Jammu: 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.
At JNU’s School of Life Sciences, students interacted with Dr. Ashis Nandi and visited the Central Instrumentation Facility, where they were introduced to high-end research instruments such as:Confocal Microscope, Flow Cytometer and Cell Sorter, Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC).
The visit was initiated by Kaurab Singh, Assistant Professor at GCW Parade Ground who is also an alumnus of CSIR-IGIB, in collaboration with Dr. Beena Pillai, Chief Scientist, CSIR-IGIB. Under the able leadership of Dr. Ravender Tickoo, Principal, GCW Parade Ground, and the unwavering support of Dr. Beena Pillai, the educational visit proved to be highly successful and fruitful.
The following students from GCW Parade Ground actively participated in the visit:Urvashi Pawar, Sania Younis, Riya Shakdhar, Prakriti Kohli, Palak Thappa, Osheen Puri, Mehak Kundal, Lakshmi Chouhan, Komal Parihar, Isha Gupta, Himani Verma, Divyanshi Sharma, Nisha Lakhotra, Janvi Kohli, Ananya Sharma, Tanisha Gupta, Sonalika Sharma, Princkle Kour, Munaza Sabahat, Saneha Sharma, and Pranvi Gupta.This pioneering initiative has laid the foundation for future collaborations and learning experiences, strengthening the academic and research exposure of students at GCW Parade Ground.
