Department of Zoology, Bethune College has been considered as one of the highly rated Departments of the College. Honours Course in Undergraduate level started in 1973. Along with three years Honours Degree Course, Department of Zoology offers two years Post Graduate Course (affiliated to the University of Calcutta) since 2005. The academic excellence of the Department is evident from the outstanding performance of both the Undergraduate and Post-Graduate students in the University- and competitive-examinations. Many research projects (minor and major) running in the Dept. enrich faculty members’ experiences as workers and teachers.

Recently completed Minor Projects:

1. 1 [UGC - MRP for 2 years] has been completed by Ms. Subhasree Sengupta on RAPD profile of Fishes in 2010.
    
2. 3 [UGC - MRP for 2 years] have been completed by Dr. Madhumita Manna in 2007, by Dr. Sarmistha Banik and Dr. Sarmila Pal in 2008.

RESEARCH FELLOWS: Four project fellows are now working in the Department.

1. Supriya Khanra UGC project fellow
    
2. UGC DAE project fellow. Sangita Lahiri
    
3. Sanchita Dutta CSIR SRF
    
4. WBBB project.fellow. Mousumi Mandal
    
5. Pritha Sadhukan WBBB project fellow
    

FUNDED:

Major Projects:

1. UGC DAE Major Research Project on Radiation and Molecular Immunology completed in 2008 by Dr. Madhumita Manna and further extended for one year by UGC. One project fellow working with the fellowship Rs.8000/ per month consolidated.
    
2. UGC major project on Genome analysis and development of genetic markers of the clinical isolates of Indian visceral leishmaniasis (Kala-azar) and post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis with special emphasis on drug unresponsive cases of Kala-azar.
   
   Duration: 3 years

Minor Projects:

A. 1 [UGC - MRP for 2 years] by Subhasree Sengupta on RAPD profile of Fishes.

B. 3 [UGC - MRP for 2 years] completed .

1. One student passed from Viswa bharati University is doing a research project on Biomarker development for Environment Assesment.
    
2. One student passed from Dept. of Environment, University of Calcutta is doing a research project on Cytoskeleton structures of normal and cancerous cells under UGC DAE project.
    
3. One part time research fellow is doing the protection study against Leishmaniasis using mangrove plants.
    
4. Some Ph.D. students of Calcutta University and other Institutes like UGC DAE Consortium for Scientific Research come to the Dept. for using our Dept. infrastructure.

• Well equipped Air conditioned Parasitology & Immunology Laboratory.
• Well equipped Air conditioned Cytogenetics Laboratory.
• Well equipped Air conditioned Entomology Laboratory.
• Well equipped Air conditioned Ecology Laboratory.
   

INSTRUMENTAL FACILITIES

		Cold Centrifuge with two rotors ELISA reader Thermo cycler [PCR machine] Gel apparatus [DNA & Protein] B.O.D incubators Laminar flow Trinocular microscope with photographic attachment Binocular microscopes Hot air ovens Bacteriological Incubators Trans blot apparatus for Western blotting Power packs Micro pipettes of different calibrations Millipore Distillation plant -20 and -80 degree freezer CO2 Incubator UV Spectrophotometer Homogenizer Magnus Stereoscopic Binocular

• Seminar on ‘Awareness and Recent Development in Life Science’ sponsored by Higher Education dept. on 28th March 2008.
   
• Speakers: Prof. S. B. Banerjee, Dept. of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Prof. Pranabesh Sanyal, IUCN, Cat specialist,
  Dr. Santu Banerjee, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology and Dr. Tania Das, Bose Institute.

Dr. Rita Mukhopadhyay at a Departmental Seminar		Departmental Seminar: Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Dept. of Marine Science, University of Calcutta on Climate change and its impact on biodiversity.   National Seminar sponsored by University Grant Commission on ‘Stress, Drug Development and Nanotechnology’ held at Bethune College on 05-06 March 2009 organized jointly by Departments of Botany, Chemistry and Zoology.   Dr. Mousumi Poddar Sarkar, Associate Professor, Dept. of Botany, Calcutta University talked on “Chemical Communication” - An Approach to communication technology in animal world on 10.02.10.   Prof. Anthony Gomes, Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta talked on ‘Zootherapy - Diversity in India’ on 22.12.2010.   Dr. Rita Mukhopadhyay, Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine talked on ‘A Tale of AQPs and Metalloids: Consequences in Human Diseases’.

1. To set up Animal House for conducting research work.
2. To conduct workshop on syllabus / modern techniques.
3. To submit UGC MRPs and major projects to UGC, DST etc.