The Kerala Science Congress (KSC), with its focal theme ‘Viruses and infectious diseases’, concluded at Government Brennen College here on Tuesday, ending three days of sessions in which scores of papers were presented by scientists from different parts of the country.
Focal theme lectures during the 30th KSC, organised by the Kerala State Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), highlighted ongoing researches on viruses and infectious diseases.
Noting that viruses were a ‘conditional life form’ as they are non-living outside host cells, T. Jacob John, who pioneered the development of the discipline of clinical virology in the country and currently chairman of the core committee to establish an Institute of Advanced Virology in the State, said human mastery over viral diseases included prevention by vaccines and treatment with antiviral drugs. Smallpox and cattle plague had been eradicated and polio was on the verge of eradication, while measles and rubella were targeted for eradication, his paper stated.
Warning that humans were vulnerable to several emerging viruses that jumped from other species to infect humans, he called for extreme vigilance to counter them.
In her paper, Vijaya Satchidanandan, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, made a presentation on the safety and efficacy of the live attenuated vaccine for Japanese encephalitis virus.
Anmol Chandele, Assistant Professor, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, in her paper on human immune responses to dengue virus infections in India, said India had now become the country with the highest dengue burden worldwide.
She explained the efforts of the ICGEB in understanding the immune response that was induced during dengue disease in humans.
In his paper, E. Sreekumar, scientist, Molecular Virology Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, said dengue and chikungunya were two major mosquito-borne infections that had no specific treatment or preventive vaccination.
Both these viruses had a higher mutation rate as newer strains with altered clinical phenotype often emerged, she said. Using advanced genomics and proteomics the laboratory had identified some of the key host factors that could restrict chikungunya and dengue virus infection, she added.
The event also included the E.K. Janaki Ammal Memorial Lecture by Paramjit Singh, Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, G.N. Ramachandran Memorial Lecture by Manju Bansal, former Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, P.T. Bhaskara Panicker Memorial Lecture by educationist R.V.G. Menon and Dr. P.K. Gopalakrishnan Memorial Lecture by former Chief Secretary S.M. Vijayanand.
A major attraction of the KSC is the science exhibition that began on January 26. Nearly 100 national science research institutions participated in the exhibition.
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences, National Transportation Planning and Research Centre, Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, Kozhikode, were among those took part in the exhibition.
