Ccmb to host International Congress of Cell Biology

Hyderabad: The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), under CSIR will host the first International Congress of Cell Biology. The five- day conference will commence on Saturday. Announcing this at a press conference here on Thursday, CCMB, Director General, Dr. Rakesh Mishra said that the International Federation for Cell Biology (IFCB), Asian Pacific Organisation for Cell Biology (APOCB) and Indian Society of Cell Biology (ISCB) will together organise the event. 

Dr. Mishra said that about 1400 participants from 30 countries and 300 institutes will participate in the conference, to be held at Leonia Holistic Destination Resort, Shamirpet.   Nobel Laureate Martin Chalfie will deliver the opening address. A Synergy session between industry and scientists engaged in application of inventions will be held on January 28 for which YS Chowdhary, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences will be the chief guest.

Dr. Satyajit Mayor, President of APOCB said there has been exponential growth in field of cell biology and the conference would focus on how government and industry could explore the possibilities of applied cell biology in medical innovation.  

Dr. V. Radha, Chief Scientist,CCMB said that the conference would also focus on a comparatively nascent field in a biology and study placenta as a tissue. She said that there is a need to increased synergy between clinicians and basic scientists. 

The cross talk between them has paved way for good patient care, as can be seen in cancer patients, because doctors then have a better understanding of the cancer, its basic pathology, metastasis etc. She further said that a special session on International Policy on Supporting Biological Sciences will be held on January 31, to emphasise how important basic science is today.