BERHAMPUR: Berhampur University (BU) is gearing up to receive two eminent scientists from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, - Prof Tulsi Mukherjee, Director, Chemical Group and Dr RK Singhal, Head of Analytical Spectroscopy Section.
The two are reaching the campus tomorrow to lay the foundation stone of Gamma House on the premises of Botanical Garden where an irradiation facility Gamma Chamber-5000 (GC-5000) will be installed.
The facility is being developed as a component of the research project titled ‘Plant Responses to Ionising Radiation’ currently in progress in Department of Botany, BU. The project was initiated by BARC two years ago permitting Prof B. B. Panda of Department of Botany to collaborate with BARC.
The BARC-BU research project was sanctioned following signing of MoU between the authorities of BARC and BU on August 19, 2008.
The total cost of the project, spanning over three years, is estimated at Rs 70 lakh, including cost of the GC- 5000 estimated at Rs 40 lakh. GC-5000 will be supplied by Broad of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), an establishment of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India.
Department of Botany, BU, is one of the five centres located in five different agro-climatic zones of the country chosen under XI plan period to conduct the mega research project of BARC.
The other four centres are College of Agriculture, ANGR Agriculture University, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Nuclear Research Laboratories, IARI, New Delhi, Ramanarain Ruia College, Mumbai (Maharastra) and J. M. College, Trichinapally (Tamil Nadu).
The main objective of the research project is development of data base for estimation of radiation doses for different category of plants.
Prof Panda, coordinator of the project, said under the project, experiment on bringing in positive mutational changes in different plant breeds beneficial to humans is being conducted. Both ultra violent rays and gamma radiation affect plants.
But here mutational changes would be brought in through controlled use of ionizing gamma radiation.
These experiments are likely to bring in genetic mutant changes in major crop breeds which will make them more productive, pest-resistant and environment-friendly.