‘Train youngsters in nuances of biology’

The Department of Biotechnology is encouraging large-scale studies on subjects such as pre-term birth and brain development, its secretary K. Vijay Raghavan said here today.

He said studies showed that sanitation and nutrition deprivation too could affect brain development.

It is important to train youngsters to understand the nuances of biology of tissues, and apply that knowledge towards finding medical solutions, he added.

Speaking at the 10{+t}{+h}MDRF-UAB-FIU gold medal oration organised by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), he said such institutions could advance the understanding of biology, and the relationship between genes and the environment.

Phillip A. Min, consul general, U.S. Consulate, Chennai, said the U.S. National Institutes of Health was providing significant support for diabetes research in India. 

MDRF president V. Mohan and O. Dale Williams, professor and chair, Department of Biostatistics, Florida International University, USA also spoke.