Principal

Vice Principal & Registrar

Editor
Associate Editor
Editorial Board

: Dr. Fr. Victor Lobo SJ

: Fr. Clarence DSouza SJ *Admin+
: Dr. Grace Prabhakar
: Tejas Rao
: Mr. Madappa, M.B
Dr. Susan Mary Philip
Alishiya Marcina Murali
Nidhi Rani Lokesh
Ismail.A.
Significance of the Cover Page: The cover picture signifies a human embracing the vast knowledge of the universe.
By Ismail.A. and Sanas Shukoor
Inner cover credits: Pretty Jemma

Green Gene Guild Team

HELIX
2015-2016

From The Editors Desk

It gives me immense pleasure to write a foreword to this years edition of Helix. This years edition serves to reinitiate
the legacy of publishing annually. The edition aims to represent the past happenings in a prcis form.
The articles contributed by students are varied as are the students that comprise the department. We take pride in
the myriad facets represented by the student body.
The journey of Helix has been rather slow and peppered with many a hurdle. Although the previous years had seen
through the initial process, it never did materialize. This year however, there has been a drive to come out with the
annual with the institution of the reporter in the GGG council. Events were well organized and timely reports have
been pouring in. Be it the scary house to demystify science, or the spin wheel and twister games to encourage
participation of the college students through a life science quiz. The participation of all three years in any event
organized through the Green Gene Guild has been heartwarming.
Wishing the department and further editions all success

Dr. Grace Prabhakar

Department of
Biotechnology

Student Editorial

Helix, by Watson and Crick. Oh wait. This isn't that helix.

Helix, proudly brought to you by us, the biotechnology department of St Joseph's college.
We're back with a sixth edition, reviving the legacy of our beloved magazine. I do hope you
enjoy reading what my fellow students have been up to these past years. It's been a blast
celebrating our successes and achievements, join us on our journey through the world of
biotechnology.

Tejas Rao
II CBT

Contents
Overview Of The Department....7
Baby Gives Back.....14
Gilbert Syndrome...15
Intelligence: Not Restricted To Vertebrates?.....17
Summer Project At Kalinga Centre For Rainforest Ecology...18
So, Thats A No On The Superhuman.19
Neanderthals Used Chemistry To Start Fire 50,000 Years Ago20
Some Intriguing Discoveries And Inventions...21
Industrial Tour Report 2016....22
Transport Proteins-Our Hero In The Fight Against Alzheimer?..23
Wine...24
Report On Student Research..25
Mushroom Cultivation Report..25
Report On Nirvaan...26
Achievements Of Students.27
Gallery..31

Department of Biotechnology
The Department of Biotechnology was set up in 2002.
The mission of the department is to introduce students to the joys of learning science, Inspire them to ask,
imagine, innovate and excel, and equip them to integrate this learning into living.
The department has completed ten years of undergraduate Biotechnology education and has now been funded by
DBT for STAR COLLEGE STATUS along with the departments of Botany and Chemistry.
The department has three permanent staff; each faculty member has a UGC funded Minor research project.
ONGOING PROJECTS
o Estimation of Lycopene content in commercially grown varieties and hybrids of Tomato in Karnataka and Bulked
Segregant Analysis for high lycopene content in tomato (LycopersiconesculentumMill) Dr. Grace Prabhakar (2
lakhs)
o In silicoidentification of plant genes involved in responses to abiotic and biotic stresses and promoter analysis of
genes involved in such cross talk: Dr. Susan Mary Philip (1.5 lakhs)
o Phylogenetic Analysis of Garcinia sp using RAPD markers - Prof. Madappa. M.B (2.4 lakhs)

The Department laboratories has been highly equipped with PCR, live screening camera, deep freezers, DNA
sequencing units, Laminar air flow hoods, Uv spectrophotometers, and Soxhlet apparatus. Mushroom cultivation
unit, Plant tissue culture unit and Microbiology Unit for high end research work is established. The department is
using teaching resources like laptop, projector and classroom interactive learning charts. Compulsory industrial tours
have been implemented in the curriculum. The department has recorded few practical procedures demonstrated by
our teachers as videos for students. Lecture method and other interactive method like project-based learning,
computer-assisted learning, experiential learning, seminars and others are used by the teachers for various subjects.
Projectors, classroom microphones and videos for difficult models are regularly used to enhance the learning
process. Seminars organized by other universities are attended by the faculty and students. Students are encouraged
to take part in symposiums and workshops. Entrepreneurship course is conducted for the final year students.
Bioinformatics is in the regular curriculum. Biostatistics also is a compulsory paper. The department has continuously
counseled the students. Every attempt is made to enhance teacher-student interaction as students feel more
comfortable to approach teachers with problems of any kind, academic or non academic. Freedom during practical
classes is offered so that students are encouraged to carry out experiments independently. Course material is made
available, especially useful for weaker students. Guest speakers are invited from industry and institutes of higher
learning. Academic and non-academic competitions within and outside are encouraged.
Events Organised:
Genomics-2005 National level conference.
Bio- Information - 11th March 2009, The Dept. of Biotechnology, in collaboration with the Dept. of Microbiology,
organized a two day seminar a series of lecture Sponsored by Rotary Club, Bangalore. 300 participants from city
colleges were present for the seminar.
The annual biotechnology departmental magazineHelix-6 editions.
Eco fest-2010- The department conducted ECO FEST during 2009-2010 as 2010 was declared as the International
Year of Biodiversity. Late Fr. Cecil Saldanhas books and herbarium display, insect paintings done by late Dr. Parvathi
Belvadi. A display of insect specimen, Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore,
models by various departments , Rare plants/Exotic plants, Bio diesel seeds of India, Department of Botany,
University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore were part of the program. Snake awareness programme with Ahamad
the snake man of Bangalore.

Video shot and recorded for complete DNA isolation and PCR handling.
Molecular markers- Sep2011 -UGC sponsored national level workshop on molecular markers
Collaborated With the department of Botany and Computer science National level seminar on bioinformationJan2012.
Celebrated 10 years to the department of Biotechnology 2012.
A series of events to commemorate the history and evolution of science was presented. The series entitled Men,
Milestones and Machines comprised of a drama depicting Mendel and his formulation of the Laws of Genetics, a
mime illustrating Banting and Bests discovery of Insulin, a representation of the DNA helical structure through
dance, a musical version of the discovery of PCR and a puppet show demonstrating the cloning of Dolly was
conducted.
A massive model of the Helix was displayed at the entrance. An exhibition of various life sciences instruments,
automated systems; an orchid show by the Orchid Society of Karnataka (organised by the Botanical Society); an
intercollegiate fest and a string of stalls hosted by various associations discussing the rationale of science was
organised.
The newly constructed department and the renovated St. Josephs Centre for Biotechnological Research was
inaugurated by Dr. S. Ananth Raj, Executive Chairman, VGST, Govt. of Karnataka on the 15th of February
Alumni reunion of the biotechnology batches was organised.
The Biotechnology association organised a panel discussion on Career Opportunities in Life Sciences .The
discussion was jointly organised with Probiosys Labs, Bangalore.
A guest lecturer by Dr. Debra Bevitt, Deputy Head, Medical Sciences, University of New Castle.
Nishanth, Srisha, Gokul Kumar, Edward Patrick, Sugumar, Sanchia Christine Charles, Akshitha Ponnamma of II year
CBBt and Pavitra, Zubaid of III CBBT participated in the 3rd International Conference on Food Technology at IICPT,
Thanjavur.
Husain from II year CBBT has been part of the summer research project Speciation, adaptation and morphological
diversification; Evolution and genetics of butterfly wing patterns at NCBS. The research head is Dr. Krushnemegh
.They worked in a small town called Bongaigoan on the border of West Bengal and Meghalaya. Hussain also
represented the department in a panel discussion on dog menace in Bangalore at the TV9 news channel.
Students presented all the products that were developed to the college at the decennial celebrations. Manisha of III
CBBT developed soaps containing stabilised Aloe vera extracts. Zubaid and Pavitra from IIICBBT made soaps with
herbs. They also made grape fruit wine. The Wine is used for weight reduction. They have developed home made pH
paper strips from blue cabbage extracts. Neha and Monideepa made gooseberry, honey and coconut wine. Ayush
and John of IIICBBT made home made flavoured cheese. Nishanth, Srisha and Akshitha Ponnamma of II CBBT have
developed protein rich extract of mushroom and pickles of mushrooms developed from the lab. Priyanka, Pooja,
Athulya, Viola, of I CBBT have developed Yocake, Cake filled with good bacteria. All products were displayed at the
decennial celebration on the 15th of February, 2013. Sugumar, Gokul and Edward of IICBBT have developed
vermicompost from tea waste.
Mushroom cultivation has expanded with three varieties. Shitake, pink oysters and white oysters are available at
the lab.

Year 2013 - 2014

Organised a guest lecture by Dr. Justin.V.McCarthy, Director of Biotechnology, University College Cork, Ireland.
Dr.Steve Barton from Kingston college, London presented a talk on Pharmaceutical analysis using capillary and gel
electrophoresis.
Madappa M.B and ten students attended the national conference, Bioneers at Jain university, Bangalore. Gokul
Kumar and Edward Partrick presented a paper titled Evaluation of soil containing Tea powder wastes
vermicomposted by using Eudrilus eugeniae.
The department won the overall trophy in the intercollegiate biotechnology competitions Operons organised by
Christ college
Organised an intercollegiate fest BIONAKSHA
Organised a plant show with collaboration with Indo-American Pvt ltd
Mushroom cultivation unit was set up by the department at the third floor.
The department has initiated collaborations with HCG Hospitals for support towards student projects.
Year 2014-15
Dr. Grace Prabhakar completed her Ph. D. from UAS, Bangalore. Her thesis was entitledQTL pyramiding for drought
tolerance and grain yield in rice (Oryza sativa L.).
The department has completed ten years of undergraduate Biotechnology education and has now been funded by
DBT for STAR COLLEGE STATUS along with the departments of Botany and Chemistry. This scheme aims to
strengthen undergraduate science education. Dr. Susan Mary Philip of the Department is the overall coordinator of
this program.
Student Projects: The final UG students have undertaken projects as part of their course work either singly or in
groups of two. Projects include Tissue culture of Taxusbaccata, Effect of herbal extracts on microbial growth,
Extraction of pectin from papaya, green apple and lemon, Phytochemical Analyses and chromatographic profiles of
secondary metabolites in different tea samples, endemic plants from the North East India, Analysis of capsaicin
content of different varieties of chillies, to name a few.
The previous years student projects were edited and published as book for internal circulation.
Vishakha B.N, Mahesh VR, Oneil Arul Nathan of III CBBT and Rajesh V, Sushmitha HS, Karthik H and Joe PremBriyand
of II CZBt presented papers during the National Conference on Biological Advances and its relevance to the
environment on the 2nd and 3rd of September, 2014, at National Science College, Bangalore.

TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS

Mr. Madappa M.B attended the International Conference on Entrepreneurial Development: Challenges and
the role of teachers at Jyoti Nivas College on the 16th and 17th of September, 2014
Mr. Madappa also attended a one day workshop on Governance in Jesuit Higher Education at St. Josephs
College of Commerce on November 14th, 2014
Mr. Madappa M.B, Dr. Grace Prabhakar and Dr. Susan Philip attended the Science Genome Conference at
the Nimhans Convention Centre on November 18th, 2014.
Four CBBt/CZBt students attended a one day workshop on Floursecence microscopy at Dr. H. Krishna
Murthys lab at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore. Rajesh V, Kauser Begum, Adrian
DaCosta and SnehaMondal attended the workshop.
Dr. Susan Philip attended a one day workshop on Choice Based Credit System on the 8 th of January, 2015, at
the Jnanbaharthi Campus, Bangalore University.
Dr. Susan Philip, along with six students (Rahul Das, Mahalakshmi D, VeenaSalomi, Dinesh Rubban from III
CBBt and Parinisha L, Nidhi Rani Lokesh from I CZBt) attended a one day seminar on Stem Cells and
Regenerative Medicine, organized by the Society for Regenerative medicine and Tissue Engineering at the
School of Regenerative Medicine (SORM), Manipal University.
Twenty two students from across all three years of CBBt and CZBt attended a two day workshop on Animal
Cell Culture organized at Sri RaghvendraBiotechnolgies, Jakkur, a DSIR Accredited lab. Students attended
these workshops in two batches on the 20th/21st and 27th/28th of February, 2015.
Twenty five students attended hands-on training session in HPLC by Biopractice solutions Pvt. Ltd. in March,
2015.
Industrial Tour to Coorg and Mysore, 13th 16th February, 2015
GKVK visit: The students of IIICBBt were taken on a field visit to KrishiMela at GKVK on the 21st of November
2014, as part of their industrial biotechnology course.
GUEST LECTURES ORGANISED
Dr. Ravi ChandranNayar, Dean of the Centre for Academic Research and Consultant Otolarygologist at Health
Care Global Pvt. Ltd, spoke to students on Basic Sciences and Medicine on the 11th of July, 2014
A talk about GM Crops: Technology, Opportunities and Challenges by Dr. Ramamohan G., the Regulatory
and Scientific affairs lead at Monsanto India, on the 5th of January, 2015
Prof. John Kirby, Head of the Applied Immunology and transplantation research group, at Newcastle
University UK, spoke to our students on Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Applications in Immunology, on the
9th of February, 2015.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EMERGING TRENDS IN DNA RESEARCH, 3 RD/4TH OF MARCH, 2015
The Department is organizing a UGC sponsored National Conference on Emerging Trends in DNA Research.
The focus areas are DNA research in Ecology and Environment, Plant, Animal and Medical Biotechnology.
Dr. JagadishMittur, Head of the Biotech Facilitation Cell of the Department of IT/BT, Govt of Karnataka and
formerly, Director of Monsanto Research Centre Bangalore, has consented to be the keynote speaker. Other
confirmed speakers include Dr. Malali Gowda, Director of the NGS facilty a C-CAMP, Bangalore. Dr. VVS
Suryanarayana, Professor (Emeritus) at IVRI, Dr. G Ravikanth from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology
and Environment, Bangalore, among others.We are also having a showcase of Undergraduate and
Postgraduate research, as both oral presentations and posters.

Certificate Course offered by the Department:Certificate course in Plant biotechnology is being

offered from the department by Prof. Madappa M.B.

Year 2015-16
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS
Training on Mushroom Cultivation: The Department conducted a one-day mushroom training on 16th,
January, 2016. There were fourteen participants. Hands-on training in the packing and raising of oyster
mushrooms was done. In addition, the participants were given insight into the various types of edible
cultivated mushrooms, their cultivation packages and the marketability.
Workshop on Basics of Animal Cell Culture and MTT Assay: A workshop was conducted in collaboration
with Sri Raghavendra Biotechnologies Pvt. Ltd., a DSIR accredited lab in Jakkur, on the Basics of Animal Cell
culture. Students were introduced to the theoretical aspects of Animal cell culture and basics of stem cell
therapy by Dr. Jyothsna. A. Rao. PhD and Postdoctoral students from Manipal Universitys School of
Regenerative medicine, who work in this lab, handled the laboratory procedures.
The workshop was conducted as two separate modules:
1) Basics of Animal Tissue Culture (2 days)
2) MTT Assay (2 days)
Twenty one students from second year CBBT/CZBT attended these workshops as two batches. The first batch of
students attended the workshop for the first topic on 27-02-15 and 28-02-15, in the SRB laboratory in Jakkur,
Bangalore. Topics covered were Sterilization techniques, Media preparation, Thawing, Cell counting and
Trypsinization.
The Second module on MTT Assays was conducted on 7-12-15 and 8-12-15 in their lab in HCG, Bangalore. This
module involved checking HeLa cell viability against an anti-cancer drug and the basics of drug testing.
The second batch of students covered these topics over 3 days in the HCG lab from the 11 th to the 13th of January,
2016
Students were exposed to new techniques, uses of different reagents and equipments. The procedure was first
demonstrated by lab technicians and students were given turns to do the experiment. Students were helped and
guided by the technicians. Students were kept busy with practical questions about the procedure helping them
develop a better questioning and reasoning ability. General feedback from the students was that the students
enjoyed learning topics in a practical way and were benefited by learning how to handle the equipment.
INDUSTRIAL VISIT-The students of final year Czbt/Cbbt were on a industrial trip from Feb-29 to march 3rd.
DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES
Department of Biotechnology organizes Dark Science: The department organized an event called Dark Science
during the tackle fest inorder to demystify science and unravel the science behind various superstitions and beliefs.
The event sought to introduce students to the joys of learning science and understand the principles underlying
various scientific endeavours.
Live Crib competition: The students of the department were encouraged to participate in the live crib competition
organized by the Christian Students Association as part of their Christmas celebration. The department scripted the
depiction and helped organize the costumes. The participation was widely lauded and had received the 1st place.

On the 17th of July, the Biotechnology Association - the Green Gene Guild kick started its activities for the
academic year 2015-16 with an event called Spin, Twist, Win! There was a Twister game and a spin wheel;
and contestants had to answer questions based on basic science. The games combined both general
knowledge and fun. The agenda was to make the non-biotech students of the college aware of the existence
of the GGG association. The event took place at the quadrangle during the lunch break, sharing the space
with the NSS carnival. The presence of the carnival helped us attract a large audience, and created a general

atmosphere of excitement.
As we all know, behind every successful project there lies endless amount of hard work. From the deciding of
games to the setting up of game props to the final execution, there was a team of dedicated students and
professors of the Biotechnology Department. The responses from the crowd were mostly positive. The
games were really good, we had fun, said a student from 1st EMS.
The association held a fundraiser on the 15 of September at 1:00 in the quadrangle. There were many food
and game stalls. The food on sale included caramel pudding, mocktails, chocolate truffles and Death by
Chocolate; which were prepared by the students themselves. Games such as Housie, Untangle the tangle
and Wheel of Fortune attracted a lot of people. There were songs that could be dedicated, and people could
also dedicate pretty yellow-flowered plants to their friends. Some students also got beautiful mehendi done
at the mehendi stall. The GGG experienced a reasonably large turnout to their fundraiser. Students enjoyed
themselves with the food and games, and some even danced to the music playing!
The GGG was a part of the Tackle fest held recently in the college. The Tackle fest is an initiative which
provides a day of fun and learning for middle school students. Members of the GGG put together a scary
house, called Dark Science which would entertain the students, while simultaneously educating them about
simple laboratory procedures and experiments. The exhibit was open to students and lecturers of the
college also. The Scary House was enjoyed by all who saw it. It garnered a fair amount of screams, but most
people said that it was more entertaining than scary.
GGG Wins Best Decorated Area For Nirvaan: Nirvaan, the annual inter-collegiate cultural fest was held on
the 12th and 13th of March, 2016. The GGG was requested to decorate the entrance to the Science block for
the fest, in accordance with the theme Cartoons of the 90s . Members of the GGG rose to the occasion
and did a great job with the artwork. There were cardboard cutouts of Dexter, Barney, Captain Planet, the
Powerpuff girls and many other cartoon characters. The students also created a life-size replica of The
Flintstones car. The members of the GGG deserve commendation for the long hours of work they put in to
decorate the area. They were very enthusiastic and willing to stay after class hours to complete the work.
Many students from visiting colleges praised the artwork and took pictures with the cartoon characters. The
GGG was rewarded for their dedication and sincerity with the award for Best Decorated Area for Nirvaan.
The GGG also hosted an event called Murder Mystery on the second day, which had many participants. They
enjoyed the event and hoped to be able to participate in it next year too.
Helix- the annual magazine of the department would be released on the 16th of March, 2016. It is an
anthology of scientific articles and snippets that pertain to biotechnology.

STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Mr. Madappa won the Special Appreciation Poster Award at International Symposium on Microbiome in Health and
Diseases for his paper titled Comparative Account of Gut flora of two vermicomposting species of earthworms
Eisenia foetida and Perionyx excavatus along with Pooja A, Izzy J, Kanchan N, Liuchina CH, Khan S and Vinutha R.
Dr. Grace Prabhakar gave a talk on Molecular Makers in Plant Biotechnology at the UGC sponsored two day
lecture workshop organized by the Sree Siddaganga College of Arts, Science and Commerce for Women, Tumkur on
the 25th and 26th of August, 2015.
Dr. Susan Philip was selected to attend a three day pedagogy workshop for undergraduate science teachers
on 10th to 12th March, 2016, at IISER Pune, jointly organised by IISER Pune with DBT, the British Council and
University of Sheffield.
Dr. Susan Philip presented progress under the DBT Star College scheme at St. Joseph's College to a National expert
committee at Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
Dr. Susan Philip was part of the Selection Committee to interview and select students for a government scheme to
provide practical industrial training, the Biotechnology Practical Industrial Training Program (BITP) for
M.Sc./M.Tech./B.E./B.Tech students, under the Department of Biotechnology and the Biotech Consortium India
Limited.
Papers published
Ancy David., Bopiah, A.K., Madappa, M.B., 2015, RAPD Analysis of rapidly multiplied in In vitro plantlets of
Anthurium andreanum Bicolour Var Agnihotri. IOSR J. Biotech. and Biochem., 1 (3): C0131014.
Grace Sharon Arul Selvi, Kahani, F. and Hittalmani, S., 2015, Stability Analysis of rice root QTL-NILs and pyramids for
root morphology and grain yield. J. Rice Res., 3(4): 153-158
Shilpa Reddy B and Grace Prabhakar, 2016, Aerobic rice: the answer for water and fertigation optimal use.
Proceedings of the International Conference on Green Technologies and Sustainable Environment. St. Josephs
College, February 26th and 27th, 2016.
Edward Patrick, Gokul Kumar, Madappa M.B. and Susan Philip, 2016, A preliminary comparative analysis of Biodiesel
produced from used and fresh edible oils. Proceedings of the International Conference on Green Technologies and
Sustainable Environment. St. Josephs College, February 26th and 27th, 2016.
Gokul Kumar, Madappa M.B. ELAUATION OF TEA WASTES AFTER VERMICOMPOSTING.Proceedings of the
International Conference on Green Technologies and Sustainable Environment. St. Josephs College, February 26 th
and 27th, 2016.

Baby Gives Back

By Annie Megan Santamaria (I CZBT)

I was on Pinterest the other day and came across one of those fun
fact sort of posts. This post stated that, When a pregnant woman
suffers organ damage, the fetus sends stem cells to repair the
damage. I was intrigued by this notion. Ive heard great things about
cord blood and research thats being done on stem cells that would
help prevent and cure all sorts of diseases. Now lets look at what a
stem cell is.

A stem cell is an undifferentiated cell that can give rise to an

A
stem cellnumber
is an undifferentiated
cell
thatcells
can give
an to
indefinite
of stem cells. All
these
haverise
theto
ability
indefinite number of stem cells. All these cells have the ability to
differentiate into different types of cells within the body of a fetus.
In a nutshell, most of the cells that we find in our body- like the
cardiomyocytes of the heart- stem from the stem cell. Scientists
are devoting time to differentiating these blank-slate cells from
fetuses into brain cells, light-sensing retinal cells, blood cells, and
more to replace damaged or destroyed tissues in the body.
A group of scientists from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, did a study on the correlation of recovery from heart
attacks and pregnancy in mice. The researchers started with two lines of mice, normal mice and mice genetically
engineered to express green fluorescent protein (GFP). GFP glows in a distinctive green color in cells when exposed
to blue light. They mated the normal female mouse with a GFP-producing male to ensure that half of the resulting
progeny would have the GFP gene. Halfway through the term of a mouse pregnancy (around 12 days) the
researchers induced a heart attack in half of the pregnant mice.
In two weeks time, they examined the heart tissue of these female mice. They found lots of glowing green tissue-the
cells that came from the fetus- in the mothers heart. Mice who had heart attacks had eight times as many cells from
the fetus in their hearts as mice who hadnt had a heart attack did, meaning the high volume of fetal cells was a
response to the heart attack.Although, there is some evidence that the fetus may send cells to the mother
homeostatically (as an ongoing process) and therefore the fetus may not be sending stem cells to the mother in
response to the heart attack.
Many women who experience weakness of the heart during or after pregnancy have shown a higher recovery rate
than any other group of heart failure patients. An observation was made that two women who suffered from severe
heart weakness had cells derived from a male fetus years after they gave birth to sons.
This seems to hold true for other organs like the brain, lungs and liver, as well. It strengthens the theory that these
stem cells flow through the circulatory system of the mother and arent sent to the mother in times of distress.
The beauty of this research is that it does not bank on embryonic stem cells, given the controversial status of
embryo-destructive research. A second or third semester fetus can donate extra stem cells. These stem cells are
considered to be adults. Like the stem cells found in the cord blood of neonates. Most hospitals preserve cord
blood after childbirth, so this research could go a long way in helping not only the new born child but also his or her
parents and siblings.
Reference: Rina J. Kara et al. Fetal Cells Traffic to Injured Maternal Myocardium and Undergo Cardiac
Differentiation.Circulation Research, published online November 14, 2011. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.111.249037

Gilbert Syndrome

Gilbert syndrome often shortened as GS is a genetic liver disorder and is the most common hereditary
cause of increased bilirubin and is found in up to 3-12% of the population. A major characteristic symptom
is jaundice, caused by elevated levels of unconjugated bilirubin in the bloodstream. The cause of this
hyper-bilirubinaemia is the reduced activity of the enzyme glucuronyltransferase, which conjugates
bilirubin and few other lipophilic molecules. Conjugation renders the bilirubin water-soluble, after which it
is exerted in bile into the duodenum. Mild Jaundice is the main sign of GS, it may appear under conditions
of exertion, stress, fasting, and infections, but the condition is otherwise usually asymptomatic. Severe
cases are seen by yellowing of body parts as in jaundice. Symptoms of GS mostly are constant fatigue, loss
of concentration power, loss of appetite, nausea, etc., but scientific studies found no clear pattern of
adverse symptoms related to elevated levels of unconjugated bilirubin.
How GS IS CAUSED.

Genetic variation in bilirubin UDP-glucurnosyltransefase (UGT) gene promoter and Gilberts

syndrome.
The genetic basis of Gilberts syndrome is ill defined; this is commonly known as hyperbilirubinaemia. This is caused by reduced hepatic bilirubin UGT is associated with this syndrome. In
this article there was an experiment which was conducted among 12 youngsters whose blood
samples were collected, their findings were that the people with 7/7 genotype had higher bilirubin
concentration than those with 6/7 and 6/6 genotype. Where all of those youngsters underwent
fasting for a day, by this they found the suspects.

INFERENCE: All these healthy people were mixed with those who had Gilberts syndrome and they were
differentiated when their bilirubin concentration increased during unfavorable conditions and this was due
to the mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme UGT.i

Gilberts syndrome is caused by a homozygous missense mutation (Tyr486Asp) of bilirubin UDPglucurnosyltranseface gene.
Gilberts syndrome is caused by a homozygous missense mutation of the gene have previously been
recognized as responsible for Crigler-Najjar syndrome type II.

INFERENCE: Gilbert syndrome in some patients results from mutation of UGT gene.ii
The Advantages of GILBERT syndrome:

Gilberts syndrome and ischemic heart disease: a protective effect of elevated bilirubin levels.
Oxidation processes play an important role in atherogenesis. Bilirubin IX is recognized as a potent
antioxidant. In the study we know the role of elevated serum bilirubin in prevention of ischemic heart
disease (IHD). The occurrence of IHD was determined in Gilberts syndrome (GS) patient above 40 years.
Compared to 12.1 % population Bilirubin, total antioxidant capacity and high density lipoprotein (HDL)
cholesterol were found to be significantly higher in GS subjects compared to control groups. Hyper
bilirubinaemia rather than elevation of HDL cholesterol levels seemed to be more important in
protection from IHD.

INFERENCE: In the present study, low prevalence of IHD in GS subjects was detected. It may be
presumed that chronic hyper bilirubinaemia prevent the development of IHD by increasing the serum
antioxidant capacity.iii
Gilbert syndrome, UGT 1A1* 28 allele, and cardiovascular disease risk: possible protective effects and
therapeutic applications of bilirubin.
Serum bilirubin has been shown to be inversely related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in both
retrospective and prospective studies. The association of serum bilirubin and CVD and the possible
protective roles of bilirubin are focused, heme oxygenase (HO), and bilirubin UGT 1A1. HO and biliverdin
reductase control the formation of bilirubin, whereas UGT 1A1 controls bilirubin conjugation. The
slightly elevated serum bilirubin level gives prospected studies on CVD risk in individuals with GS. Such
individuals have decreased hepatic bilirubin UDP-Gt, decreased bilirubin clearance.

INFERENCE: The therapeutic approaches that could be used to increase serum bilirubin concentration to
prevent CVD and other oxidative and inflammatory diseases, which are normally found in GS subjects.iv

Reduced circulating oxidized LDL is associated with hypocholesterolemia and enhanced thiol status in
Gilbert syndrome.
A protective association between bilirubin and atherosclerosis clearly exists in vivo. However, the
relationship between bilirubin and in vivo oxidative stress parameters in a clinical population remains
poorly described. People expressing Gilbert syndrome are protected from thiol oxidation and to
determine if this, in addition to their improved lipoprotein profile. GS subjects possessed elevated
plasma reduced thiol. Protein carbonyl concentrations were negatively associated with bilirubin
concentrations.
The absolute LDL concentrations were significantly lower in GS subjects. These findings implicate the
physiological importance of bilirubin in protecting from atherosclerosis by reducing thiol and
subsequent lipoprotein oxidation, in addition to reducing circulating LDL concentrations.

INFERENCE: Bilirubin is associated with the prevention of thiol and protein oxidation in vivo. Gilbert syndrome
subjects have higher plasma antioxidants and improved oxidative stress status versus controls. Elevated
bilirubin is associated with improved lipid status in humans. Bilirubin may act via multiple pathways to prevent
cardiovascular diseases. This proves a possible role of unconjugated bilirubin (or UGT1A1 activity) in reducing
circulating total and HDL cholesterol concentrations in the hyper bilirubinemic subjects which decreases the
possibility of CVD and protections from IHD.v

Conclusion: The current status of GS is unknown. The recent study doesnt have a clear note on why GS is
caused, no clear treatment is observed anywhere in the study, but the only things that are available is that
it is a genetic disorder which doesnt cause much problems at normal status and has a protective power
over CVD. This shows that GS is a positive disorder to human health, but the only question arising in my
mind is that what happens if the unconjugated bilirubin levels increase more and more will the mild
jaundice increase, will there be cirrhosis? Have to make clearer studies on this.

Intelligence: Not Restricted To Vertebrates?

By Chinmayi G Raj (III CZBT)
When one talks about learning, intelligence and responsiveness (other than in humans), more often than not, a
variety of vertebrates fill up the picture in our mind. It might be other primates ( cousins of sort) or dolphins or
whales (aquatic mammals which have a stupendous communication system) or elephants (who are expert crop
raiders) or the big cats (with exceptional hunting skills) or great predators like the white shark, grizzly bear, crocs
and so on. But this article intends to shine light on some of the uncommon smarties.
Plants and trees have some savvy communication systems. Symbiotic relationship of forest trees and mycorrhizal
fungi is a common fact (forest trees cant grow without them because they havent got enough access to the
minerals in the soil, and the fungi cant grow without the trees because they have no chlorophyll and therefore
cant manufacture sugars), however, recent findings suggest that the fungi dont surround just one tree. By
employing radioactive tools, researchers have discovered the passage of nutrients between two different tree
species over a large area through fungi. Species that usually do not perform well during winter were supplied with
food materials by the conifers which do relatively better and vice versa. Warning messages about predators are
shared by this network. Pheromones are distributed though mycorrhizal fibres to warn other trees of an imminent
insect attack! It somewhat resembles our social networking communications. It sure is marvelous!
Everyone is familiar with the primary school example of response to stimulus mechanism- Mimosa pudica, A.K.A
the touch-me-not plant. Monica Gagliano, a plant physiologist or a plant neurobiologist as she likes to call
herself, has discovered a learning behavior in Mimosa plants. On exposure to a certain type of a touch stimulus
over a relatively short period of time, Mimosa plants showed a decline or waning in response to that stimulus. This
behavior is called habituation. Along with this, Mimosa plants were able to remember the difference between an
apparent and a real threat, and retained this discrimination in their memory.
With a name like slime mould one would assume that it would be gross and repulsive. Regardless, one kind of
slime mould, Physarumpolycephalus is believed to possess the characters of primitive intelligence. Physarum is
yellow slime, often seen inhabiting moist, cool places. It is a eukaryotic model organism used in cell motility studies.
It exhibits rhythmic to and fro flow of its protoplasm. Dr. Nagakakis studies have shown that the unicellular
Physarum possess maze-solving abilities. When Physarum is kept on one end of the maze and a food treat is kept
on the other end, it extends its tendrils through the maze, mapping it. It then makes some complex decision and
retracts the tendrils that did not find food. It leaves behind its slime to mark the ventured territory that does not
lead to the food (this acts like an external memory).
Despite being devoid of neurons, these organisms are definitely cerebral. Learning, decision-making and other such
qualities, though widely observed in higher organisms, is present in less obvious ways in other life forms.

(Sources: National Geography, Scientific American)

Summer Project at Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology

By Karan Dubey(IICZBT)
Between 2nd and 9th of November 2015, our team of five members (Nidhi Rani Lokesh, Sanjay S, Syed Ismail
A, Tejas Rao and myself) split ourselves into three groups to work on our respective research projects in
the outskirts of Agumbe Hobli at the Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology. Nidhi studied the species
specific interactions between butterfly larvae and plant species. This involved predetermining plant and
butterfly larval species that are found in that geographical region and studying their habitats/habits after
finding them on-site. She checked multiple plants in different micro-environments and tabulated her
findings on a daily basis. This would enable her to determine why certain plant species attract more
butterfly species than others. Ismail started off with a spider population census to understand the
demographics of the spider population in the area before fixating on a specific project. This involved
checking and listing out spiders seen in all micro-environments that he visited and also doing an overall
species specific count. Tejas conducted a study on the variation in colour of the Bicoloured frog
(Clinotarsus curtipes) where he looked for Bicoloured frogs in their suitable habitats and took note of the
changes in their appearace, namely colour, through different stages in it's life span. This enabled him to
understand why there is so much variation in appearance within the same species and link it to a certain
environmental factor. Sanjay and I conducted a study on dietary variations of a common avian species
(Indian Golden Oriole, Oriolus kundoo) in a migrational year. Each session (three in total) involves following
the subject species around and taking a note of the number of times it feeds in a day, feeding frequency,
what it's eating, etc. This study is split into pre-migrational, post migrational and inter-migrational
observational periods.
All our projects are still works in progress; we're due to go back to Agumbe at least two more times to
continue our work and complete or begin our projects. On the whole, we found at least 35 species of birds,
over 50 species of spiders and several frogs and butterflies. The internship was also a huge learning
experience for us; I learnt a lot about frogs, butterflies and especially a lot about spiders (thanks to Ismail
whose knowledge on the subject is immense) and snakes (due to an activity that our facillitator gave me;
even though I'm pretty sure it was so that I didn't annoy him in the time between when I had to go on
field). It was great even though our work didn't unfold as we expected it to. We came back from the facility
satiated with the great food they incessantly gave us, humbled by their hospitality and extremely
exhausted from all the wood-cutting and bridge-building that we did during our free time. Even as our
exams approach, I think we all are counting down the days to when we can go back to Agumbe rather than
focusing on what matters.

So Thats A No On The Superhumans

By Annie (I CZBT)
I always wondered whether it was possible for a man to have a pair of Y chromosomes at the 23 rd pair.
Would that be the perfect man? Ironically, I never wondered about the perfect woman. A normal
human being has 46 chromosomes. The last pair are called the sex chromosomes, theyre XX for a female
and XY for a male.
Unfortunately, a man with only YY sex chromosomes simply cant exist naturally. Maybe an embryo could
be grown artificially but it wouldnt survive. This is because it would lack all the necessary genes found
exclusively on the X chromosome, like synthesis of specific proteins. But wait! Theres more. Males with
the karyotype 44+XYY do exist and are referred to as super men. Theyre perfectly healthy and fertile.
These men also have an average IQ. They are usually on the taller side and suffer from severe acne. All in
all, just your Average Joe. XYY syndrome is very common and occurs in 1 in every 1,000. 44+XYY is not
inherited, but usually occurs as a random event during the formation of sperm cells.
In the late 1960s studies on men with XYY syndrome showed that these men were highly aggressive,
suffered from severe mental illness and led lives of crime. This is why the 44+XYY karyotype is sometimes
referred to as the International Criminal Complement. These studies were biased and were mostly done
on men in mental asylums and prisons. The stigma that men with an extra Y chromosome are more
aggressive still exists and is propagated by TV shows and comics like CSI (Season 5, Episode 4) and Artemis:
Requiem (Deadfall), respectively.
Conversely, women with karyotype 44+XXX exist as well. The syndrome is called Turners Syndrome or
Triple X. These women are sometimes called super women. Triple X results during division of a parent's
reproductive cells and occurs about once in every 1,000 female births. These women may be taller than
average, suffer from learning disabilities and have rudimentary female characteristics. Although, they are
fertile too.
The relationship between the X and Y chromosomes can be explained thusly; The X chromosome can be
described as the "software" and the Y as a patch. The patch doesn't work without the necessary software,
but the software runs fine on its own.
On the far end of the spectrum, there are rare cases of individuals with 48 chromosomes. They have the
karyotype 44+XXYY and are considered to be male. XXYY syndrome is a sex chromosome anomaly that is
thought to occur in about one in 18,000 males in the general population. Boys with XXYY syndrome usually
come to the attention of physicians because of unique facial features, developmental delays, late puberty
and behavioral problems.
To sum up, females have a double X and males have XY chromosomes for a reason. This is the ideal
permutation and years of evolution back this decision. Also, not much is known about the elusive Y
chromosome and all the traits present on it.
Descended from apes! My dear, let us hope that it is not true, but if it is, let us pray that it will not become
generally known.- Remark attributed to the wife of the Bishop of Worcester after Darwins theory of
evolution was explained to her.

The Lancet
2nd March 1996, vol.347(9001)
G. Mongahan PhD, M Ryan MRCPath.
ii

The Journal of Pediatrics

June 1998, vol.132(6)
Yoshihiro Maruo MD, Hiroshi Sato PhD.
iii

Atherosclerosis
February 2002, vol.160(2)
Libor Vitek.
iv

Atherosclerosis
May 2008, vol.198(1)
Harvey A. Schwertner, Libor Vitek.
v

Free Radical Biology and Medicine

15th May 2012, vol.52(10)
Ai-Ching Boon, Clare L. Hawkins.

Neanderthals used chemistry to start fire 50,000 years ago

By Priya Bhowal(II CZBT)

According to ZME science reports, Neanderthals used chemistry tricks to light fire about 50,000 years ago. A team of
Dutch scientists shared their analysis, in a paper published in Scientific Reports, of small chunks of manganese oxides
that they discovered the Pech-de-lAz I cave in southwest France. Initially, studies suggested that such blocks were
used in cave drains and body painting but further investigations point that this use was secondary to the
Neanderthals.
The research team conducted a series of tests to study the effects of manganese oxide on ignition. It was found that,
this compound, which is abundant in nature, can be used to reduce the auto-ignition temperature of wood and
increase the rate of char combustion. This would have made lighting fire easier for the humans.
Evidence of Neanderthals grinding these blocks onto powder suggests that they were using it as fuel.
(Courtesy: mentalfloss.com)

Some intriguing discoveries and inventions

By Priya Bhowal (II CZBT)

The Drinkable Book

With over 3.4 million people dying every year due to problems associated with water, hygiene and sanitation, a
portable water filter is what we actually need rather than an iPhone. Dr. Theresa Dankovich and a team of
scientists from Carnegie Mellon and the University of Virginia created The Drinkable Book. Once water has been
passed through a page of the book, it comes out of the other side with a 99.9% reduction in bacteria, which makes it
comparable to tap water in the USA.
It works because each page is coated with silver nanoparticles. Positively charged silver ions interfere with a
bacteriums metabolism, producing substances called reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS damage the cell
membrane, as well as DNA and proteins. Consequently, the bacterium dies. Each filter can offer 30 days of clean
water- up to 100 litres, and each book can last up to 4 years.
The text printed on each page of the book helps educate people about water safety, by explaining the importance of
keeping garbage and human waste away from water supply. Till now, the filters have undergone successful trials in
developing countries. However the papers arent yet capable of destroying organisms like protozoa and viruses.

HIV Detector
Scientists from the University of Montreal have designed a machine made of DNA that can diagnose infectious and
autoimmune diseases like HIV and rheumatoid arthritis. It can recognise the specific antibody by binding to it and
creating a signal by generating light signals within five minutes.

Microbe fingerprints
Criminals can now be identified with the help of microbe fingerprints. All of us have bacteria living on us but the
combination differs from person to person. Scientists from the University of Oregon could tell 11 people apart simply
by sampling the air around them.
(courtesy: BBC knowledge, Vol 6; Issue 2; February 2016)

Industrial Tour Report 2016

The department of Biotechnology organized a four-day industrial tour for the third year students from 29 February to 3
March 2016. This tour was organized to familiarize students with the general industrial environment.
Day 1:
The students visited Skei ice cream factory in Kumbalgod. Various types of fermentors and bioreactors used in ice cream
manufacture were shown to the students. They also entered the cold room, where the ice cream is stored at -22 to -25
degree Celsius. Students learnt the step by step production of ice cream which involved processes like pasteurization,
flavor addition, preservation and packaging of the ice cream.
The next stop was at Microlabs. An employee of Microlabs conducted a presentation on self motivation and stressed on its
importance. He briefed about the various projects and activities going on in Microlabs. Students were shown the different
types of reactors when they were given a tour of the lab. A few students had the opportunity to enter the clean room and
learnt the meticulous procedures that were to be followed before entering the clean room.
After this, the students visited the workshop of the famous Channapatna wooden toys. The students witnessed the
making of beautiful articles from wooden blocks. They learnt that the colors used for the articles were prepared from
organic ingredients and the lustrous polish was from mere palm leaf. Myriad articles manufactured here were on sale for
the students.
The last stop for the day was Heritage wines in Channapatna. The students were shown a video presentation about
Heritage wines and then taken for a tour of the production area. The students saw crushers, huge fermentation barrels
and packaging machines. The students lined up for wine tasting; they tasted six types of wine including Shiraz, Cabernet
among others.
Day 2:
First stop was Labland- a tissue culture plant in Mysore. Labland works with banana, anthurium and jatropha. These
plants are tissue cultured and acclamitized in the greenhouses. The founding CEO spoke to students about
entrepreneurship and various facilities provided by the Karnataka state government.
The next visit was Mysore University. The students visited the esteemed drosophila stock centre, where over 40
Drosophila species are maintained and are made available free of cost for research purposes. The students visited the
room that contains hundreds of culture bottles. A few mutants were focused under the microscope for observation. The
students observed the numerous animal specimens in the zoological museum. Students also visited the animal rooms
where albino rats and mice were bred for research purposes.
Defense Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysore was the next stop, where processed foods are produced for varying
needs of the military. The students were shown a 20 minute video presentation that gave an overview of the various
aspects of food processing and its unexaggerated importance. Later, students were taken to room where samples of all
kinds of processed food produced by DFRL were on display. A DFRL researcher explained the students the principle of
various kinds of processed food.
Day 3:
Students visited the scenic Glenlorna Tea Estate in Hudikeri. The students were given a tour of the factory and briefly
explained the various stages of tea processing. Processes of withering, crushing, separation of fibers were explained to
students.
Students visited Iruppu falls, Nisargadhama and Buddhist monastery in Bylakuppe in leisure time.

Transport Proteins Our Heroes In The Fight Against Alzheimers?

By Alishiya Murali (IIICZBT)

What are transport proteins? The cartoon says it all, albeit in a nutshell transport proteins transport molecules
across membranes. The actual properties and mechanism of transport proteins is probably more complex than Iron
Mans artificial intelligence system. Here, were going to look at the importance of transport proteins as a possible
treatment for Alzheimers disease.
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia among older people. One of the main features of AD
is the presence of abnormal clumps of the protein fragment beta-amyloid in the brain. So if we could find a way to
remove these clumps from the brain, wed be a step closer to treating the disease. Heres where transport proteins
are relevant they could be used to transport the amyloid plaques out of the brain.
A certain transport protein ABCC1 has a key role in clearing beta-amyloid from the brain of mice. ABCC1 can be
activated using an FDA-approved drug called thiethylperazine. This method does make sense in theory. Trials still
need to be conducted to see if it is practically possible.
This is one example of the relevance of transport proteins. They are required in almost every physiological activity of
the body. Bottom line: you and I wouldnt be alive without them. So hopefully you (the reader) is inspired to find out
more about transport proteins after reading this. And if youve read this entire article, well done! Give yourself a pat
on the back!
Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation, September 1, 2011

Wine
By Melvin victor(III CZBT)
The aromatic, bubbly, extremely rich and taste enhancing drink that fuels every foodie in town. Yes its wine. The
production of wines started in 6000bc with a process known as fermentation. With different types of grapes,
companies have brought out several categories of wine which please the taste buds of every individual. There are
many benefits to wine some are as listed below:
Wine contains tannins and procyanidins which lower the chances of heart disease, help in the hardening of enamel
and prevent tooth decay. Wine helps treat type-2 diabetes.
One of the best art forms that can be learned is wine and food pairing.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine with dark fruit flavors serve it with fried chicken.
Merlot is a low tannin wine best paired with spiced food.
Pinot noir spicy and earthly tastes serve with BBQ potato chips.

Have you heard of the famous saying old is gold? Well this one suits the best of wines. In comparison to red wine,
white wine has a lesser shelf life of 2 to 3 years. Aging of wine is marked successful when there is a proper balance
between tannin, acidity and fruitiness.
HOW TO PRESERVE RED WINE?
Due to the various types of red wines, the preservation techniques also differ.
Higher temperature spoils the taste of red wine, that is why cold temperature is recommended.
Now that you know all about wines, get out grab a bottle of wine and enjoy the drink.

The best part of pursuing biotechnology at st josephs college of arts and science is that we have wine making as
part of our syllabus and end of the course they have an industrial visit to a winery which helps us to understand the
industrial set up for production of wine. One of our assignments was to come up with our own recipe of wine. Every
student with their creativity came up with their recipes. Some of the recipes are as follows:

Gooseberry and Swiss dark chocolate in the ratio 2:1, where gooseberry act as a self-fermentor and is kept in
an earthen pot in a cold temperature.
A sweet mixture of raisins, apple juice, honey and some yeast. Where the yeast helps in fermentation and
additional sugar is added to accelerate the fermentation process.
Tamarind and tomato along with yeast, to form a bitter blend of healthy wine.

Every wine made was under the supervision of our highly educated and experienced teachers, who made sure that
the alcohol content was tested and all wines met consumable quality standards.

Report On Student Research

By Rajesh (IIICBT)

The Department of Biotechnology of St Josephs College as a part of its curriculum, gives an opportunity for the
students to conduct an experiment based on any topics. This kind of freedom to work on any topics not only
inculcates knowledge about the topic they chose but also gives an experience about how to develop their own
protocols for any project. These kinds of activity help them in the future studies when they take up any project of
their own in M.Sc and PhD levels. Many interesting topics for projects have been chosen by the students and few of
them are listed below along with its significance:
To isolate the pimple causing bacteria and testing it against the face wash creams that is available in the
market. This project not only gives knowledge for the students but also gives an idea about the fake
promises that is given by the company to the customers.
To test the amount of lactose present in different kinds of ice creams and yoghurt. This is helpful for people
who are lactose intolerant and gives an idea of which company is suited for them and which is not.
To culture bacteria from the pani puri available at different places of Bangalore and classify it. This project
helps knowing if any harmful bacteria are present in this food which can cause any harmful disease.
To isolate bacteria from the mouth, identifying it and testing it against the different paste available in the
market.
To check the fibre, carbohydrate and fat content in biscuits. This is helpful for those who are diabetic and
obese, which gives them an idea of what to consume on daily basis.
These kinds of projects are helpful for the students as well as for those who does not know about these products but
use them on daily basis.

Mushroom Cultivation Report

By Rajesh (IIICBT)

One of the most interesting activities conducted by the department of biotechnology is mushroom
cultivation. It was started in the year 2009. In 2011, shiitake mushrooms ( Lentinula edodes) were
cultivated, these mushrooms generally grow in cold climates. Other varieties of mushrooms cultivated in
our lab are: pink oyster, white oysters and some milky varieties of mushrooms. A training program is
conducted regularly by the department for students of other courses. In 2015, method of log culture was a
success with white oyster mushrooms.

Report on Nirvaan
By Ismail.A.(IICBT)
If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together
This is one proverb which epitomizes us biotech students, one such event that proves this point is Nirvaan
our colleges inter collegiate fest which involves all courses in college regardless, putting in effort to make
the fest a success. Its completely normal in our college to get last minute requests and a week before the
fest Nirvaan which was themed on cartoons based on the 90s, we were given the responsibility of
decorating the entrance of our college. This task was no joke as it requires a lot of effort as we received
that one place what would make an initial impression of the fest. Other than that we also had to organize
the murder mystery and the stand-up comedy event.
Time was short and work was all too much, to us it was nothing new. This is where the magic starts, all
three years get together, some meet for the first time, some are already casually acquainted. With
guidance from our teachers: Grace maam, Susan maam and Madappa sir we began making plans. The
thirds years were at their peaks with organizing and planning the various events. The first and second years
showed their skill in arts in the barrage of drawings of 90s cartoons drawn. The one section of our college
which I could tell was jostling with creativity was the Mushroom Culture(M.C) lab. To enter that the lab at
the time reminded me of those hard working OompaLoompas in Charlie and the chocolate factory running
around making beautiful chocolate. Though there werent any creepy songs like the Loompas , the laughter
was unlimited. We had people of similar talents and interests getting to know each other, and together
they made more masterpieces.
I remember the day right before the fest where we all stayed in college really late putting up all the
decorations, we were the last to leave . On the days of the fest our effort had really paid off, the
atmosphere was set right and that made a huge impact on the fest. The stand-up Comedy event was what
inaugurated the fest which went on really well spreading laughter and winning the crowd and the murder
mystery which was mostly concocted by some really *ahem* experienced group managed to have the
participants thinking and in turn making them do crazy things to find the killer.
The product of completing this colossal task made trivial with all our hand put together, and the result??
The result was us winning first place in the decorations, our efforts totally surpassed what any other
department produced. What we will remember is not the time spent in making decorations or executing
the events, but in making happy memories with friends and teachers. Simply stated, we are less me and
more we. We are Ohana, Ohana means family. Family never gets left behind or forgotten.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS

S
N

NAME OF THE
STUDENT

ACHIEVEMENTS

YEAR

Department of Biotechnology
1

Tashina Esteves

Works at Low Carbon Farming Expert at 2011-12

Environmental Defense Fund.

Bala Murugan

Works at
Bengaluru.

Namita Nandurkar

Worked at Sigma-Aldrich Corporation.

2011-12

Nishitha Giri

Works at Ecolab, Australia.

2011-12

Jayanthi Kumar

Pursuing Ph.D., Bangalore University.

2011-12

Rushil Fernandes

Sandeep Yadav

Research fellow at Centre of Bio-Medical 2011-12

Research.
Works in the Indian Air Force.
2011-12

Shruthi Sharma

Pursuing Ph.D.,The University of Sheffield, UK.

2011-12

Supreeth Nagendran

Ph.D. scholar at Bangalore University.

2011-12

10

Nishanth, Srisha, Gokul

Kumar, Edward Patrick,
Sugumar, Sanchia
Christine Charles,
AkshithaPonnamma,
Pavitra, Zubaid

Participated in the 3rd International 2012-13

Conference on Food Technology at IICPT,
Thanjavur.

11

Husain M

Was part of the summer research project 2013-14

Speciation, adaptation and morphological
diversification; Evolution and genetics of
butterfly wing patterns at NCBS, Bengaluru.

12

Lincy Joshua

Selected as Cytogeneticist at Sapthagiri 2013-14

Institute of Medical Science & Research
Center, Bangalore.

13

Meghna Rao

Ph.D. student at The University of Leeds.

Indian

Institute

of

Science, 2011-12

2013-14

14

Savita Raman

Ph.D. student at the University of Leeds

15

Jeru Manoj Manuel

Research fellow at National Institute of 2013-14

Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru.

16

V Sai Shyam

Research Assistant at NIMHANS, Bengaluru.

2013-14

17

Shravan Acharya

Ph.D. student at Monash University.

2013-14

18

Ranjana Pillai

Content Marketing Lead at Need Street.

2013-14

19

Sandeep Samson

IT Support/ Help Desk Engineer at Intertec.

2013-14

20

Vidushi Madaan

Project assistant at IISC, Bangalore.

2013-14

21

Samantha Gideon

HR Business Partner at Mu Sigma Inc.

2013-14

22

Althea Fernandes

Senior Scientific
Technology.

23

Svetlana Fernandes

Works at National Institute of Oceanography.

2013-14

24

Tisha George

Works at MPS Limited.

2013-14

25

Rosina Jose

Works at ICON Clinical Research.

2013-14

26

Harish Kumar

Works at Thomson Reuters.

2013-14

27

Pratima Jayaraj

Human Resources at Danaher Corporation.

2013-14

28

Gokul Kumar and

Edward Partrick

Presented a paper titled Evaluation of soil 2013-14

containing
Tea
powder
wastes
vermicomposted by using Eudriluseugeniae.

29

Vidya V Rao

JRF at K S Hegde Medical College.

30

Sebastian John

Junior Research Fellow at Rajiv Gandhi Centre 2013-14

For Biotechnology (RGCB).

31

Deepthi Varghese

Teaching Assistant at UConn, USA.

32

Tanmay Gupta

Ph.D. Scholar at The University of Edinburgh, 2013-14

UK.

33

Amulya Lisha

Teacher at CMR National Public School

Analyst

at

2013-14

Genotypic 2013-14

2013-14

2013-14

2013-14

34

Sumitha Anand

Commercial Assistant - IMM

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Dept.

at 2013-14

35

Debleena Guin

Junior Research Fellow at Institute

Genomics & Integrative Biology.

of 2013-14

36

Manupriyam Dubey

Ph.D. student at Universit de Lausanne.

37

Puspa Sharma

Works at Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, 2013-14

Bhutan.

38

Joseph Sebastian K

Research Scholar at Karnatak University, 2013-14

Dharwad.

39

Asha Rajendran

Manager at Indian Bank.

40

Vinay Bhat

Assistant Professor at East Point College of 2013-14

Engineering and Technology, Bengaluru.

41

Verdi Sangma

Works at CSIR-National Botanical Research 2013-14

Institute, Lucknow, India.

42

Shivani Singh

Ph.D. scholar at UniversitCatholique de Lille.

2013-14

43

VigneshAnanthraj

Managing Editor at CIO Review, Bengaluru.

2013-14

44

Nausheen Syed

Analyst at IMS Health.

2013-14

45

Komal Machaiah

Works at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark. 2013-14

46

Sangeetha D N

High School Teacher at St. Francis Xavier Girls 2013-14

High School.

47

Mika Sumi

Administrative
Nagaland.

48

Husain M

Represented the department in a panel 2013-14

discussion on dog menace in Bangalore at the
TV9 news channel.

49

Lakshmi KP

Works at Find, STDC, intermediate reference 2013-14

laboratory.

50

Mishma Silvia

Ph.D. scholar at the University of Tsukuba.

2013-14

51

Aditya Sharma

External Consultant at IMS Health, Bengaluru.

2013-14

Assistant

2013-14

2013-14

(P&D)

at

NIT, 2013-14

52

Rakshitha Mohan

Scientific Analyst at Molecular Connections 2013-14

Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru.

53

Adil Saghir

Co-Founder and CEO at Sagman Health Pvt 2013-14

Ltd.

54

Shruthi Naidu

Quality Assurance Officer at BAL Pharma Ltd.

55

Vishakha B.N, Mahesh

VR, Oneil Arul Nathan,
Rajesh V, Sushmitha HS,
Karthik H and Joe
PremBriyand

Presented papers during the National 2014-15

Conference on Biological Advances and its
relevance to the environment on the 2nd and
3rd of September, 2014, at National Science
College, Bengaluru.

56

Suman Chakrabarty

Ph.D. Scholar at the University of Nebraska- 2014-15

Lincoln Department of Chemistry.

57

Shane Rydquist

Associate Editor at Cactus Communications.

2014-15

58

Prerna Pradhan

Works at Anthem Biosciences.

2014-15

59

John Charles

Works at Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd.

2014-15

60

Thamz Pranab

Genetic Research Analyst at HistoGenetics 2014-15

India Pvt Ltd.

61

Anju Balagopal

Drug Safety Associate at Quintiles.

2014-15

62

Jennifer Barretto

Copy Editor at Gulf News.

2014-15

63

Bina Singh

Ph.D. Research Scholar at IIT Kharagpur, India.

2014-15

64

Mrinmoy Sarker

Research Scholar at South Asian University.

2014-15

65

Ruby Sharma

Works at BiOZEEN.

2014-15

66

Bhagya Bob

Research fellow at FRLHT.

2014-15

67

Sneha
S,
Adrian Attended the workshop on Floursecence 2014-15
DCosta, Rajesh V
microscopy at Dr. H. Krishna Murthys lab at
the National Centre for Biological Sciences,
TIFR, Bengaluru.

2013-14

68

Rajesh
V,
Kauser
Begum,
Adrian
DaCosta,
SnehaMondal,
Rahul
Das, Mahalakshmi D,
VeenaSalomi, Dinesh
Rubban, Parinisha L,
Nidhi Rani Lokesh

Attended a one day seminar on Stem Cells 2014-15

and Regenerative Medicine, organized by the
Society for Regenerative medicine and Tissue
Engineering at the School of Regenerative
Medicine (SORM), Manipal University.

69

Accamma K S

Participated in the
competition, NCC.

70

Monica Sweta Bosco

Awarded the UGC Postgraduate Merit 2015

scholarship for University rank holders to do
Masters.

71

Tejas Rao, Karan Dubey, Interned at KCRE (Kalinga Centre For Rain 2015-16
Forest Ecology).
Nidhi Rani Lokesh,

State

Inter

group 2014-15

Sanjay S, Syed Ismail

72

Dinesh Rubban

Chemist at SGS Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

2015-16

73

Sohel Rana

Research associate at Biocon, Bengaluru.

2015-16

74

Medha
Talzanki

Chinmayi Placed at Biocon Pvt. Ltd.

2016

Gallery ..

By Pretty Jemma

2002-05

2004-07

2003-06

2005-08

2006-09

2007-10

2008-11

2009-12

2010-13

2011-14

2012-15

2013-16

UGC sponsored National Level Workshop 2011

Inauguration of St.Josephs centre for Biotechnological research

Mushroom cultivation

Tackle fest 2014

Agumbe summer project

Fashion team

Western Dance team

Scary house

Workshop at HCG

Flower Decoration competition

GGG Awarded for Scary house

Live crib

Nirvaan decoration team

Fundraiser event preparations

GGG at work

Tour

Ethnic day 2016

Sports day 2015

Football team

International conference on green technology

Tackle fest 2016

UGC team Interaction

Graduating class of 2016