Scientists at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) have identified and collected a new genus of cyanobacteria (blue green algae) from the northeastern state of Tripura. The discovery was made during a study by researchers from the Department of Botany using a modern polyphasic approach.
The polyphasic approach is more accurate than other approaches in identifying cyanobacteria or other organisms. Sagarika Pal, a native of Tripura, started the study in 2020, she is doing research under the direction of Assistant Professor Dr. Prashant Singh.
Global climate change is seriously affecting biodiversity around the world. Experts believe that unless dedicated efforts are made for the identification and conservation of biodiversity, such a situation may arise before mankind. Assistant Professor Dr. Prashant Singh said that cyanobacteria are an important component of all those ecosystems where life can be imagined. These organisms are responsible for oxygenation of the earth.
Jeans named after American professor:
The special thing is that the genus has been named Johanseniella in honor of Professor Jafri R Johansson, the great phycologist of America. Tripurensis is the first report of a cyanobacterial genus discovered from the region, which is one of the few findings of such genera in India.
Researchers speculate that this global biodiversity hotspot may contain a large number of cyanobacteria that remain undetected. In such a situation, this study will inspire researchers to help in the discovery, identification and conservation.
Also included in the team:
The research team also included Aniket Saraf (RJ College, Mumbai), Naresh Kumar (PhD student, BHU) and Aarush Singh, Utkarsh Talukdar and Neeraj Kohar (MSc, Botany, BHU). The study has been published in the globally reputed research journal Microbiology Letters.
Reservation manual will be made for research admission in BHU:
The BHU administration has constituted a five-member committee on the demand of the students to follow the rules of reservation in research admission in BHU properly. The convener of the committee, Prof. Mukul Raj Mehta has been made.
Apart from this, Prof. Janardan Yadav, Prof. Vibha Tripathi from the Faculty of Law, Dr. Dinesh Chaudhary from Statistics have been made members, while Assistant Registrar Academics has been made member secretary. The committee has been asked to prepare a guideline of reservation policy for admission in research admission and submit its report at the earliest.
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source https://spotlight7.com/science/bhu-scientists-identify-new-genus-of-cyanobacteria/
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