Dr Sanjeev Khosla, Director, CSIR-IMTECH, felicitating Prof. Dulal Panda, Director, NIPER after the Foundation Day talk

The 81st Foundation Day of CSIR was celebrated at the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, with a prestigious Foundation Day Lecture delivered by Prof. Dulal Panda, Director, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali. During his lecture, Prof. Panda focused on "Lessons from 55 years of tubulin research and its implications in human health and disease".

Prof. Panda in his talk made some important reflections on the research on tubulin that has laid the foundation for understanding several important cellular processes such as mitosis, cell division, cell motility, differentiation, and neuronal growth and development. In his address, he outlined that cancer therapeutics have greatly benefited from the effective anti-tumour action and limited toxicity of anti-tubulin drugs.

Dr Sanjeev Khosla, Director, IMTECH while welcoming the guests and faculty to CSIR's Foundation day apprised the audience of CSIR’s service to the nation in the last eight decades and how scientific and technological interventions from CSIR have helped society. In his welcome address, he exhorted young scientists and students to set global benchmarks in science and stressed that the coming 25 years would be an ‘Amrit Kaal’ (perfect time) for the Indian science ecosystem to grow. 

As part of the celebrations, CSIR-IMTECH also observed ‘Open Day’ during which about 350 school students, graduates and the general public from in and around tricity visited the institute and interacted with scientists to get a firsthand account of various facets of microbiology and biotechnology. Institute also felicitated meritorious wards of its staff for their outstanding performances in various academic and extracurricular activities and also gave mementoes to its staff who retired in the last two years.