Media Release
Mangaluru, Mar 13: The department of biochemistry, school of life sciences at St Aloysius (Deemed to be University) organized a national conference titled ‘Biochemistry connect: Exploring frontiers in research and innovation’ on March 9 at Robert Sequeira Hall in the LCRI Block.
The conference brought together researchers, academicians, and students to discuss recent advances and emerging trends in research and innovation. The chief guest and keynote speaker, Dr Ravi Manjithaya, professor and chairman of the Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit and Neuroscience Unit at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, delivered the inaugural address. He emphasized that scientific conferences play a vital role in fostering scientific thinking and provide valuable opportunities for science students to explore research and academic careers.
Dr Melwyn D'Cunha, SJ, pro vice-chancellor of St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), presided over the inaugural session. In his presidential address, he stated that national conferences of this kind are highly beneficial for science students, researchers, and teachers to understand current scientific developments and foster academic collaborations. Dr Asha Abraham, director of LCRI, and Dr Renita D'Souza, dean of Life Sciences, were present on the dais. Dr Lyned Lasrado, head of the department of biochemistry and convenor of the conference, welcomed the gathering, while Dr Ambarish C N, organizing secretary of the conference, proposed the vote of thanks.
In his keynote lecture titled ‘The role of autophagy in health and disease,’ Dr Ravi Manjithaya highlighted the importance of cellular recycling mechanisms in maintaining cellular health and discussed their implications in various diseases, particularly neurodegeneration. The conference featured several technical sessions by distinguished speakers, including Dr Ramesh S V, senior scientist at ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod, who spoke on ‘Bioactive molecules to innovation: Biochemical profiling of palms and cocoa.’ Dr Sebanti Gupta, assistant professor at Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), delivered a lecture on ‘From molecular architecture to therapeutic strategy: Biochemical insights into HIV-1 Gag.’ Dr Cletus D’Souza, Rtd professor, department of biochemistry, University of Mysore and adjunct professor at department of biochemistry, St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), spoke on ‘Biochemistry: Powering innovation and scientific breakthroughs.’
The afternoon session included oral and poster presentations, providing a platform for students and research scholars to present their work. The conference also saw the participation of industry representatives. More than 100 participants, including students, research scholars, and faculty members from St Aloysius (Deemed to be University) and various other institutions within and outside the state, participated in the conference.