Gene Regulation to Genome Architecture
On February 12, KUBiC collaborated with Biotechnology Society of Nepal (BSN) to organize the International Symposium 2020 entitled ‘Gene Regulation to Genome Architecture’ to divulge recent advancements in genetics and developmental biology in the international arena to the Nepalese audience.
The event was organized in association with the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and Tribhuvan University (TU), and was supported by Kathmandu Valley College (KVC) and Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST).
The symposium comprised of three sessions, namely,
- Presentations by internationally renowned speakers
- Poster presentation, and,
- Panel discussion.
Presentations by internationally renowned speakers
The symposium hosted six renowned researchers from different prestigious institutions in Europe who delivered their presentations pertaining to their current research as well as future prospects on the topic ranging from Gene Regulation to Genome Architecture. In this article, we have encompassed general information of the presenter and their respective keynotes.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Juan Pereira de Macedo
Postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Molecular Medicine, Lisbon
“Trypanosoma brucei: Unusual gene regulation, nasty scavenger”
Dr. Miroslav Arambasic
Postdoctoral researcher at Medical Oncology, Inselspital
“Are life cycles modular? Genome organization in Karyorelict ciliates”
Dr. Brandon Kween Boon Seah
Postdoctoral researcher at Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Germany
Dr. Niraj Maharjan
Postdoctoral researcher at Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, EPFL, Switzerland
“Protein Aggregation and neurodegeneration”
Dr. Aditi Singh
Postdoctoral researcher at Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Germany
” Chromatin remodeler ISWI is required for repositioning nucleosomes to target germline-specific DNA elimination“
Poster presentation
The second session involved the presentation of 13 posters by 30 students (Undergraduates and Graduates) from the field of Biotechnology as well as other fields related to life sciences. Sudati Shrestha and Tejaswi Kunwar from the Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University won the Best Poster Award for their poster on the research entitled ‘Phage Therapy Biocontrol’.
Panel Discussion
The aforementioned two sessions were followed by an interactive panel discussion that covered the topics – ” Cultural Clashes while working in an international lab, challenges to a successful academic career and research outside academia” Dr. Juan Pereira de Marcedo moderated the panel discussion while the other speakers served as the panelists. The discussion addressed the following issues:
- Barriers and challenges faced by international students to adjust to the international community
- Study and career opportunities in Europe
The event highlighted the research prospects and challenges in a foreign country. It was also the perfect platform for aspiring Nepalese researchers and biotechnologists to demonstrate their work and research to a wider audience including international delegates. The event was a successful affair and received positive reviews from the audience.