Page 25 - CTB-1 10 May

PIONEERING A NEW FUTURE 25
BSIP IN TODAY'S PERSPECTIVE
The recent developments with past botanical integration have
enhanced the scope
of palaeobotanical research, in particular, and palaeoscientific research, in general. One of the liveliest examples, probably is that the palaeoscience has informed us that the Earth has gone through different states in the past including five times mass extinction and numerous local and regional extinctions of species,
and the Earth
has undergone
a more hotter
period (PETM; >5°Cfor170ka
55 Ma ago) in the
past than now.
This information
will be helpful
as we are going
through a global
pandemic due to COVID-19 and
global warming
epoch. BSIP
made a relevant contribution to
nation with its
'RT-PCR testing' facility. BSIP joined hands with
the Government of Uttar Pradesh to combat COVID-19 in the state. BSIP was one of the
five Central Government research institutes in Lucknow, who took initial steps to start laboratory testing of COVID-19.
EA-GC-IRMS lab
XRD/XRF lab at BSIP
palaeogenomics laboratory to study the ancient DNA has also been established. The existing oldest radiocarbon dating laboratory has been equipped with graphitic formation so that low carbon bearing samples can be dated in accelerator mass spectrometer, AMS. To date older materials of few 100 ka sediments, luminescence dating laboratory has been established.
MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES
The institute has its own museum that records unique palaeobotanical and geological collection of plants and animal remains during the different geological time scales.
The collection by Prof. Birbal Sahni from all over the globe has made it magnificent in terms of its repository. The museum of the institute is a rich storehouse of plant fossils from all over the world.
A special attraction is the new building’s foundation stone, with 77 fossils embedded by Prof. Sahni in it, which was laid by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949. The institute boasts of one of the richest collection of literature on the subject. In
2018, another special attraction has been added and displayed is of 4,200-year-old piece of stalagmite recovered from the Mawmluh Cave, Meghalaya, representing the newest time slice ‘Meghalayan’ which is recently appended in the Holocene epoch
of geological time scale. The institute's library has the richest and up-to-date collection of literature on the palaeosciences. It also has a herbarium to offer comparison between the past and present vegetation.
SCHEMES AND COURSES
Presently, the institute is running wide varieties of training programmes and research activities. These include contract training programmes in palynology, that is, techniques for palynological studies, such as use of microscope. Palynological studies of different age domains of geological history as well. BSIP is also providing contract training in coal and lignite petrography for industrial sectors. The hands-on training for geochemistry and OSL dating is also being conducted in the institute. Recently, a PhD programme has been initiated under the AcSIR guidelines in biological and physical sciences. •