichenological Society, British Bryological and Lichenological Society
and Nordic Bryological and Lichenological Society, apart from being life
member of the Indian Botanical Society and Palaeobotanical Society.
The first ever association of bryologists in the form of Indian Byological
Society was established by Prof. Udar for deliberations on issues related
to the group and continues to be a vibrant forum till date. He played a
crucial role in the functioning of the society as a Founder-President.
10. •He was crowned by being elected Fellow of the Indian National Science
Academy in January 1985 - the highest achievement for a scientist in this
country. He has left behind a well established school of bryology at
Lucknow University which would continue to keep up the high traditions
of bryological research in India so ably set by him.
•His legacy is thriving by excellent work in bryology by his able
students, viz. Prof. S. C. Srivastava, Former Head, Department of
Botany, University of Lucknow; Dr. D. K. Singh, Former Director In
Charge, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata; Dr. Virendra Nath,
Former Emeritus Scientist, N.B.R.I., Lucknow; Dr. A. K. Asthana,
Senior Scientist, N.B.R.I., Lucknow and Professor Geeta Asthana,
Lucknow University to name a few. Most of the contemporary active
bryologists and bryological centers of India are associated to the above
mentioned stalwarts in bryology.
•Initially, bryological research was more or less limited to the centers
like Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata; National Botanical Research
Institute, Lucknow; Bryology Unit, University of Lucknow which are
renowned worldwide for their efforts in bryology.
11. •However, at present many more centers in states like Jammu &
Kashmir, South India, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Gujarat and Rajasthan have joined the list.
Studies in molecular bryology, genetics, drought tolerance, medicinal
properties, ecology, economy and ethnobryology that require the
application of modern, sophisticated tools and techniques are also being
done in addition to the traditional taxonomical approach.
•Numerous workers (Bhardwaj, Srivastava, Maheshwari, Kapil, etc.)
were encouraged by Kashyap to work on various aspects of life cycle of
these amphibian plants.
•The bryophytes of Pachmari have been described by Pande and
Srivastava (1952), of Mount Abu by Bapna and Vyas (1962) and
from the various parts of India by Udar, Gangulee, etc.
•Several new species, e.g., Riella vishwanathai (Pande et al., 1954),
Calobryum indicum (Udar and Chandra, 1965), C. blumii (Udar et al.
1965), Haplomitrium hookeri (Udar and V. Chandra, 1962), etc. have
been recorded from India.
12. •The discovery of Buxbaumia, from western Himalayas (Deoban, 10,500
feet above sea level) by Udar, Srivastava and Kumar (1965) is of
tremendous importance. The plant shows similarities with B. minakatae.
•It is a unique bryophyte (moss) which has a conspicuous sporophyte
with very small gametophyte. It is partially saprophytic leading to an
unusual mode of nutrition among bryophytes. It is now referred to as a
new species, B. himalayensis.
•Numerous species are being reported new to science, new to India and
endemic regularly. At present Botanical Survey of India (Kolkata),
National Botanical Research Institute (Lucknow), Bryology
Laboratory, University of Lucknow are among the prominent and
active centers of bryological research in India.
Limitations-
•However, bryology originally considered as an essential component of
study and research in plant science is now fighting for its survival
because; in the era of Biotechnology it is considered outdated.
13. •As a result, now the Bryological studies are restricted to the
undergraduate course only and at post graduate level many universities
have dropped this group from their syllabi.
•The educationalists of our country need to pay adequate attention to this
group and revive the research and also Despite worldwide increasing
interest in bryology, in India very few students take Bryological research
due to lack of job opportunities with bryology as their research
specialization.
•Invariably, in most of the universities of India bryology is taught by a
non-specialist. Molecular phylogeny, applied genomics, targeted
mutagenesis, biochemistry and metabolism, unraveling the secrets of
photosynthesis are relevant topics of biology research.
•Mosses show excellent attributes of model plant systems and are
attractive experimental plants, an aspect which has largely been ignored
by Indian Bryologists. A concerted effort towards reviving bryology as a
preferred discipline of study is required. The responsibility of reviving
interest in these rejuvenating plants lies with contemporary experts and
researchers in the field to restore it to its past glory.
