Interview Summary
(00:00:10) Turning point in life (into research)
Financial independence since BSc. ICAR Junior Research Fellowship for Agricultural University newspaper cutting shown by brother. Visit to Coimbatore Agricultural University to find out more. Fisheries was only option.
(Aside: Family skepticism about telegraphist job and grandmother's visit to astrologer who makes a prediction about her research future.)
Preparing and appearing for the BSc fisheries exam – Nirmala College, Coimbatore. Fascination about Bombay duck fish and how it paid off. Nature of exam paper. Finding out that she had qualified. Being the only girl writing the exam and being asked by examiner if she was there for home science.
(00:11:58) The year-long hunt for a suitable institute for MSc Research
Suku Uncle’s [Archivist’s note: PK Sukumaran] help in getting into fisheries institute in Bombay.
[00:16:40-00:16:44 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]
(00:17:49) After joining fisheries institute
Initial dislike for Mumbai. Support from friend Sushma Mehra. Uncertainty after guide moved to Vishakhapatnam. Convincing marine biologist MS Rege to become guide. Description of CIFE & Institute of Science campus. (Aside: Positive thoughts about Mumbai)
(00:26:32) Entering cytogenetics field
Time spent in library and coming across a paper by Denton and Howell on fish chromosomes. About fish cytogenetics. Difference between freshwater and salt water fish. Being inspired by colleague MP Singh's fish hybrids and getting guide Rege to agree. ‘Sacrificing’ fish to perform experiments.
[00:32:40-00:32:47 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]
File 2
(00:00:04) Finally getting important results
Warnings by Rege during research work. Eureka moment after many months of no results. Memorable trips to Aarey lake to get natural population of fish. Importance of her haemoglobin studies on hybrid fish. Indigenous studies on muscle and serum proteins using limited resources. Traveling to Udaipur to present paper in All India Cytology Genetics conference in 1975. Needing to be independent in research, without any guidance. [Aside: Notes on perfection from Suku uncle].
(00:10:46) After MSc
Advice by uncle to do PhD but being fed up. Flashback to brief stay at YWCA hostel, Andheri.
[00:13:33-00:15:30 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]
(00:15:45) Return to Kerala
Family situation at the time. Trips to Delhi University to visit library and make plans for the future. Meeting Thelma BK and her guide SRV Rao. Reasons for change in mind about PhD. Hurdles while joining KEM Hospital, work on chromosome spread.
File 3
(00:00:02) Experience at KEM & previously PAU
Impressions of Prof NB Kumta. Friendships at the time with endocrinologist Shampa, Shrikumari. Circumstances of joining KEM (after working at Ludhiana). Work on aquatic pollution in and around Bombay. Reason for wanting to leave Ludhiana. Interview with AK Gupta at PAU, Ludhiana to get Drosophila genetics job. Facing hostility & non-cooperation from a colleague at PAU. Stint at IARI with RP Sharma.
(00:06:52) Newborn screening programme at BARC
Encounter with cytogeneticist AT Natarajan. Getting involved in the newborn screening programme at BARC in 1982. Standardising the procedure for this programme. Radiation & cancer incidence in Quilon due to Monazite. Visit to Monazite to set up photomicrography, etc.
(00:13:05) Various activities at BARC
Her contributions and experiments in radiation cytogenetics to study chromosome aberrations and distinguish stages of cell cycle.
[00:20:51 - 00:50:05 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]
Dates
- Creation: 2023-05-11
Creator
- Nandita Jayaraj (Interviewer, Person)
- Krishnaja AP (Interviewee, Person)
- Nandita Jayaraj (Processing Archivist, Person)
Biography
Born in Calicut, Kerala, in 1951, Krishnaja AP did her BSc in Zoology (with chemistry & botany subsidiaries) at Malabar Christian College, Calicut. She worked as a telegraphist in Calicut for almost two years before resuming her academic journey. She pursued an MSc in Zoology by research at the Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai. After a stint studying drosophila mutagenicity at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, she earned a PhD from the Institute of Science in 1980. She worked at the Genetic Clinic & Pediatric Research Laboratory at KEM Hospital before joining the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre’s biomedical group, where she worked from 1982 to 2008. She was part of several landmark research projects at BARC such as a cytogenetic monitoring programme on human newborns carried out from 1983-1987 to find out the incidence of constitutional chromosome anomalies, as well as the international collaboration HUman MicroNucleus Project. She also conducted an in vitro cytogenetic study in human lymphocytes exposed to quinacrine dihydrochloride (QDCL has been used as a crude chemosterilant in developing countries in recent years). This work was presented in the 13th International Chromosome Conference in Italy in 1998. Her areas of expertise range from human cytogenetics, genetic toxicology and heavy metal toxicity to environmental mutagenesis and fish cytogenetics, fluorescence in-situ hybridization, cell culture, cell lines culture, chromosome preparation and chromosome banding, molecular cytogenetics and germ cell genetics.
Extent
From the Collection: 5 Hours
Language of Materials
English
Hindi
Repository Details
Part of the Archives at NCBS Repository
National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Bangalore Karnataka 560065 India
+9180 6717 6010
+9180 6717 6011
archives@ncbs.res.in