- Central Instrumentation Facility
- Computer and Bio-Informatics Laboratory
- Central Internet Facility (Wireless)
- Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory
- Herbarium & Phyto-resource Center
- Animal House (337/CPCSEA)
- Microscopy Laboratory
- EM Material Processing Lab
- Library
- Chemical and Glassware Store
- Botanical Garden
Major facilities of Equipment available in the central Instrumentation Facility
- Axiomat Research Microscope : To carry out microscopic observations of plant and animal tissues
- Reichert (Austria) Ultramicrotome OMU3 : To cut ultrathin sections of biological specimens for observations under EM
- Epifluorescence Microscope : To localize various metabolites in plant and animal tissues
- Ultracentrifuge (DuPont) : To separate and characterize various macromolecules
- Atomic absorption Spectrophotometer : To carryout qualitative and quantitative analysis of various biological samples
- Gas chromatography : To analyze various biological samples for their composition
- Drust Enlarger (Ag. Italy) : To enlarge the image of electron micrographs
- Carl-Zeiss Axioplan Cytophotometric Microscope procured under UGC-SAP on Morphogenesis and Plant Anatomy from 1994.
- HPLC : For analytical studies of Biomolecules
- HPTLC : For characterization of Biomolecules
- TOC Analyzer with Solid Sample Module : For analysis of Total Organic Carbon
- Thermocycler : PCR amplification of DNA
- Cryocut : For in site localization of enzymes and metabolite & in tissues
- Image analyzer : For capturing images of micro morphological features of cells, tissues and organism.
- Lyophilizer : For preserving cells, and culture, metabolites.
- Fermentor New Brunswick Scientific BIOFLOW 110. : For microbial/cellular production of important metabolites.
- Elisa Microplate Reader
- Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer : For metal analysis from various natural and industrial products/ byproducts
- Microwave Digester : For sample digestion before Atomic Absorption analysis
- High Speed Refrigerated Centrifuge : for centrifugation and separation under high speed & low temperature conditions
- Millipore Ultra pure water purifier : to obtain Type 1 (ultra pure water for laboratory use)
- -85 C ultra low temperature deep freezer : for preservation
- Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography System : For protein chromatography and purification
- 2- Dimensional Electrophoresis : For protein electrophoresis
- Hybridization oven and UV cross linker : For molecular bilogy related applications
- Multimedia Projector mounted in every classroom
- Central Computer Laboratory
- Wired Structured Cabling
- Wi Fi network
- Ernet Internet through wireless uplinking
The Herbarium of Sardar Patel University, perhaps, is the largest herbarium in Gujarat having more than 50,000 specimens collected from different corners of Gujarat State as well as North-West parts of Maharashtra State. Majority of these collections belongs to the flowering plants. Though few specimens of non flowering plants belonging to Algae, Pteridophytes and gymnosperms are present, much attention was not paid to these groups. This Herbarium was established in late 1950s. Since its establishment, a number of floristic investigations were carried out by late Prof. G.L. Shah and his associates in different districts. The Flora of Gujarat State (Shah 1978), the first of its kind in India, is the outcome of these constant efforts. The herbarium collection is being enhanced year by year because of the continuity of floristic, phytosociological and ethnobotanical investigations in different geographical areas. There is one full time herbarium keeper to maintain this herbarium. Our herbarium serves the post-graduate and Ph.D. students mainly of the Botany faculty of this university and scientists of other organizations as a reference center for plant identification. The scientists of Gujarat Agriculture University, National Research Centre for Medicinal &Aromatic Plants, Boriavi; regularly visit this herbarium or send their plant specimens to this herbarium for identification. Other NGOs such as Honey Bee Network, Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI), Ahmedabad; Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, Bhuj etc. also frequently rely upon this herbarium for the identification of their plant samples. Many of the collections of this house have been studied by different expert-scientists at various Regional Herbaria for confirmation of the identity. The scientists of Botanical Survey of India borrowed many of the specimens from this herbarium for the revisionary or monographic work of different taxa. The duplicates of number of specimens of this herbarium have been deposited in different regional herbaria of Botanical Survey of India.
Though the herbarium is not situated in botanical garden, it is not possible to consider the former to be apart from the latter.
The Botanical garden of Sardar Patel University was established long ago in late 1950s as a component of the post graduate department of Biosciences in about 3.2 acres of land in Vallabh Vidyanagar, mainly to serve the P.G. and Ph.D. students of Bioscience faculty of this university. Since then it has been serving as a living laboratory. The P.G. students rely upon this green resource for the required plant material for their practical courses. They get the opportunity to study different kinds of wild as well as cultivated trees, shrubs, climbers and herbs, all at one place which otherwise are found in varied geographical and climatic regions. The research students grow and use different types of annual and perennial plants in this open laboratory to carry out various experiments for which time to time observations are to be recorded.
Altogether there are about 200 plant species, excluding the natural herbacious flora, growing in this garden, out of which 60 species belong to trees. The germplasm of some rare, endangered and threatened wild plants and other academically important species from various parts of Gujarat State and India are collected and conserved here with proper care. Some of such interesting and rare collections are:
Hyphaenae dichotoma, Adenanthera pavonina, Collvellea racemosa, Cochlospermum religiosum, Ficus krishnae, Michelia champaca, Couroupita guianensis, Saraca indica, Commiphora wightii, Solanum macrophyllum, Chlorophytum borivilianum, Dendrobium microbulbon etc. Different kinds of Bignonias, Bauhinias, palms, Bougainvillaeas and many gymnosperms are some assets of this garden to mention.
This garden also serves the other students of local colleges and schools by means of living resource of reference. Looking at the needs of present day, our botanical garden has been reorganized with allocation of specific sections for different kinds of plants such as medicinal plants, horticultural plants, experimental plots and a nursery. Considerable size of a separate section is allocated for the natural vegetation to grow in wilder condition. To fulfil the expectations of the visitors for non-botanical purpose, a separate plot has been developed with a large lawn boarded with live hedge and ornamental herbs and shrubs. There are two ponds available one in a closed fern house and another one in open place. The aquatic plants and animals that are required for the academic and research purpose are grown in these ponds. There exist a cactorium but it requires more infrastructure facilities for functioning. There are three fern houses/shade houses to grow the shade-loving plants important, from the point of both academic and ornamental value. Garden is well linked by the paths, illuminated with electric lights, leading to all sections. Though a separate bore-well is not available, 24 hours water supply from the university staff colony’s over-head tank is available. The garden has got a separate office of Garden Supervisor housed in it. The Supervisor is supported with a well-trained and experienced Mali. The maintenance of the garden is done by the daily wagers under the supervision of its permanent staff including the faculty members of Biosciences department of this university. The postgraduate and Ph.D. students of this department also extend their voluntary services as and when required. The total annual budget available for this botanical garden, herbarium and animal house is Rs. 2,00,000 (Rupees Two Lakhs).
Considering our constant and successful efforts and shortage of funds for maintenance, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India has very recently sanctioned an amount of Rs. 8.2 lakh by means of one time grant for strengthening the facilities such as compound wall, irrigation, greenhouse etc. in the garden.
DEPARTMENT LIBRARY
The Department has its own Library with facilities of INFLIBNET, Wi-Fi and Xerox; and automation linked with main library of the University. Besides the availability of several books and journals in the main library, about 3000 books are housed in the departmental Library for the convenience of students and faculty members of the Department. The seating capacity of the library is 25 and library works from 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on all working days.A Full time Librarian has been appointed by the University to look after the Library activities.
A Committee has been constituted to look after the functioning of the Library. The procurement of the books for the library is transparent and the teacher who teaches a particular subject recommends the books required for that particular subject.
The Department is in receipt of a sizable amount of grant for books and journals from various national and state level funding agencies under their different schemes like Plan Period, SAP, COSIST , CAS of UGC, FIST Level I & II of DST, IBT program of DBT etc. and for individual research projects of the faculty members.
The details of the books and journals procured are as followed:
X Five year plan period : From 2002 to 2006
Total no. of Books purchased : 224
Departmental Special Assistance (DSA) of UGC : From the year 2000 to 2005
Total no. of Books purchased : 112
COSIST of UGC : From 2001 to 2006
Total no. of Books purchased : 120
U.G.C. SAP Programme : From 2007 to 2011
Total no. of Books purchased : 115
DBT –IBT : From 2004-
Total number . of Books and Journals purchased : 570 and 07
U.G.C. XI Five Year Plan : From 2007 – 2012
Total number of Books and Journals purchased : 558 and 05
U.G.C. XII Five Years Plan : From 2012 – 2017
Total number of Books purchased : 133
DST-FIST : From 2013 – 2014
Total number of Books purchased : 102
UGC- CAS : From 2015 –
Total number of Books purchased : 133