Eminent scientists deliver lectures on vaccine development, gut biology, antifungal drug resistance and mRNA vaccine technologies
Lucknow: The 95th Annual Meeting of the Society of Biological Chemists (India) [SBC(I)] commenced at the CSIR–Central Drug Research Institute (CSIR-CDRI), Lucknow, bringing together more than 400 eminent scientists, researchers and experts from 56 plus institutions to deliberate on recent advances in biological chemistry and biomedical research.
The inaugural session began with a welcome address by Dr Radha Rangarajan, Director, CSIR-CDRI, who welcomed the distinguished guests, invited speakers, researchers and participants. The address highlighted the importance of scientific collaboration, interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange in advancing biological sciences and addressing emerging challenges in human health. The session also featured the Presidential Address by Prof. Dipankar Nandi, setting the tone for the scientific deliberations and discussions during the annual meeting.
The scientific programme featured distinguished lectures by eminent researchers covering a broad spectrum of contemporary biomedical research.
Plenary Lecture: Design of Efficacious Vaccines Against Respiratory Viruses
Prof. Raghavan Varadarajan from IISc Bengaluru delivered the plenary lecture on “Design of Efficacious Vaccines Against Respiratory Viruses.” The lecture focused on scientific approaches to designing effective vaccines against respiratory viral infections, highlighting the importance of advances in vaccine research and development in combating infectious diseases.
Dr. Kamala Sohonie Memorial Lecture Award
Prof. Sandhya S. Visweswariah delivered the 1st Dr. Kamala Sohonie Memorial Lecture Award on “Fundamental 3Gs: Gut Reactions, Gut Instincts and cGMP.” The lecture explored fundamental aspects of gut biology and the underlying molecular mechanisms, highlighting the significance of biological signalling pathways in understanding physiological processes.
Prof. I. S. Bhatia Award Lecture
Prof. Kaustuv Sanyal delivered the Prof. I. S. Bhatia Award Lecture on “Emergence of Antifungal Drug Resistance: Novel Strategies Adopted by Candida auris.” The lecture addressed the growing challenge of antifungal drug resistance, focusing on the mechanisms and adaptive strategies employed by Candida auris, an emerging fungal pathogen of global health concern.
Expert Lecture on mRNA Vaccine Technologies
Dr. Sanjay Singh of ImmunoScript Life Science and CDRI alumnus, delivered a lecture titled “The mRNA Vaccine Revolution: Core Principles, Safety, and Regulatory Pathways of Platform Technologies.” The session highlighted the fundamental principles of mRNA vaccine technology, key considerations relating to safety, and regulatory pathways governing the development and application of these innovative vaccine platforms.
Further, in his lecture, Dr. Sanjay Singh also highlighted the potential of mRNA vaccine technology in strengthening future pandemic preparedness and emergency response. He emphasized that scaling up vaccine development and manufacturing capacity, integrating supply chains, and developing a skilled workforce are essential for effectively responding to future pandemics. He further highlighted the alignment of these aspects with NITI Aayog’s framework for pandemic preparedness and emergency response.
This three-day conference will comprise 11 parallel sessions on various important topics. Today’s scientific sessions provided a valuable platform for exchanging ideas, sharing recent research advances and fostering interactions among scientists working in biological chemistry, molecular biology, immunology, infectious diseases and related disciplines.
The 95th Annual Meeting of SBC(I) underscores the importance of scientific collaboration and interdisciplinary engagement in advancing fundamental research and translating scientific discoveries into solutions for emerging healthcare challenges.
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