Genetic diversity fosters the quintessence of speciation and species acclimatization of plants in their in situ environment. Members of Cucurbitaceae, an edible and economically vital crop family, have spread across the world, dominating the tropical regions. Thus, a study of the genetic relationships among cucurbit cultivars would throw light onto the extent of diversification among these vegetal crops. The present study endeavours to understand the phylogenetic patterns and relatedness among selected species of cucurbits, using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers, which are quick, reliable and produce sufficient polymorphisms for large-scale DNA fingerprinting purposes. A total of 117 bands, of which 57 were polymorphic, were amplified by five primers. The phylogram generated on the basis of Jacquards' similarity coefficient revealed a close genetic relationship between C. maderaspatanus and C. melo, while C. sativus, a member of the same genus, was placed as a distant relative from both species, thereby demonstrating remarkable diversification among members of the same genus.

Arsenic is a metalloid that is naturally present in the environment. Exposure to arsenic can cause health issues like cancer, cardiovascular, neurological, and respiratory complications. With more than a million people affected due to arsenic contamination in groundwater, Bihar is one of the worst arsenic-affected states in India. Groundwater is one of the primary sources for cooking, farming, and other household chores. People are exposed to arsenic through food as well as contaminated drinking water. As a result, arsenic has made its way into the food chain. Several cases of cancer, arsenical dermatosis, and keratosis have been reported in Bihar. The source of arsenic contamination in Bihar has yet to be identified, although the Himalayan sediments have been suspected as one of the prime reasons. The government has taken steps to prevent and control arsenic contamination in the state; however, reports in recent years indicate the number of blocks affected by arsenic contamination has been rapidly increasing. This necessitates a more comprehensive arsenic mitigation tool. Various technologies can be employed to mitigate levels of arsenic in groundwater, of which bioremediation is one of the more cost-effective and sustainable methods. The current article is an attempt to give an overview of the sources and areas of Bihar with arsenic contamination, and the concentration in different regions. It also provides a piece of detailed information on arsenic contamination on health, and the current state of arsenic bioremediation.

Evaluation of molecular phylogeny employing barcode markers for a population analysis has revealed the association between character evolution and diversification. The present research study endeavors to estimate the molecular phylogeny and evolution amongst 30 geographically distant land races of Coccinia grandis using chloroplast barcode markers. On the basis of sequences of ­C. grandis landraces and sister genera’s of Cucurbits; phylogeny and evolutionary distances were estimated using bootstrap method of UPGMA and ML with MEGA and DAMBE software. The rbcL appear to be evolving marginally amongst land races studied, while matK loci exhibited several parsimonically insignificant variations. The ycf5 locus resolved efficiently the phylogeny at both intraspecies and intergeneric levels. The values of Tajima’s relative rate test, Nei’s genetic distance and gamma distribution, within C. grandis accessions and among Cucurbits denoted plausibility of occurrences of random population expansion, slow ontogenic transitions and high consanguinity percentage among core barcode regions.The present study thus lays a platform for researchers working with vegetatively propagated plants to plan strategies for exchange of varieties, their maintenance, utilization and enhancement for further crop development and propagation.

Arsenic is a metalloid that is naturally present in the environment. Exposure to arsenic can cause health issues like cancer, cardiovascular, neurological, and respiratory complications. With more than a million people affected due to arsenic contamination in groundwater, Bihar is one of the worst arsenic-affected states in India. Groundwater is one of the primary sources for cooking, farming, and other household chores. People are exposed to arsenic through food as well as contaminated drinking water. As a result, arsenic has made its way into the food chain. Several cases of cancer, arsenical dermatosis, and keratosis have been reported in Bihar. The source of arsenic contamination in Bihar has yet to be identified, although the Himalayan sediments have been suspected as one of the prime reasons. The government has taken steps to prevent and control arsenic contamination in the state; however, reports in recent years indicate the number of blocks affected by arsenic contamination has been rapidly increasing. This necessitates a more comprehensive arsenic mitigation tool. Various technologies can be employed to mitigate levels of arsenic in groundwater, of which bioremediation is one of the more cost-effective and sustainable methods. The current article is an attempt to give an overview of the sources and areas of Bihar with arsenic contamination, and the concentration in different regions. It also provides a piece of detailed information on arsenic contamination on health, and the current state of arsenic bioremediation.

Removal of synthetic textile dye poses a challenge to the textile industry and a threat to environment flora and fauna. These dyes are marginally degradable and recalcitrant, hence alternatives to physical and chemical techniques like various bioremediation studies involving plants, plant roots, single or consortium of microbes have been used as environment friendly methods for the removal of textile dye. In the present study potent bacteria for dye decolourization were isolated from rhizospheric soil collected from Kamothe, Navi Mumbai, India. Of the 20 isolates obtained after enrichment, seven isolates were used for further screening of efficient decolourization ability in MBM media containing 10% glucose, 2.5 % trace metal solution and 0.1% of MO dye concentration. Physiological parameters to optimize the decolourization of dye at optimum pH, temperature and incubation time was studied for all the seven isolates. UV-vis and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate dye decolorization. The seven isolates were characterized morphologically, biochemically, and molecular identification of these strains were performed by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The isolates were identified as Bacillus paramycoides, Pseudomonas taiwanensis, Citrobacter murliniae, Acinetobacter pitti, Exiguobacterium acetylicum, Psychrobacter celer , and Aeromonas taiwanensis . Out of these Aeromonas taiwanensis has shown exceptional capacity by 100% decolorization of azo dye in minimum time. 1. Graphical Highlights of the study: Collection of soil samples from rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric region of the mangroves plant. Enrichment of soil sample in media containing azo dye for dye decolourization. Screening and isolation of potential dye decolourizers. Optimize the condition for dye decolourization. FTIR analysis and application based studies. Identification of microbes using 16SrRNA.