Jammu, February 02 (Scoop News) Bio-Informatics Centre of Jammu University today organised first of its kind one day national symposium on “Bioinformatics- challenges in the post-genomic era” here at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium.
The daylong symposium was sponsored by Department of Bio-Technology, Government of India under BTIS net programme was organized in collaboration with Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra.
Minister for Information Science and Technology, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Aga Syed Rohullah Mehdi was chief guest on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the government was keen to promote Bio-Technology and Bio Informatics as these are the priority areas of Research and Development in the present day world.
He stressed on Research Scholars to take Bioinformatics subject seriously as the discipline has great scope and can solve crucial problems of the humanity adding that the government will provide every possible support to promote this discipline in the educational institutions.
Vice Chancellor, Mata Vaishno Devi University, (SMVDU) Katra, Prof. R.N.K. Bamezai delivered the key note address. He said that the subject of Bioinformatics has great implication in generating genomic information to understand human diseases and in the identification of new molecular targets for drug discovery.
Prof. Bikram S Gill, University of Kansas State University, USA delivered the plenary lecture. He said that India has done a lot in physics and chemistry and was now growing in leaps and bounds the discipline of bio-technology.
Professors of various faculties, including Manoj Dhar who is also Director, Bio Technology, University of Jammu, Prof. D. Verma, Coordinator SMVD also delivered their lectures on the subject.
About 300 delegates including Professors of different Universities of India, scientists, Deans and Registrars of Jammu University, Researchers, Scholars, Doctors, and students attended the symposium.
Earlier, the Minister inaugurated the symposium by lightening the traditional lamp. The Minister also released a book on Bio-informatics.