SAC & PSC meeting underway

Two-day Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting on chemical ecology programme linking North East Region (NER) and Bangalore research hosted by Nagaland Science and Technology Council (NATEC) began today at Hotel Japfu, Kohima.
The meeting is aimed to leverage opportunities in the North Eastern States, which offer unique natural resources and opportunities for field researches that drive subsequent stages of chemical ecology researches. The programme would include specific mechanism to train and equip young scientists from NER of India. Each of the projects aims to be demonstrated, understood and predictably manipulates the molecular and cellular basis of a well defined phenomenon in chemical ecology.
The brief background of chemical ecology, handed out to the media persons stated that the major focus of the integrated programme was on the chemistry of interactions among plants, animals and microbes. Such interactions and their understanding would impact many fields of biology including agriculture, medicine and biotechnology.
In addition to building research capacity in the NER and the rest of India, the multi-disciplinary nature of the programme would also guarantee considerably enhancement in the quality and international impact of each component discipline within its perview.
The platform is to provide a firm base for all new innovative research projects or training programmes involving NER and Bangalore PIs over the coming years.
Earlier at the opening programme, senior consultant NER- BPMC New Delhi, Dr. Pawan Sharma in his brief address said SAC and PSC meeting was unique in its nature and expressed joy to see the substantial progress being made on definite objectives and that he looked forward to see the advancement soon. He was positive to learn from each other during the two-day interaction.
Member secretary Dr. Zavei Heise in his introductory note regretted that though Nagaland had rich bio-diversity in the region, Nagaland did not have a single national research institute except for the ICAR Mithun research centre.
He expressed that through this meeting, it would benefit not only NER but the whole world because a fundamental research would be carried out during the two-day meeting.
Researchers and think-tanks from various parts of the state and abroad are taking part in the two-day event, funded by department of Biotechnology, ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.