Have >27 years Research experience in Plant Science with specialization in Phycology. Attained D.Phil. in Cyanobacteria from University of Allahabad, Allahabad (Prayagraj), India. Has a strong background in Biodiversity, morphology and taxonomy of microalgae and cyanobacteria, Algal natural products, biofertilizer, Spirulina cultivation and harvesting, culture development. Isolated more than 500 cultures from different Indian biotopes. Handled more than half dozen research projects on Infrastructure development, basic
Among unicellular and colonial Cyanobacteria the family Merismopediaceae is characterized by havi... more Among unicellular and colonial Cyanobacteria the family Merismopediaceae is characterized by having solitary cells or one layered flat or spherical or irregular colonies with or without central mucilaginous stands or stalks. Cells characteristically, divide in two planes and they are at right angle to each other. Further, daughter cells reach to original size and shape before next division takes place. At the global level, there are about 15 genera and 190 species in the family. The well established genera of the family are Synechocystis, Aphanocapsa, Merismopedia, Coelosphaerium and Gomphosphaeria. The genus Microcrocis appears to be quite distinct in having elongated cells, and longer axis perpendicular to the plane of the colony but is of rare occurrence. Validity of certain other genera remains doubtful and need critical culture studies. The genera like Pannus, Mantellum, Cyanotetras, Coccopedia of sub-family Merismopedioideae appear to be the stages of Merismopedia or Coelospha...
The struggle for existence is an adaptation to survive; and survival of the fittest is the essenc... more The struggle for existence is an adaptation to survive; and survival of the fittest is the essence of all time relevant Darwinian Law. The present paper deals with the survival mechanism in coherence with the Darwinian theory of the 'survival of the fittest', shown by even an unicellular aerophytic Cyanoprocaryote Asterocapsa divina Komarek, isolated, cloned and studied in culture condition. The characteristic perennating cells with ornamented envelopes formed in natural habitat under extreme environmental conditions were not produced in cultures although studied for three years, a strong evidence of an adaptive mechanism in an aerophytic Cyanoprocaryote.
Bacularia vermicularis a Cyanoprokaryote is recorded for the first time from India. It was growin... more Bacularia vermicularis a Cyanoprokaryote is recorded for the first time from India. It was growing in a tank, Allahabad. The colonies are tubular, mucilaginous upto 200 μm long. Cells are longitudinally oriented and the broader parts of colonies gradually attenuate to single row of cells towards apices. Its attributes and affiliations are also discussed.
Spirulina fusiformis is an economically important cyanobacterium well known for diverse biologica... more Spirulina fusiformis is an economically important cyanobacterium well known for diverse biological activities and nutritional significance due to high concentration of natural products. In recent years, they have gained more importance because of their tremendous potential in the field of biotechnology, biofuel, functional food, nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical industries. The present study was focused on screening of low cost synthetic medium combination along with animal waste that would enhance the growth of Spirulina fusiformis. The biomass was evaluated on the basis of its photosynthetic pigments. The results obtained from the study indicated that SM-1 synthetic medium is most suitable nutrient media for the growth of S. fusiformis.
The genus Aphanothece is an unicellular and colonial cyanoprokaryote. In the present investigatio... more The genus Aphanothece is an unicellular and colonial cyanoprokaryote. In the present investigation we report eleven species of the genus Aphanothece viz. A. bullosa, A. castagnei, A. conglomerata, A. elabens, A. hegewaldii, A. heterospora, A. microscopica, A. nidulans, A. pallida, A. sacrum and A. stagnina from Tripura, India. All the species are new addition to the flora of Tripura and seven species are new to India. A. sacrum may have potential of its cultivation in natural biotopes and its commercial exploitation for polysaccharides.
The present study reports about the occurrence of Oocystaenium elegans being reported for the fir... more The present study reports about the occurrence of Oocystaenium elegans being reported for the first time from northern part of India. It is shown that male and female cells can be identified only when they produce antherozoids and eggs and not on the basis of shape and size of cells. Nuclear stages observed by iron alum acetocarmine method indicated that uninucleate stage was never observed in vegetative cells, minimum number of nuclei was 16 in young autospores and maximum was 128 in male cells producing antherozoids. It appeared to be a rare alga and presently restricted to Indian sub-continent.
Chamaecalyx (Komarek and Anagnostidis 1986) has been described in detail for the first time from ... more Chamaecalyx (Komarek and Anagnostidis 1986) has been described in detail for the first time from freshwater cemented tanks of Allahabad, India. Studies based on the material collected from many cemented water tanks continuously for two years, revealed that, its growth was most common in those tanks which were located in shady places. This genus is distinguished on the basis of first horizontal division of sessile cells and formation of exocytes from the upper cell. Various stages of exocyte formation and proliferation of stalk cells are recorded. Occasionally repeated transverse divisions of a parent cell may result into a linear row of cells which look similar to the stages of the genus Stichosiphon or due to repeated divisions throughout the cell, the appearance of stalk cell is obscured and then it becomes quite comparable to the genus Cyanocystis.
Among unicellular and colonial Cyanobacteria the family Merismopediaceae is characterized by havi... more Among unicellular and colonial Cyanobacteria the family Merismopediaceae is characterized by having solitary cells or one layered flat or spherical or irregular colonies with or without central mucilaginous stands or stalks. Cells characteristically, divide in two planes and they are at right angle to each other. Further, daughter cells reach to original size and shape before next division takes place. At the global level, there are about 15 genera and 190 species in the family. The well established genera of the family are Synechocystis, Aphanocapsa, Merismopedia, Coelosphaerium and Gomphosphaeria. The genus Microcrocis appears to be quite distinct in having elongated cells, and longer axis perpendicular to the plane of the colony but is of rare occurrence. Validity of certain other genera remains doubtful and need critical culture studies. The genera like Pannus, Mantellum, Cyanotetras, Coccopedia of sub-family Merismopedioideae appear to be the stages of Merismopedia or Coelospha...
The struggle for existence is an adaptation to survive; and survival of the fittest is the essenc... more The struggle for existence is an adaptation to survive; and survival of the fittest is the essence of all time relevant Darwinian Law. The present paper deals with the survival mechanism in coherence with the Darwinian theory of the 'survival of the fittest', shown by even an unicellular aerophytic Cyanoprocaryote Asterocapsa divina Komarek, isolated, cloned and studied in culture condition. The characteristic perennating cells with ornamented envelopes formed in natural habitat under extreme environmental conditions were not produced in cultures although studied for three years, a strong evidence of an adaptive mechanism in an aerophytic Cyanoprocaryote.
Bacularia vermicularis a Cyanoprokaryote is recorded for the first time from India. It was growin... more Bacularia vermicularis a Cyanoprokaryote is recorded for the first time from India. It was growing in a tank, Allahabad. The colonies are tubular, mucilaginous upto 200 μm long. Cells are longitudinally oriented and the broader parts of colonies gradually attenuate to single row of cells towards apices. Its attributes and affiliations are also discussed.
Spirulina fusiformis is an economically important cyanobacterium well known for diverse biologica... more Spirulina fusiformis is an economically important cyanobacterium well known for diverse biological activities and nutritional significance due to high concentration of natural products. In recent years, they have gained more importance because of their tremendous potential in the field of biotechnology, biofuel, functional food, nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical industries. The present study was focused on screening of low cost synthetic medium combination along with animal waste that would enhance the growth of Spirulina fusiformis. The biomass was evaluated on the basis of its photosynthetic pigments. The results obtained from the study indicated that SM-1 synthetic medium is most suitable nutrient media for the growth of S. fusiformis.
The genus Aphanothece is an unicellular and colonial cyanoprokaryote. In the present investigatio... more The genus Aphanothece is an unicellular and colonial cyanoprokaryote. In the present investigation we report eleven species of the genus Aphanothece viz. A. bullosa, A. castagnei, A. conglomerata, A. elabens, A. hegewaldii, A. heterospora, A. microscopica, A. nidulans, A. pallida, A. sacrum and A. stagnina from Tripura, India. All the species are new addition to the flora of Tripura and seven species are new to India. A. sacrum may have potential of its cultivation in natural biotopes and its commercial exploitation for polysaccharides.
The present study reports about the occurrence of Oocystaenium elegans being reported for the fir... more The present study reports about the occurrence of Oocystaenium elegans being reported for the first time from northern part of India. It is shown that male and female cells can be identified only when they produce antherozoids and eggs and not on the basis of shape and size of cells. Nuclear stages observed by iron alum acetocarmine method indicated that uninucleate stage was never observed in vegetative cells, minimum number of nuclei was 16 in young autospores and maximum was 128 in male cells producing antherozoids. It appeared to be a rare alga and presently restricted to Indian sub-continent.
Chamaecalyx (Komarek and Anagnostidis 1986) has been described in detail for the first time from ... more Chamaecalyx (Komarek and Anagnostidis 1986) has been described in detail for the first time from freshwater cemented tanks of Allahabad, India. Studies based on the material collected from many cemented water tanks continuously for two years, revealed that, its growth was most common in those tanks which were located in shady places. This genus is distinguished on the basis of first horizontal division of sessile cells and formation of exocytes from the upper cell. Various stages of exocyte formation and proliferation of stalk cells are recorded. Occasionally repeated transverse divisions of a parent cell may result into a linear row of cells which look similar to the stages of the genus Stichosiphon or due to repeated divisions throughout the cell, the appearance of stalk cell is obscured and then it becomes quite comparable to the genus Cyanocystis.
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Papers by Rama Kant
It is shown that male and female cells can be identified only when they produce antherozoids and eggs and not on the basis of shape
and size of cells. Nuclear stages observed by iron alum acetocarmine method indicated that uninucleate stage was never observed in
vegetative cells, minimum number of nuclei was 16 in young autospores and maximum was 128 in male cells producing antherozoids.
It appeared to be a rare alga and presently restricted to Indian sub-continent.
It is shown that male and female cells can be identified only when they produce antherozoids and eggs and not on the basis of shape
and size of cells. Nuclear stages observed by iron alum acetocarmine method indicated that uninucleate stage was never observed in
vegetative cells, minimum number of nuclei was 16 in young autospores and maximum was 128 in male cells producing antherozoids.
It appeared to be a rare alga and presently restricted to Indian sub-continent.