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Nanopore Sequencing Workshop Held at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore

SimpliCity News Team · 26 Jul 2024

Coimbatore: The Center for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) conducted a one-day workshop on Nanopore Sequencing on July 26, 2024. The event saw participation from professors and students of TNAU.

Dr. E. Kokiladevi, Head of the Department of Biotechnology and Professor, delivered the welcome address. Dr. Raman Babu, Head of Seed Research and Development at Corteva Agri, and representatives from Zelle Biotechnology Pvt Ltd were present at the workshop.

Dr. T. Sureshkumar, Director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies, presented training certificates to the special guests. He also discussed the role of new technologies in agricultural research and how introducing these technologies can increase employment opportunities for agricultural students.

Dr. N. Senthil, Director of the Center for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, emphasized the importance of molecular sequencing in his introductory speech. He highlighted how collaborative efforts between public and private sectors could enhance research outcomes and provide students with more research exposure.

Dr. Raman Babu, South Asia, Corteva Agriscience, Hyderabad, and visiting professor at TNAU, explained current trends, advancements in plant breeding, and applications of technology. He outlined five different paradigm shifts in current research for developing potential products.

Dr. Babu advised on areas for research enhancement, including short-term parental material development, using gene selection to create representative breeding materials, breeding for high-end quality parameters through phenotyping using digital tools, impacts of digital farming for precision agriculture, and emerging areas of genome editing, stem cell research, and tissue engineering. He suggested that students learn specialized skills in desirable areas for better job prospects.

Following this, industry scientists Dr. Divya Shetty, Senior Field Application Scientist from Zelle Biotechnology Pvt Ltd, delivered a detailed lecture on Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing and their applications. Dr. Ramesh Vaidyanathan, Business Development Manager at Twist Bioscience, explained the importance of synthetic biology and its applications, engaging with the center's students.

Dr. M. Sudha, Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Biotechnology, proposed the vote of thanks.

agriculture biotechnology workshop nanopore sequencing TNAU research technology

Nanopore Sequencing Workshop Held at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore

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