Research Objectives:
1. Aquaculture Health Management:
Rapid diagnosis of diseases is essential for effective health management in aquaculture. This research unit explores the effective methods for disease diagnosis, which include (1) gross symptoms (2) post-mortem changes (3) acute and chronic inflammatory responses (4) Histopathology (5) Microbiology (6) Immuno-assays and (7) DNA – basd diagnostic tools.

Recommendations:
A single test or a combination of tests needs to be performed at the right time, depending on the problem. The success depends on the right choice and use of the diagnostics by the aquaculturists to make rapid, prudent and cost-effective disease management decisions.

Health management by immunostimulants and growth promoters:
Immunostimulation seems to be the most suitable immunotherapeutic method of disease management for fish / shell fish culture. Our research unit explores the possibility of using chitin / chitosan compounds and extracts of Indian medicinal plants (particularly pteridophyte extracts) in the enhancement of non-specific immunity in fish and shell fishes. The estimation of immunomodulation includes enumeration of leutocytes and phagocytes, phagocytic activity, leucotyte migration inhibition and quantitative estimation of immunoglobulins.
Well-balanced low cost feed containing minerals, vitamins and growth promoters in the culture system will enable the high production of good quality protein and Chitosan in the fish diet which enhance the weight gain leading to high productivity

This centre of research is concentrating on the diversity of aquatic organisms especially freshwater fishes. Feeding and energy channelization of aquatic organisms for their various activities are estimated thereby the strategy for better utilization and maintenance are evaluated. Experiments are also carried out to see the environmental influences like acid rain and global warming on the aquatic biota. Now experiments are going on to study the energy metabolism, pigmentation and breeding of aquarium fishes. Seven research students have got their doctorate degree from this research centre.

A DST sponsored major projects entitled “Bioprospecting of Genetic Diversity and the evolutionary status of ploidial lineages of few species complexes of ferns of Western Ghats of South India through Isozymic analysis” has been completed. Another project sponsored by Department of Science and Technology (DST) entitled “Identification and Application of Fern Consituents in Helicoverpa armigera and Podoptera litura” in which Dr.A. John De Britto was the Co-Principal Investigator also has been completed. A consultancy project on the Microlevel Environmental status report of the Nambiyar river basin including the Hanumanthi and Karumeniyar river basins” has been undertaken and completed. An Entrepreneurship Development Programme for unemployed SC/ST graduates has also been conducted which was sponsored by TNSCST. A project entitled “Ascertaining the Genetic basis of variants and selection of superior genotypes of two medicinal plants of Tirunelveli hills in Tamil Nadu” sponsored by University Grants Commission (UGC) are being carried out. Ten papers have been published on the outcome of the research of these projects so far. Many papers have been presented in National and International conferences. Six Ph.D scholars have been awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Eleven scholars are carrying out their research for Ph.D., degree. Researches on Phytochemistry, molecular systematics and ecological genetics are the thrust areas of this centre.

Centre for Aquaculture Research and Extension (CARE), established in 1996 at St. Xavier’s College, is one of the research units of Department of Zoology since 1985. It is one of the premier institutes catering to development of fish production technologies and transfer technologies. This centre has well equipped laboratory, hatchery, flow through tanks, nursery tanks, larval rearing units, breeding ponds, stocking ponds, culture ponds and conference cottage. With the financial assistance received from various agencies viz., (UGC, ICAR, CSIR, DOE, DBT & DST) Dr.M.A. Haniffa, Director and his research team have developed the following technologies.

1. Mass speed production of murrels and catfishes.
2. Low cost breeding and hatching techniques for catfishes.
3. Larviculture and rearing of young ones of murrels and catfishes.
4. Commercial culture of murrels and catfishes for blue collar jobs.
5. Ploidy induction, hybridization and sex manipulation in murrels and catfishes.
6. Low cost feeding techniques for murrels and catfishes.
7. Conservation of threatened fish species by captive breeding and artificial fertilization.
8. Feed probiotics for fish health.

So far 25 Ph.Ds have been produced by the Director and in addition eight more candidates are working for Ph.D. The Director and his research team have published more than 100 research papers on Environmental biology and aquaculture in reputed journals. CARE has played a vital role in the establishment of murrel and catfish farms in Tamil Nadu. Existing laboratory and farm facilities at CARE

So far 25 Ph.Ds have been produced by the Director and in addition eight more candidates are working for Ph.D. The Director and his research team have published more than 100 research papers on environmental biology and aquaculture in resputed journals. CARE has played a vital role in the establishment of murrel and catfish farms in Tamil Nadu. Existing laboratory and farm facilities and CARE provide a cradle for conducting research work on seed protection and feed formulation techniques and demonstration of simple technologies to unemployed youths, fish culturists, entrepreneurs and industries. Since the native fish species have been threatened due to various reasons, special emphasis is being put on the development of technologies viz., induced breeding, artificial fertilization, cryopreservation, mass seed production, larval rearing and commercial culture with an ultimate objective of conservation of endangered fish species. Moreover the exotic catfish farming namely African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and yellow tail catfish (Pangasius sutchi) is posing a great threat to the biodiversity of native fishes in India. The Director and his research tem have developed commercial culture of snakeheads and native catfish (singhi) as an alternative to the former. At present CARE has established collaboration with researchers in India and abroad. CARE is conducting, commercial murrel culture and catfish culture training for unemployed youths for self employment and income generation.

Centre for Aquafeed and Nutrition (CAFeN) was started during 1999-2000 as a recognized centre for Ph.D programme in Zoology in St.Xavier’s College campus. Technological improvement in fish feed production is the main objective of this centre. Production of cost effective fish feed is the main achievement of this centre. Using non-conventional ingredients, various types of dry pelleted feed for fin and shell fishes have been prepared and used in culture practices.

Enzyme interaction with feed, digestibility assessments, aminoacid requirements, estimations of metabolic activities in Indian major carps and fresh water prawns are carried out by M.Sc. and M.Phil students from this centre.

Stocking and rearing tanks, round plastic aquaria and water flow-through systems are furnished in the centre to facilitate the students for fish culture practices.

M.Phil and Ph.D students are doing their projects in fish nutrition, feeding energetics and also in fish feed formulations. Research scholars from this centre have actively participated in various national seminars / conferences and presented their research findings. Research articles are regularly published in reputed journals from their centre. At present histological, histochemical and haematological changes in fish cultured under various nutritional modulatory conditions are being carried out by our students. New fish feed formulations, feed processing for improving carp and fresh water prawn feeds, technical know-how (from lab to land) to aquatic farmers by the way of training programme, extension services to common and income generations to be conducted from our centre in the forthcoming years. Identification of threatened and endangered carps in Thamiraparani basin, culturing them under controlled conditions, enhancing their growth by nutrifine feed, bringing out healthy brood – stocks for good spawning and high fecundity are the future objectives of this centre.

The Centre for Biodiversity and Biotechnology was set up in 1987. The centre has received so far 10 major projects, seven from the Government of India, Delhi and three from European Jesuit benefactors. At present the centre includes a tissue culture unit, a molecular biology unit, a phytochemical unit, a herbarium with 100,000 specimens of ferns and flowering plants, a green house with about 200 species of ferns and flowering plants, a herbal garden with 230 medicinal plants. The Kodaikanal Botanic garden, inaugurated on November 1999, comprises one hundred acres, and here 175 fern species about 50 orchids and about 20 cacti are under cultivation. The garden includes about 30 acres of subtropical forest and about 10 acres of disturbed forest.

The centre has concentrated on the following areas: Cytotaxonomy of ferns of the Western Ghats, Phytochemistry of 100 fern species, tissue culture of 12 endangered ferns, Bioproduction of L-Dopa from Mucuna through tissue culture, Taxonomy of Pteridophyte Flora of the Western Ghats, Polymorphism in ferns, Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms of India, Environmental Education for 1200 school teachers and 35000 school children in five districts of TamilNadu, Angiosperms flora of Tirunelveli Hills (2000 species), multiplication of three tree species of Tirunelveli Hills and Genetic variations of four tree species of Tirunelveli Hills. So far 143 papers and 11 books have been published by the Centre. Of these publications two books and 19 papers are on flowering plants and the remaining papers are on Pteridophytes. The centre has also given 8 practical training courses on biotechnology to M.Sc biotechnology students from different colleges. Under the supervision of Rev.Dr.V.S. Manickam, the Director, so far 22 scholars have completed their Ph.D programmes and four more scholars are working for Ph.D. The Director of the centre, Rev.Dr.V.S. Manickam, has visited about 18 countries for research and presenting papers in international symposia. Many M.Sc. Botany students have done and are doing, their projects in this centre. M.Sc. students from other colleges also carry out their project in this centre. At present efforts are taken to create a centre of excellence in Pteridology in this centre. The centre is also engaged in conducting outreach programmes on environmental education.

Biosystematics encompasses all that deals with the taxonomical, evolutionary, phylogenetic, ecological, environmental studies on the plants, particularly the angiospermic or flowering plants. It is a fundamental science, that caters to all the applied aspects of Botany as well as the basis for all the modern disciplines like biotechnology, bioinformatics and molecular biology. The centre is started primarily for the investigation of the flora of region, namely the Tirunelveli hills and the adjacent plains. The centre will concentrate on the studies related to taxonomical, particularly the molecular aspect and the subsequent classification of flowering plants of the region. Again we intend to do the phytogeographical mapping of the region pertaining to the flowering plants and the conservation of nature and forest resources.

Crop Protection Research Centre was established in May 1999 under the Department of Zoology. The aim of the centre is to protect the cultivable crops from the devastating insect pests by using Bio-intensive Integrated Pest Management (BIPM). We are practicing natural enemies, plants and microbes based insecticides, inter and trap crops. We recorded the distribution of various natural enemies (reduviids, coccinellids, dragon and damsel flies and spiders) and pests of peanut in Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts, Tamil Nadu, India. The database system has been developed for the same. Similar studies will be extended to the neighbouring districts too. Technology had developed to mass multiplication of reduviids using Larval Card Method (LCM) where alive and heat and/or cold killed natural, factitious host were used. Now we have been interested to rear the reduviids using Oligidic diets of both insect and meat as source ingredients. Studies on crop-pests-reduviids chemical interaction and venom enzyme analyses are also in progress. Venom of the reduviids can be utilized in pest management and pharmaceutical use.

Another research area is that related with the pesticidal activities of plant products. So far 15 locally available plants were screened and tested against endemic pests such as, Helicoverpa armiger Hubner, Spodoptera litura (Fab.), Corcyra Cephalonica stainton and Tribolium castaneum Herbst. The results revealed that tested plants have either insecticidal or ovicidal activity, reduce the macromolecules, alter the gut enzyme and gut flora profile. Some plants like ferns showed the presence of alpha, beta ecdysones, 20-hydroxy ecdysones and cholestan. New plant-based insecticides can be formulated from these bioactive principles and integrate them in BIPM. These biopesticides reduce the pest populations and increased peanut production and they are safer to the natural enemies present in the crop fields. However, extensive research is needed to provide field evaluation of the biopesticides.

Research works related to pathogenic organisms and inter and trap crops are in the beginning stage. We have been trying NPV (S and H) and fungus (Verticillium lecantii and Paecilomyces farniosus) and trap and inter crops (maize, castor, soybean, sunflower and black gram) in BIPM. Every year we are conducting training cum demonstration programme to the farmers about the BIPM. This will be extended to woman farmers and also the student community in future.

The Entomology Research Unit, St.Xavier’s College since its inception in 1985 has been promoting higher learning with academic excellence. The thrust research areas of Entomology Research Unit are 1) Conservation, augmentation and biocontrol potential evaluation of assassin bugs 2) biodiversity of entomofauna in South India 3) chemical ecology of prey-predator (assassin bugs) interaction 4) multidisciplinary facets of biosystematics of assassin bugs 5) impact of insecticides on non-target biological control agents 6) vector role of haematophagous assassin bugs. The academic excellence of Entomology Research Unit is reflected through its alumni, its publications with rich citation index, continuous visitors from India and abroad, consultation from and interaction with, entomologists all over the world, involvement of the director in the editorial boards of journals, evaluation committees of national funding agencies, as resource person in refresher courses, the awards and recognition received by the director and the researchers, invitations and visiting fellowships from abroad etc.

The Entomology Research Unit harbours the richest collection of assassin bugs in India. The director is the internationally acclaimed authority on assassin bugs as evidenced by the publication of a internationally well acclaimed monograph on assassin bugs by an Indian and as international publisher simultaneously; receipt of assassin bugs for identification, request for expertise to pursue research in the area of predatory insects all over the world.

The Entomology Research Unit now wants to direct its activities into two major themes: a) biodiversity and biosystematics of predatory insects especially assassin bugs and b) establishment of an inventory with all type specimens of Indian assassin bugs and other entomofauna of southern districts of Tamil Nadu as a referral centre.

Folklore Resources and Research Centre, St.Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Palayamkottai was established in 1988. Since then in has been documenting folk traditions mostly of Tamilnadu in audio and video formats. It works at documenting and archiving the history of the vast majority of the people of the country whose culture is ignored as undeveloped – because it is non classical culture. Thus it provides a platform for those whose culture is primarily oral. The Centre strives to retrieve, provide due recognition and preserve the rich oral traditions of Tamil Nadu for the past seventeen years.

Courses and Workshops
The centre supports and conducts different programmes of research and teaching: Ph.D., Master of Arts, Certificate Course in Folkloristics and in Folk Arts as well as a number of workshops.

Research Projects
The centre develops projects and activities which bring to light the folk wisdom of the people of Tamilnadu. It collects and documents data regarding folklore. Through field study and theoretical research, it brings to focus the values and insights inherent in various folk forms.

Publications
The findings of our research and other researches are published in books (in Tamil) and in South Indian Folklorist (in English)which is a biannual and refereed journal. Besides these, we publish a newsletter on the activities of the centre is published. So far 13 books(12 in Tamil and I in English) and 7 issues of the journal have been published.

Archives
The archives of the centre has a sizable body of folkloristic materials in the form of audio and video cassettes, photographs, slides, manuscripts and palm leaf manuscripts. Archival holdings are organized, computerized and preserved in formats accessible to interested persons. Digitising the audio and video cassettes is in progress. Periodic fieldworks are conducted to collect and document materials. We take utmost care of our collections. The collections are stored in controlled humidity and temperature conditions.

Library
The library is holding thousands of books and several research journals exclusively concentrated on folkloristics and related disciplines such as cultural history, sociology, anthropology, ethnomusicology, linguistics, structuralism, semiotics, religion and communication.

Folk Arts
The centre promotes folk arts by reviving and modernizing performing arts. To promote folk art forms, it organizes training for interested persons in various folk arts. It supports traditional artistes through a ‘Service Desk’. It facilitates the folk artistes to avail of the benefit schemes announced by the government and other agencies. ‘Gramiya Kalai’, a newsletter for the folk artistes, is a special feature of this service desk which provides the folk artistes with a forum for expression. 18 issues of the newsletter have been published so far. To give due recognition to folk artistes folk festivals are conducted periodically.

The department of Mathematics has been recognized as Research Centre of Manonmanium Sundaranar University from 2003. The research centre is well equipped with books, journals and internet facility. The recognized guides of the department are offering Ph.D programmes in Graph Theory and Computer applications. At present 16 scholars are pursuing their Ph.D. Efforts are being taken to apply for minor and major research grants from various agencies for the sustainable utilization of the resources available in the department. The recognized guides of the department are:

1. Rev.Dr. A. Antonysamy , S.J., (Guiding 8 Scholars)
2. Dr. A.P. Santhakumaran (Guiding 4 Scholars)
3. Dr. A. Lourdusamy (Guiding 4 Scholars)

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