SERB-DST Karyashala Sponsored
A FIELD AND LAB-BASED WORKSHOP ON BIOMONITORING OF RIVERS USING DIATOMS
organized by
AGHARKAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE, PUNE
18th-29th July 2022
Venue: MACS' Agharkar Research Institute, Pune
About the Organisers
Agharkar Research Institute is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. It was established in 1946 as the Maharashtra Association for the Cultivation of Science (MACS). The current research and development activities of ARI span across all areas of life sciences spread over six different themes, namely Biodiversity & Paleobiology, Bioenergy, Bioprospecting, Developmental Biology, Genetics & Plant Breeding, and Nanobioscience.
About the Workshop
All the major cities and towns were developed on the banks of rivers. Humans and other living beings have always relied on these freshwater bodies for their survival; however, at the same time, human activities have been notorious for polluting them. Almost all urban area is located nearby a highly polluted river with little public awareness. The changes in the water quality by anthropogenic activity can also be affecting the diversity of aquatic life. A group of microalgae commonly called ‘Diatoms’ resides there. Diatoms are sensitive to changes in water quality and are more often used as indicators of aquatic health. Moreover, the anthropogenic effect and the changes in the water quality can be detected through the visibility of the organisms (diatoms) living inside them.
The event aims exclusively to train the masters and young researchers on biomonitoring freshwater bodies like rivers, ponds, lakes, etc., using diatoms.
Overview of the Workshop
The workshop will emphasize the interdependences between the diatom diversity and aquatic ecosystems. The workshop consists of lecture sessions followed by field visits, practicals and hands-on training.
About the Course
SERB Karyashala: The course will comprise lectures, interactive discussions, and field sampling on pristine and polluted ecosystems, followed by laboratory works covering diatom enumeration through light and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Followed by the diatom identification, experts will teach the statistical analysis to determine the polluted and non-polluted taxa. Participants will also be involved in group projects on the last day of the workshop. The workshop will also help the participants to grab knowledge on diatom taxonomy.
Course Organizing Team
Dr. P.K. Dhakephalkar, Director, ARI-Chief Patron
Dr. Karthick Balasubramanian
Mr. Samadhan Pardhi
Ms. Mital Thacker
Ms. Neha Wadmare
Mr. Radhakrishnan Cheran
Mr. Vigneshwaran Anbukarasu
Mr. Yogeshwaran Murugesan
Ms. Pratyasha Nayak
Ms. Sherly Sheena
Important Dates
Availability of online application forms: 10th June 2022
Last date for submitting online application forms: 25th June 2022
Intimation to selected candidates: 30th June 2022
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/serbdiatom
Frequently Asked Questions.
Q: What is this course about?
A: This course is the diatom-specific biomonitoring course taught by a team of diatomists, ecologists and statisticians with a wide range of expertise, from diatom collection, to enumeration using advanced microscopy, aquatic health monitoring and statistics. This is an intensive course for 12 days from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day comprising lectures, field collection, and hands-on laboratory sessions.
Q: What does 'intense course' means?
A: We are aiming to start the session by 9 a.m. and it will go up to 7 p.m. The field collection days might get extended up to 9-10 p.m. with the practical sessions.
Q: How many participants are expected?
A: We aim to select 20 participants from various parts of the country.
Q: What are the criteria for the selection?
A: We select participants based on their potential impact (research, application, publications, etc.).
Q: What are the essential components of a Workshop?
A: This course is composed of 50 % lectures and 50 % hands-on sessions (covering field, microscopy, and statistics).
Q: I am already working on diatom /algae, can I bring my samples for processing and observation?
A: Yes, you are welcome to bring your own samples and we can observe the same.
Q: I am doing a Ph.D. on a topic related to diatoms, I want to stay there for more days in order to get my taxonomic issues sorted. Can I do it?
A: You are welcome to stay up to 10 more days, but you need to bear the accommodation and food charges.
Q: Do you offer certificates of completion?
A: Yes, we offer certificates at the end of the workshop.
Q: Where will be the accommodation?
A: We are making arrangements at nearby guest houses on twin sharing basis. This facility has an attached toilet with bedding and linens.
Q: What is the field component and where we will be heading?
A: We are making a three-day collection at river and lake sites near Pune and we will do this collection in a private non-air-conditioned minibus.
Q: Where we will be staying during the field collection day?
A: We will be staying in a local hotel/guest house near Panshet village located 50 km away from Pune. This accommodation facility will be a dormitory with separate rooms for male and female participants with attached toilet facilities. We will give the exact location details of the stay, a week before the course commencement.
Q: Do we get telephone and internet connections during the field collection day and during our field accommodation?
A: There will be limited telephone and internet connectivity during these field collection days.
Q: Can I bring a friend or family member with me who is not taking the course?
A: Yes, you can. However, their food and accommodation expenses have to be incurred by you. If they are sharing a room with you, the additional cost per night per person depends on the availability of accommodation at the time will be charged. Otherwise, you have to stay in a hotel.
Q: Can I get a GST invoice for the course fees?
A: Yes, you will get a GST invoice with the name of the person and affiliation.
Q: Breakfast and dinner is not included in the package. How much should I plan to spend on breakfast and dinner each day?
A. There are plenty of meal options around the accommodation ranging from Rs. 30 - Rs. 2000/meal. According to your preference, you can choose from the wide range of delectable cuisines Pune offers.
Q: What kind of clothes and other necessities should I bring?
A: Casual comfortable attire, good walking shoes. The field days will have a lot of outdoor activities in rain, so please prepare yourself with an umbrella, comfortable walking shoes, sweaters, etc. There might be mosquitoes in the field accommodation, so please prepare yourself accordingly.
Q: Do I need to produce a COVID Negative RT-PCR report before joining the course?
A: No need for the RT-PCR report, but we will appreciate it if you show us the double-dose vaccine completion certificate. This condition may get revised as per the Covid situation and local government protocols.
Still, got some questions? Feel free to write to us at diatomcourse@aripune.org
