DST-STUTI training programme inaugurated at Shoolini
Solan, July 21 - July 27
DAY-7
‘Insight and Hands-on Training Program Techniques in Biotechnology’ concludes
The ‘Insight and Hands-on Training Program Techniques in Biotechnology’ concluded on 27th July. The program was organised by Shoolini University in collaboration with SAIF/CIL (Panjab University, Chandigarh), under the aegis of DST-STUTI. The session began with a technical talk by Dr Azhar Khan, Dr Chandresh and Dr Nitika Thakur (Assistant Professors at Shoolini University). This was followed by the session on ‘Expert Talk’, delivered by Dr RC Sobti and Prof Ashish Khosla.
The Technical Talk, conducted by Dr Azhar Khan, started at 9:20 AM at PDH Hall. He talked about Animal Cell Culturing, its applications, and types of cell cultures, also mentioning cellular confluence and cell culture contamination. He described cell imaging and its advantages, concluding with question-answer sessions.
After the talk, participants were taken to the demonstration section based on technical speech under the supervision of Dr Chandresh Kumari. They were given hands-on experience with both animal and plant tissue cultures, followed by various methods used for the purpose.
Expert Talk Session
At the Expert Talk held at APJ Hall, Padma Shree awardee & former Panjab University Vice Chancellor Dr RC Sobti was the session expert and chief guest. In his talk on ‘What Biology can do’, he talked about rerouting biology through emerging technologies — ‘From Basics to Emerging’. He also discussed the convergence of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics through discoveries and inventions, and rediscovering their pathway through new emerging fields like Bioengineering, Instrumental and Analytical Technology, and Artificial Intelligence.
Prof Ashish Khosla, director at the Yogananda School of AI, Computer and Data Science, Shoolini University, talked about Artificial Intelligence. He emphasised the need of merging Biotechnology and Artificial Intelligence. The emerging field of Artificial Intelligence is recreating the future of human-dominated era and the collaboration between the fields of biotechnology and AI could turn impossibilities into innumerable possibilities.
Closing Ceremony
Dr Anuradha Sourirajan presented the workshop report of the 7-day training event. This was followed by a Vote of Thanks and an interaction among chief guests Dr RC Sobti, Prof PK. Khosla, Prof Sunil Puri, Prof Atul Khosla, and participants.
The participants gave their feedback on how they enjoyed and gained knowledge and perspective during the technical training program. They were awarded certificates by chief guest Dr RC Sobti, Prof PK Khosla, Prof Sunil Puri and Prof Atul Khosla.
Prof Sunil Puri wished the participants success in all their future endeavours.
Day-6
The penultimate day of the DST-STUTI ‘Insight and Hands-On Training Program on Techniques in Biotechnology’ began with the previous day’s highlights presented by Assistant Professor (Shoolini University) Dr Nitika Thakur.
Assistant Professor (Shoolini University) Dr Azhar Khar introduced the session expert Prof Inderjit Singh Dua to the participants.
Session Expert: Prof Inderjit Singh Dua
Professor and former chairman of the Department of Botany at Panjab University, Chandigarh, Prof Inderjit Singh Dua talked about the journey of science. He traced its transformation from mythological conceptual science to the era of discovery and invention while rediscovering life's footprints on the earth.
Technical Session: Prof Kamal Dev
Director (IPR) and Professor (Shoolini University) Kamal Dev presented his technical talk on the observation of transformation results by blue-white selection. He discussed the recombinant screening, selection and analysing methodology.
Post Tea Break, the participants proceeded on a trip to Kasauli.
Day-5
The 5th Day of the training program began with Dr Nitika Thakur presenting the highlights of the previous day. Prof Anuradha Sourirajan then welcomed chief guest Dr Anand Bachhawat, Professor, IISER, Mohali.
During the expert session, Dr Anand Bachhawat gave a talk on the ‘Introduction to Synthetic Biology’. Dr Bachhawat, Dean of the Faculty at IISER (Mohali), is a recipient of the National Bioscience Award for career development and has published research papers in Biochemistry and Synthetic Biology.
He spoke on Synthetic Biology and its emergence as a merged field with Mathematics, Genomics, and Engineering. Further, he discussed the historical background of the discovery of the Antimalarial drug Artemisinin, its biological pathway and production and his research on SARS- CoV-2.
Dr Vihang Ghalsasi, Assistant Professor (Shoolini University), delivered a technical talk on DNA Ligation, where he discussed the basics, procedural protocols and better alternatives used in methodology in terms of cost-effectiveness, time, and productivity.
This was followed by a practical session with Dr Swati, Mr Jagdish and Mr Kamel.
Post lunch, Dr Vihang presented the results of yesterday’s DNA digestion experiment and denatured yield of PCR product. He elaborated on the practical steps in the process of DNA ligation and theoretical aspects of practical protocols of bacterial transformation. Every student from a total of 6 groups performed experiments and shared the workload.
They settled the ligation reaction and competent cells, performed bacterial cell transformation, and selected transformants via blue-white screening. Media plates were prepared incorporating IPTG and X-gal. The heat shock method was used.
In addition, Dr Vihang demonstrated the basic microbiological lap methods like media plating and spreading onto media plates.
Day 4
The seven-day DST-STUTI ‘Insights and Hands-on Training Program on Techniques in Biotechnology’, reached its halfway mark on 24th July. Dr Narendra Chirmule was the session expert on Day 4. His session was followed by the technical session of the participants with Prof Dinesh Kumar and Dr Rupak Nagraik.
Shoolini University Assistant Professor Dr Nitika Thakur enumerated the highlights of the previous day’s session, after which Shoolini University Research and Development Dean Prof Saurabh Kulshrestha welcomed chief guest Dr Narendra Chirmule.
Session Expert: Dr Narendra Chirmule
Symphony Tech Biologics CEO & former R&D (Biocon) Head Dr Narendra Chirmule has three decades of experience in Immunology as a researcher, teacher and advisor. During his session on ‘Challenges in Development of a preventive vaccine against HIV: lessons learned from the past four decades’, he uncovered the epidemiological history and serendipitous discoveries of the identification, process of infection spread, cure research on vaccines of the HIV-AIDS virus. This was followed by an interesting question and answer session between the expert and participants.
Talk Session: Prof Dinesh Kumar
Department of Bioengineering and Food Technology Head Prof Dinesh Kumar gave a technical talk on ‘Restriction Digestion of Vector and Insert and Transformation of Cells’. He started with an overview of restriction digestion basics, its procedural protocol and interpretation methodology. This was followed by a practical session with Dr Vihang, Dr Lokender and the Team after a short tea break.
Post lunch, Dr Lokendra Kumar and Dr Vihang guided all participant groups about the PCR equipment details and functioning and addressed their queries. Every participant got hands-on experience in dealing with the gel electrophoresis process and checking and understanding the bands in gel doc for documentation work.
Next came the question-answer sessions and feedback.
All the 6 groups of participants were instructed to visualise DNA on Agarose gel following excising the purified DNA from across gel, thereafter a restricted digestion reaction was done for insertion and vector ending it by incubating it for 2 hours under -20⁰C.
Mr Jagdish and Mr Kamel (PhD Research scholars) and Dr Swati (Assistant Professor) Shoolini University helped participants along with Dr Lokendra and Dr Vihang in preparation of reagents, handling equipment.
Day 3
Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology (Shoolini University) Assistant Professor Dr Nitika Thakur initiated the third day of the event with a brief highlight of the previous day’s session. Department of Bioengineering and Food Technology Head, Shoolini University, Dr Dinesh Kumar Chatanta introduced session expert Associate Professor Dr Sunil Gosipatala, (Babasaheb Bhimarao Ambedkar University).
Session Expert: Dr Sunil Babu Gosipatala
Dr Gosipatala specialises in the field of Immunology and Molecular Biology. He spoke on ‘Techniques related to the functional validation of miRNA’. In his presentation about Viral micro RNA (miRNA) and immune invasion, he discussed how miRNA could invade the host immune system and its strategy for invasion, through his research work.
Technical Talk: Prof Saurabh Kulshreshta
Research and Development Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, Prof Saurabh Kulshreshta gave the technical talk on ‘DNA purification, Plasmid Isolation and Gel Extraction’. In his presentation, he discussed the technical procedure for performing the purification of DNA and Isolation of Plasmid and their importance.
Later, the participants performed experiments in their respective laboratories.
Post lunch, Dr Lokender Kumar and Dr Vihang Ghalsasi co-guided all participant groups and explained the steps involved in the experiments to be performed. Both professors ensured that all participants got equal opportunities to perform in the lab and gain maximum knowledge.
Every student in each of the 6 groups performed the basic steps of the experiment protocol involved in DNA plasmid isolation using the alkaline lysis method and plasmid DNA purification. Detailed information about each basic step such as buffer preparation, gel casting, instruments and devices used was provided to participants as they came from diverse academic backgrounds.
Mr Jagdish and Mr Kamel ( PhD Research scholars) and Dr Swati (Assistant professor) Shoolini University helped the participants, along with Dr Lokender and Dr Vihang, in preparing reagents and handling the equipment used in the experiments.
Day 2
The second day of the Insights and Hands-on Training Program on Techniques in Biotechnology started with the technical workshop training, conducted by Dean Research (Shoolini University) Dr Saurabh Kulshreshta. The session expert was Pro-Chancellor (Shoolini University) Mr Vishal Anand and technical speaker Dr Lokender Kumar.
Session Expert Vishal Anand
As the CEO of RNAVaxBio, Mr Anand is reliving his dream of continuing his journey in the field of science as an investor. He said the mRNA Vaccines were the future of the Indian pharmaceutical industry. It is estimated that the Indian Pharma Industry will increase its revenue three-fold by the year 2030, and the Indian economy has upgraded its increment speed in the past 70 years. Mr Anand asked the participants of the Program to be innovative manufacturers and build a career in science through research. This, he said, will do wonders for the Indian economy.
Speaking about how the pandemic had given India the opportunity to be recognised as a large-scale drug manufacturer, he said every Indian researcher should realise that their contribution to research should not only be about manufacturing but also about securing their ideas and work by the Intellectual Property Rights.
Technical Talk with Dr Lokender Kumar
Assistant Professor (Shoolini University) Dr Lokender Kumar led the first technical session of the training program. He has been a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Biophysics, CSM (USA). Dr Kumar addressed his technical talk on Polymerase Chain Reaction and Agarose Gel Electrophoresis. He discussed the procedure of performing PCR and Agarose Gel Electrophoresis, with the basic knowledge of these techniques. He also emphasised some limitations observed while performing the experimental procedure.
This was followed by a hands-on experimental session that the participants enjoyed immensely. It was conducted by Dr Kumar and Dr Vihang Ghalsasi.
DAY 1
A week-long training programme on biotechnology techniques organised by Shoolini University, in collaboration with Central Instrumentation Lab (CIL), Panjab University, under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology, was inaugurated on the university campus on Thursday.
Chief guest Mr Karan Avtar Singh, retired IAS officer and former chief secretary of Punjab, spoke about the importance of scientific knowledge and management. He said the training programme being conducted was very relevant in today’s context.
During his address, Shoolini University Vice Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla encouraged the students to bring innovation in their research by breaking the containment zone, created by them within their laboratory area. He put forward his perspective in merging the different fields of Mathematics, Economics with Biotechnology, which can bring a turn over in the research world.
Prof Gangaram Chaudhary, Director of Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF) and Coordinator of Synergistic Training Programme Utilising the Scientific and Technological Infrastructure (STUTI) programme addressed the importance of bringing collaboration in research for utilising 100 per cent capability and usage of the instrumentation technologies. He elaborated on the instrumentation facilities which are being availed by researchers all around the country for assisting their analytical research. He said analytical instrumentation plays a key role in laying the research foundation.
Prof PK Seth, NASI Honorary Scientist and former director IITR, Lucknow, highlighted the importance of collaboration of institutions during his speech on ‘Biotechnology Techniques: Transforming Human Lives and Economy’ where he described how the COVAXIN, a collaborative work by Bharat Biotech-ICMR-NIV, has brought a change in the global outlook of the Indian Biotech Industry.
Former IAS officer Mr Vivek Atray said collaboration in research was all about “leadership” and the key to it were the “people”. Former Vice Chancellor of Panjab University, Prof RC Sobti, delved into how research and innovation have always existed in our history and Indian Mythology and how we need to interpret those ideas and recreate research in the future.
Earlier, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology Dean Prof Anuradha Sourirajan gave a brief overview of the training programme being conducted by Shoolini University, School of Biotechnology and Management Sciences.
A technical bulletin was also released at the inaugural ceremony on the Insight and Hands-on Training Programme by Prof PK Khosla, Mrs Saroj Khosla, Prof Atul Khosla with chief guests and session experts.
Practical Session
Participants were divided into 6 groups for practical experiments conducted under the guidance of Dr Vihang Ghalsasi. The participants were assisted by Dr Swati, Mr Kamel, Mr Jagdish from Shoolini University. At the start of the session, Dr Ghalsasi gave detailed insights about the experiment topic (Isolation of Plasmid from Bacterial DNA) and related procedures. He discussed the components of DNA mixture, DNA annealing and denaturation and steps involved in Plasmid Isolation.
Further, he demonstrated the steps of preparing the reaction mixture of PCR for each of the participant groups. They performed the same in the assigned laboratories A- 103 and A- 105. Later, they prepared materials for the next experiment.
After the conduct of practicals, participants visited the university library and Department of Physics along with Applied Sciences and Biotechnology Dean Dr Anuradha Sourirajan and other faculty and staff members.
Training Program on Techniques in Biotechnology (21st to 27th July)
The recent Pandemic has turned the spotlight on Biotech, emphasising its crucial role in making lives better and healthier. Taking a step in this direction, Shoolini University is organising DS-STUTI Training Program on ‘Techniques in Biotechnology’ from 21st to 27th July for young professionals.
So, are you ready to broaden your horizons with hands-on training on modern techniques of Life Sciences/Biotechnology? This training session will cover the fundamental aspects of Molecular Biology, which forms the basis of Biotechnology.
Eligibility Criteria:
1. Minimum qualification - Postgraduate (Science) or BTech.
3. Professors/Scientists/Post-Doc Fellows/ PhD Fellows should be actively involved in R&D.
4. Submit self-attested bio-data form in email.
5. Maximum of 3 persons from one institute can participate.
6. Candidates to be shortlisted by the Selection Committee.
All doctoral students & teachers (University/College) across India are welcome. The program is limited to 30 participants, so hurry and register your name before 14th July.
Faculty of Applied Sciences & Biotechnology
The Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology at Shoolini attracts talented students for its Biotechnology, Microbiology, Nutrition and Food Technology programs at the UG, PG and doctoral levels. It has been recognised for its excellent research in Biotechnology Sciences by CCI and Gujarat Technological University.
Aligned with Shoolini University's thrust areas of research, the department focuses on harnessing the Himalayan biodiversity for societal benefits. Research grants worth Rs 13 crore have been generated from DST, DBT, ICMR, NMHS, HIMCOSTE and MoFPI. Scientists of the department have filed 200+ patents in translational research of international importance, with UG, PG, and doctoral students as inventors. More than 140 students have been awarded doctoral degrees. The faculty has been sanctioned a food-testing laboratory by MoFPI, DST- FIST grant for infrastructure development, and skill development grant under DBT-HIMCOSTE program.
Registration Details
How to Apply
Download Brochure : Click Here
Download Application/Bio-data form : Click Here
Email for submission at: stuti@shooliniuniversity.com
Last Date to Apply: 14th July
*Limited seats available; No Registration Fee. Free Accommodation.
