Madhapur: Tamilisai Soundararajan stresses need to make Indian microscopes

Madhapur: Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundarajan has stressed the need to manufacture microscopes in India as expertise is available in this space, and also as the government is encouraging manufacturing in India through Make in India, Startup India, Stand Up India and other initiatives. She also raised alarm over the emergence of new deadly viruses of late.

A 5-day, 12th Asia Pacific Microscopy Conference (APMC) was inaugurated on Monday by the Governor at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). She said: "Being a medical student myself, microscope was the first advanced gadget I happen to see in my first year as medical student.

I was in awe of microscope and always admired it all through my medical practice. A simple instrument like microscope plays a very important role in detecting and proving even advanced diseases and helps medical professionals in a great way. Even the other advanced micro procedures like laparoscopy and laser surgeries were invented from microscopes.

Though the other advanced gadgets which were available 30 to 35 years back, vanished, the simple gadget which is each and every day advancing and really helping the medical field even today is microscope. There is huge need for microscopes in India. However, most of the microscopes we are using in India all are imported. We must start manufacturing Indian microscopes as there is lot of expertise available and even our PM Narendra Modi is encouraging manufacturing in India through Make in India, Start Up India, Stand Up India initiatives."

Asia Pacific Microscopy Conference is a prestigious conference attended my medical professionals, engineers, scientists, researchers, students and other stakeholders working in the field of microscopy. It is held every four years and after 55 years it is being held in India now.

Making a veiled reference to Corona virus, Tamilisai Soundarajan said that advances in microscopes can help in dealing with the various deadly viruses. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Partha Ghosal, Chairman of APMC-12 said that it is pride for India to hold the highly revered microscopy conference. "We are fortunate to hold APMC-12 in India after 55 years.

It was possible due to the dedicated efforts over the past four years. More than 1000 delegates from both Life Sciences and Material Sciences across 18 countries are taking part in the conference. But a large delegation from China was unable to attend due to the Corona virus threat. So many microscopy experts and institutes are working on tackling viruses. In our country scientists at National Institute of Virology are working overnight to tackle the viruses. Such is the significance of microscopy in our daily lives," said Dr Partha Ghosal.

There will be lectures, orations and presentations by scientists, professors, researchers and students in the conference under two broad categories: Material Sciences and Life Sciences.

Around 350 papers, 150 posters and numerous metallographs are going to be presented under different categories. Eminent speakers from academia and industry will share their knowledge on microscopy with the conference delegates. Such a large gathering of knowledgeable delegates is expected to promote mutual learning and knowledge sharing in the field of microscopy.

APMC also includes a large-scale industrial exhibition in which suppliers of microscopes and allied techniques will demonstrate the state-of-the-art technologies implemented in their instruments to conference delegates.