The Department of Bioinformatics of Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) organised a national workshop on ‘Sequence and Phylogenetic Analysis’. The workshop was organised under the mentorship of Vice Chancellor Prof. Kameshwar Nath Singh and convened by Prof. Asheesh Shanker, Head, Dept. of Bioinformatics. In the inaugural session VC Prof. K. N. Singh while delivering the presidential address said that the government of India has now streamlined research funding under one umbrella of National Research Foundation (NRF). Recently the parliament has approved the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill 2023 to establish an apex body called NRF to support and advance scientific research and to foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges and research institutions as per the recommendation of National Education Policy (NEP). A whopping budget of INR 50,000 crores has been earmarked for the NRF for next five years. Congratulating the audience for Hindu Divas celebrated on 14th September, he urged faculties to contribute to this cause and try to write text books in the local languages for the benefit of several students in the remote areas of the country.
In the opening remarks, convener Prof. Asheesh Shanker, briefed about the event and highlighted the progress and achievement made in the high throughput genome sequencing and biological database development in recent years. He said that Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary area that involves use of software and data analysis techniques to process biochemical information and solve complex biological problems. The primary aim of the workshop is to introduce cutting-edge computer technologies to find solutions to biological problems.
The Co-chair Prof. RS Rathore in his address discussed at great length about the history of bioinformatics. Despite several odds, Margret Oakley Dayhoff pursued continuously and her relentless efforts led to the development of Atlas of Protein Sequence and Structure in 1965. Her pioneering work helped usher in the birth of a new field we now call bioinformatics. The Dean of SEBES Prof. Pradhan Parth Sarthi highlighted the important role of bioinformatics in the development of life science and healthcare. The event was concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Dr. Ajay Kumar Singh.
Faculty members from various departments namely Prof. Rizwanul Haque, Prof. Rakesh Kr., Dr. K. K. Ojha, Dr. V.K.Singh, Dr. D.V. Singh, Dr. Anil Kumar, Dr. Prabhat Ranjan and Dr. Nitesh Kr. were present in the event along with the research scholars and students. A large number of students and research scholars from the state and different parts of the country are participating in the event. Through the lectures and hands-on sessions, Prof. Asheesh Shanker, Dr. K.K. Ojha and Dr. V.K. Singh explained techniques to compare proteins, nucleic acids and whole genome sequences. The participants also got a glimpse of intricate details on sequence analysis, evolutionary models, and phylogenetic analysis. Participants were thrilled to learn with ease various online resources and software for data analysis.