The Department has significant contributions in the fields of Modern Biology as evidenced from the publications it produced for the past thirty years.

Prof. Oommen V. Oommen, Head of the Department of Zoology has made significant contributions on the understanding of on the hormonal regulation of metabolism in sub mammalian vertebrates for the past 25 years. The interest ushered in the area of comparative endocrinology prompted him to undertake extensive studies in non-mammalian vertebrates to establish a somewhat identical pattern in these groups as in homeotherms. The role of thyroid gland on oxidative and intermediary metabolism has been unequivocally confirmed in different classes of sub-mammalian groups employing radiolabel incorporation studies and hormone receptor assay, besides the effect on enzyme activities. His group has recently confirmed the long term and short-term effects of both T3 and T2 on lipid metabolism through C14 acetate incorporation studies to suggest a biological role for T2 which was considered inactive. The role of thyroid hormones on metabolism in fish was confirmed by demonstrating binding affinity for T3 by hepatic cells in a teleost. The different mechanisms of action of thyroid hormones have also been suggested using metabolic inhibitors. Besides thyroid hormones, we have investigated the effects of growth hormone and prolactin on lipid metabolism in a teleost, Anabas recently. Very recently, his team has studied the non-genomic effects of steroids on enzymes of osmoregulation in a teleost Oreochromis mossambicus, employing the inhibitors of protein synthesis both in vivo and in vitro mutually substantiating each other. Consequently this has helped his group to add one more dimension to steroid action in sub-mammalian vertebrates, probably first of its kind of a study. Prof Oommen has visited the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Texas USA for a period of two months in 2003 as a Visiting Professor on their invitation.

Prof. D. Muraleedharan has made significant contribution in Identifying and characterizing of bug juvenile hormone (JH) in the red cotton bug, Dysdercus cingulatus. He is interested in the isolation of the released JH into the medium through TLC and HPLC fractionation and MALDI-Mass Spectrometric analyses of purified JH samples. Isolation and characterization of juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) from the red cotton bug, Dysdercus. Molecular cloning of bug JHE gene.
Immunocytochemical, confocal, and elctron microscopic localization of secretory neurons of different insect neuropeptides like corazonin, allatostatin, allatotropin and PBAN in several insect species like Rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros, red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, lepidopteran caterpillar, Demoleus polytes. Isolation, HPLC fractionation and immunochemical characterization of isolated neuropeptides.
Molecular characterization, amino acid sequencing and cDNA cloning of allatotropin and corzonin neuropeptide genes from the bug and also from the beetles. Isolation, characterization and amino acid sequencing of insect heat shock proteins from the red cotton bug, Dysdercus cingualtus. Electrophoretic separation and molecular cloning of bug heat shock proteins.

Dr M. C. Subhash Peter is looking on molecular mechanisms of stress physiology of fishes. Physiological role of ion transporters especially Na and K transporters across branchial epithelium with immunoctochemically-localized ionocytes are being done. The endocrinology of stress tolerance is another important target area of this group. The cellular energetics of sodium pump and the cellular metabolic cost during stress is also looked into. Identification and characterization of molecular chaperons especially heat shock proteins 90 and 70 in stress-challenged fish is the current area of interest of this group.

Dr. G. Prasad in interested in studying the detailed habitat and species level inventory of fishes in the streams /rivers of Kerala by taking in to account the micro and macro habitat variables and identification of factors determining endemism, population structure, threats for diversity loss etc. Survey extension and systematic listing of fishes at species level using traditional morphological methods and creation of a data bank in computer digital diary form with images of all the stream fishes of Kerala purely based on these studies, by incorporating the new additions, records and extension range. Identification and analysis of variance/divergence in the population using genetic and morphological methods. Also morphological adaptations of the same taxon thriving in various habitats and degree of extend to which it is suited will be taken in to consideration. Application of molecular systematic methods such as isozyme/allozyme electrophoresis, mt DNA studies, Polymerase Chain Reaction and other nuclear techniques like RAPDs and microstaellite polymorphism. Integration of both morphological and molecular data to resolve/eliminate taxonomic ambiguities, to assess the phylogeographic relationships and to establish the inter-intra generic relation ships.