BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
GCC MICROBIOLOGY CLUB
AT JNCASR
  Sukshma Srishti - The Microbiology Club of Garden City College visited
JNCASR, one of the leading research institutes of Bangalore in an effort to get its
young minds a peep into the world of great minds and their armory of devices.
They were not disappointed, writes Shyamlal & Princy of IV Sem. M.Sc.
Microbiology
  Science is a field which is ever
enthralling and fascinating to
humanity thanks to the
innumerous discoveries of the
universe, so vast and beyond
understanding. It is even more
intriguing to think that the scope of
these findings has not reached the
limits. The discoveries are made aided
by scientific inventions in the form of
the equipment and certain facts
considered a tad trifle yet are so
potent. Sukshma Srishti - The
Microbiology Club of Garden City
College recently made a visit to
Jawaharlal Nehru Center for
Advanced Scientific Research
(JNCASR), a reputed research
institute based in Bangalore. It was a
quest as young minds to get a peep
  into the world of great minds and
their armory of devices and we were
not disappointed.
The visit followed an insightful
lecture at the college by Dr Ranga
Uday Kumar, a senior scientist at
JNCASR that gave us the impetus to
visit and witness for ourselves the
activities taking place at the institute.
Situated at Devanahalli, JNCASR
extends over a wide stretch of land
surrounded by a beautiful garden and
quiet lake.
Quite an attraction is the Fuller
Ring dome structure (an idea based
on the arrangement of the carbon
atom) of the Pauling Block named
after the renowned scientist, Dr
Pauling. The institute is
compartmentalized into various
divisions where numerous research
projects are undertaken.
The HIV lab was the first place of
visit. Incidentally, this was also Dr
Ranga Uday Kumar’s sanctum.
Maintaining a biosafety level of 4,
this lab has the facilities of a vertical
laminar air flow, an inverted
microscope, a liquid nitrogen tank
(which maintains a temperature of -
170 degree Celsius) and a carbon
dioxide incubator, for storing HIV
samples and general animal cell
cultures.
On our visit, Venkatesh, a		 research student at the center briefed
us on his work that aims at finding a
solution to the stigma-filled HIV
infection by the therapy of m-rna
interference. On being asked about
the risks of undertaking such a
project, he dispelled all our fears by
explaining the type of bio-safety
measures they follow and also the fact
that the virus cannot be transmitted
by air like chicken pox or the
influenza virus. It is harmless when
handled with care was the message.
Next on our itinerary, we visited
the DNA Sequencing Lab in the same
building housing a DNA Sequencing
machine, an invention which has
saved the people behind the Human
Genome Project myriad hours of
work. The instrument helps to figure
out the base pair sequences of a given
DNA molecule and stores the data as
well.
Right on the top floor, is located
the Transcription Lab where the work
is carried out on histone proteins
which help in the folding of the
DNA, and also on the enzymes which
play a role in the transferring of
information from the DNA to the
RNA, the first half of the process of
the central dogma of molecular
biology.
The Vascular Tissue Lab situated
on the ground floor, carries out the

work on the development of blood
vessels within a tissue. This is needed
to treat patients who suffer from burn
injuries.
We also did see some of the other
features of a research lab such as Mass
spectrometer as well as the Confocal
microscope, both very expensive but
vital instruments for research.
The research students
demonstrated the entire working
principle of the above mentioned
instruments and were truly a worthy
experience.
The confocal microscope helps us
to obtain a cross section view of the
many layers of a specimen without
having to slice it those many times
and also with the convenience of
storing the images for later use.
Having viewed all these
facilities, we did not only broaden our
awareness of the kind of work
involved in research but also came to
comprehend the life of a researcher. It
does take a tremendous amount of
patience and commitment to begin
and complete such ventures, and also
a higher noble motive which extends
to the well being of mankind ¡

Editorial Team of Sukshma Srishti -
The Microbiology Club
Shyamlal & Princy (IV Sem. M.Sc.)
 
  people in their daily life. For example
contact Lens, dentures, amongst
others. Though these can be easily
removed on desire, they are not
barred from infection and microbial
growth. But have we ever given it a
thought to the harm these objects can
imply?
Whenever conditions favor,
microbial life will start growing. The
formation of biofilm on biomaterials
provides a good environment for
growth of micro flora on them.
Biomaterials have potency to absorb
certain nutrients from the body or
tissue fluids for instance dental
restorative materials absorb salivary
proteins, contact lenses absorb
proteins and lipids from tear fluid
while blood contacting biomaterials
absorb plasma protein.
Medial devices totally implanted
in the body that are liable Candida
infection are cardiac pacemakers,
joint replacements and prosthetic
heart valves. High glucose level
promotes its growth. Is it not a
shocking discovery? To add more to
the platter of information it is seen
that even use of intrauterine devices
(IUDs) has been linked to pelvic
inflammatory diseases. IUDs removed
from women shows severe
contamination of Candida albicans!
Even CNS device implants are not
infection free.
  Till today, science has made
rapid strides unveiling
methods beneficial to
Tmankind.Some of these include a
means of replacing regular vital
functions in human beings. These
aids used are called biomaterials
A biomaterial is a non-viable
material, natural or man-made that
comprises whole or part of a living
structure or a biomedical device
which performs, augments or replaces
a natural function. Science has
reduced the rate of death and distress
through the invention of
biomaterials. Such wonders of science
are used in joint replacement, bone
plates, dental implants, tooth
fixation, heart valves, skin repair		 devices, contact lens and many such
prosthetics.
But are these discoveries risk free
just as they have proved to be useful?
Ever since Gristina (1987)
provided the description of
biomaterials associated infection as “a
race for the surface’ between
microbial adhesion and tissue
integration, there is a growing
awareness of risk posed by foreign
body implantations.
Gristina supports the fact that ‘all
that glitters is not gold’. So
biomaterials though proved to be
wondrous have their own
consequences.
We fail to realize that there are
many biomaterials used by common

So we must remember that
prevention is better than cure.
Sterilization helps keep free of
contamination. For future research
scientists are developing more reliable
techniques for collection and
measurement of bioflims.
Quantification, sensitivity of
biomaterials is being checked. After
all they are equally responsible for a
bright future and it is our duty to be
aware of the happenings ¡

Editorial Team of Sukshma Srishti -
The Microbiology Club
Moumita Choudhury,
1st Sem. M.Sc. Microbiology
Rashmi Neogi and Moumita,
2nd Sem. B.Sc.Genetics