To commemorate National Technology Day 2024, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH), Chandigarh, organised an interactive invited talk on “Healthcare Solutions at the Interface of Chemistry & Biology” on 13 May 2024. Prof. Neetu Singh, Head of the Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, delivered the talk. She elaborated on myriad health issues of the global populace, especially the problems associated with better means of diagnosis, repair and regeneration of organs, bones, cartilage, etc. She also dwelled on the prospect of using nanoscience and nanotechnology to answer questions arising from these healthcare issues.

She emphasised that nanostructures, due to their similar size scale as bio-macromolecules and cellular components, provide an unprecedented opportunity to target and potentially modulate important biological processes. Also discussed key nanotechnology-based scientific and technological contributions that would impact future healthcare strategies, including disease diagnostics, better therapeutics delivery and tissue engineering. In her talk, she discussed examples illustrating how knowledge of chemical science & nanotechnology had enabled the development of platform technologies for easy quantification of cell growth, migration and disease progression, along with nano-based solutions from her lab for improving drug delivery, wound healing and tissue engineering.

Dr Dibyendu Sarkar, the Acting Director, discussed the relevance of National Technology Day in the present scenario and appreciated the interactive talk from Prof. Neetu Singh.

The institute’s staff and research students attended the programme.   The programme coincided with the activities of Swachhata Pakhwada-2024 celebrations in the institute.