KARACHI: Trends, modalities in genetic research discussed: Moot on Biochemistry
KARACHI, July 19: Karachi University vice-chancellor Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, while speaking at the inauguration of a symposium on 'Biochemistry in the Post-genomic Era,' commended the joint efforts of the organizers
, the Department of Biochemistry and Pakistan Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
He pledged his full cooperation for all such efforts and said that he regarded it as need of the time. Dr Pirzada highlighted the importance of the post-genomic research and the fast-changing trends in genetic research.
He said that students, teachers and young scientists could learn a lot from such symposium. In his welcome address, the chairman, Biochemistry department and organizing committee, Prof Dr Mohammad Ishaq, stressed the significance of the changing trends in genetic research and their impact on the teaching and research in Biochemistry.
Prof Dr Nazarul Hasnain, President PSBMB, and Prof Dr Waheed Akhtar, also spoke to the audience, emphasizing the post-genomic research in Biochemistry as the need of the time.
The vote of thanks was presented by Prof Dr Nikhat Siddiqui, Secretary, organizing committee. Speaking at the first session of the symposium, Prof Dr Ibrahim Rajoka, CSO and head of the division of industrial Biotechnology, NIBGE, Faisalabad, highlighted the role of biochemistry in industry.
He spoke of the various research works carried out in his labs at mass scale, with the collaboration of industries, on the production of methane gas, using bacteria and employing industrial application methods of biochemistry and molecular biology.
Proteins for clostridium species had been developed at the laboratories, which could be used for waste water treatment, he said, adding that Fungi Hamicola species for instance could be utilized in paper and pulp industry.
He also talked about various applications of the current genetic engineering techniques in biochemistry. During the first session of the symposium, the associate dean and professor of biochemistry at the Aga Khan University, Prof Dr Anwar Ali Siddiqui, highlighted the research work in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology conducted at the AKU.
He appreciated the efforts of the students linked with such research by using state-of-the-art techniques. At the second session of the symposium, a former student of Biochemistry department, Mahmood Hussain, talking about the pharmaceutical applications of biotechnology, discussed the gene cloning technology and recombinant DNA techniques.
Prof Dr Waheed Akhtar, Professor of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Punjab, discussed the strategies carried out in his lab for overproduction of expressed protein-bovine somatotropin.
The session was attended by about 400 participants including faculty members, students and researchers from different institutes of Karachi. The concluding remarks were given by Prof Dr Nikhat Siddiqui, who appreciated the enthusiasm shown by the participants and stressed the need for holding such symposiums frequently.
She said that the post-genomic era was a point, where genomic information, applications and technology had come together with biological information to create an enhanced global understanding of all biological systems.
She added that the aim of such symposiums was to educate the participants in current research trends. The researchers and students of Pakistan should acquire the necessary skills to meet the challenges of post-genomic research, using the state-of-the-art technologies. - APP
