Final year project work for UG & PG life science students

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Biological Rhythm Research Laboratory

(जैविक लयबद्धता संशोधन प्रयोगशाळा)

Affiliated to Cochlea Pune for Hearing and Speech

An NGO for deafness diagnosis & counseling

161A Modibaug, Ganeshkhind road, Pune 411016

What is Chronobiology?

Chronobiology is a multidisciplinary branch of science dealing with study of biological rhythms. The free-running biological rhythms reflect the endogenous mechanisms of cyclic temporization whose expression is morphologically seen as an internal clock called body clock.

Biological rhythms

Three types of biological rhythms found in human being namely ultradian, circadian and infradian.

Circadian rhythms relates to any biological cyclic variations with a frequency of 1 cycle in 24±4 hrs such as sleeping, feeding patterns in human being and other animals.

Infradian rhythms relates to certain biological rhythms with frequency lower than circadian rhythms such as annual migration or reproductive cycles.

Ultradian rhythms exhibit frequency higher than that of circadian rhythms. Examples of such rhythms include hormone release, heart rate, thermoregulation, urination, bowel activity, appetite and nasal cycle.

Genetics of biological rhythms

Biological periodicities are driven by genetic factors which causes a recursivity in a spectrum of frequencies ranging from milliseconds to years. There are at least nine clock genes that play key role in the mammalian body clock.  The temporal effect of genetic programming on genome is known as chronome. A branch of chronobiology dealing with chronome analysis is called chronomics.

Chronobiometry

Chronobiology can either be studied by use of model systems (e.g. Drosophila, Mouse, and Bat) or by means of Autorhythmometry (AR). AR is nothing but self-measurement of the biological rhythms by the subject himself. Adoption of AR, would permit the assessment of the normal situation or condition of its health for each individual. Chronobiological data can be analyzed either by inferential chronobiometry or by non-inferential chronobiometry.

Chronobiological analysis may provide us to approach risk, diagnosis and treatment dependent on dynamics of time, gender, age, ethnicity and geographical location of the patient.

Chronoptherapy

Chronobiological approach of disease diagnosis and management has a lot of untapped potential.

We need sufficient clinical data to validate this hypothesis.  Ultradian rhythms are not studied so far in details even though many vital processes are known to be ultradian in rhythmicity. We will measure and analyse nasal cycle pattern using rhinomanometry and spirometry.  Modern science is aware about nasal cycle since over a century (Kayser 1895) but without any physiological relevance associated to this unique phenomenon.

Project details

Online registration at: chronomics.blogspot.in

Batch I –   15^th July 2016 – 30^th Nov 2016

Batch II – 15^th Dec 2016 – 30^th Apr 2017

Online seminars – two lectures/week during semester

Project work – Four weeks during semester break

Facilities: 1) Instrumentation - a) Rhinomanometer

b) Spirometer c) Thermistor based Breathing Sensor    

2) Software for statistical analysis of rhythmic data   

3) Work experience in clinical settings

Course content (2C / 30 lectures)

Chronobiology (15),   Autorhythmometry (5),

Rhinomanometry (5),   Biological rhythm as diagnostic tool (5)

Literature

Weekly PPTs, Research articles, Reference book: Chronobiology – Biological timekeeping; Edited by Dunlap, Loros, & DeCoursey Published by Sinauer.

Fees*

Rs. 3000/-

*Applicable to only those students who clears theory exam and wish to participate in autorhythmometric data collection and analysis.

Outcome

ü  Understanding the dimension of time in biological systems

ü  Hands-on statistical analysis of biological rhythmic data

ü  Certificate of completion from BRRL

Terms and Conditions

       Project work in Chronobiology is primarily for final year under-graduate and post-graduate students.      Those who have completed the graduation or post graduation in life sciences are also eligible.

Project work is comprised of 2 credit theory work of 30 lectures. Successful completion of theory work is prerequisite for proceeding for 4 weeks of autorhythmometric work at Biological Rhythm Research Laboratory.

The credits earned during this work cannot be included in any university degree as the syllabus is not yet approved by any university.

A registration fee for the project work is Rs. 3000-00 which includes course material, autorhythmometry and data analysis software.

If a student failed to clear theory course then Rs. 2500-00 will be refunded. (Rs. 500-00 will be deducted as processing charges)

Registration by filling out the form at link: http://goo.gl/forms/rHi8gypfxGyzQ03C2

  

Registration is complete when fees are deposited

      Bank details

      Janata Sahakari Bank, Karve road A/C No: 007220100040914           

      Janata Sahakari Bank, Karve road IFSC code: JSBP0000007
      Janata Sahakari Bank, Karve road MICR code: 411074005

Registration for batch I – 8^th July – 15^th July

      Registration for batch II – 8^th Dec – 15^th Dec

Project coordinator

Prashant S. Duraphe, PhD (University of Würzburg, Germany)

Contact details: 8888810554/02025519099, duraphe@gmail.com