Early Tims Report
JAMMU, Mar 26: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the recent past, the Department of Biotechnology of Government College for Women (GCW) Parade Ground, in collaboration with CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), New Delhi, successfully organized a three-day educational visit for students .
The visit aimed to expose students to cutting-edge research and innovation at some of the top institutes in the country, including CSIR-IGIB, the North and South Campuses of the University of Delhi, and the School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
A group of 21 students, accompanied by Assistant Professors Kaurab Singh and Tishu Devi, participated in this transformative experience. The visit was facilitated under the outreach program of CSIR-IGIB and coordinated by Dr. Beena Pillai, Chief Scientist and Dr. Arya Sidharthan, Science Outreach Team from IGIB.
The students had the unique opportunity to explore state-of-the-art research labs at CSIR-IGIB and other prestigious institutions. They were introduced to key model organisms used in biological research, including Arabidopsis thaliana, C. elegans, Zebrafish, and mice models.
At CSIR-IGIB, students gained insights into high-tech zebrafish maintenance and its use in groundbreaking research on pigmentation, vascular development, and other biological processes at one of the best zebrafish facility in the country.
In addition, they engaged in interactive discussions with leading scientists; for instance, Dr. Sheetal Gandotra, Principal Scientist at CSIR-IGIB, elaborated on the intricate cellular battle between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and host macrophages, while Dr. Arpan Parichha led an insightful session on confocal microscopy, further enhanced by practical exposure to fluorescence microscopy techniques.
At the Department of Genetics, DU South Campus, students explored various research facilities, includingPlant Tissue Culture Lab and witnessed how Arabidopsis thaliana is being used as a model system to understand the genetic basis of infection resistance. In the Drosophila Lab students observed how Drosophila melanogaster is used to study neurodegenerative diseases. They also visited Cluster Innovation Centre, University of Delhi as part of their visit to learn how innovative project based learning is being imparted to students at the centre.
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