1st STUTI Training Program on “Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques” begins with great fervour at PU

Chandigarh, March 21, 2022: A series of  22 Training programs under STUTI  today started with  its first seven-day training program on “Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques”. This training program is CIL, PU under the aegis of Synergistic Training Program Utilizing the Scientific and Technological Infrastructure (STUTI), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. Organizing Secretary, Dr Archana Chauhan introduced the guests to the participants. Prof. Ganga Ram Chaudhary, STUTI Coordinator of Panjab University in his welcome address explained about objectives of DST-STUTI program and SAIF, PU which was followed by introduction to the training program by the training program coordinator and Chairperson, Department of Zoology, Dr Yogesh Kumar Rawal. Guest of the Honour Dr Pratishtha Pandey, Scientist F, DST, gave information about the various programmes of DST like FIST, PURSE, SERB, STAR, TARE, GATI, KIRAN etc., which are intended for financial support to institutes as well as individuals. She emphasized on the aim of the DST “serving India through science”.

Prof. Sukhbir Kaur, Fellow of Panjab University introduced the Chief Guest of the program, Prof. Ashwani Pareek, Executive Director, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), SAS Nagar, Punjab. Prof. Pareek motivated the participants of training program by sharing his own story on how he got idea of developing stress tolerant rice for next generation, using techniques of molecular biology. This variety of rice will help the farmers doing cultivation of rice in drought and high salt conditions of land. Inauguration program was followed by lecture of Dr Shailja Singh, JNU, Delhi on experimental genetics and lecture of Dr Soumya Pati, Shiv Nadar University, Uttar Pradesh on next generation DNA sequencing. In the afternoon session participants visited different laboratories of SAIF, CIL, PU which houses state of art instruments like FE-SEM, HR-TEM, X-ray Diffractometer, FT-NMR  Spectrometer, WD-XRF Spectrometer, MALDI-ToF Mass Spectrometer, SAXS, High Temperature TGA etc. This training program will be held from 21st to 27th March and is being attended by about 35 participants from different universities/institutes of North India. Resource persons from different universities/institutes of India will deliver lectures as well as will give hands on training to the participants on various molecular biology techniques.