FM NOVEMBER 2018 ISSUE - digital edition

science in India through research and
education, was attended by over 800
delegates.
One of the marquee life sciences
conferences organised in India, NGBT
this time had 12 keynote lectures and
80 talks by speakers representing
various scientific organisations from
across the world. It showcased
applications of NextGen sequencing
and genomic technologies for basic
and translational science in various
areas of biology — including human
genetics, drug discovery, clinical
medicine, biomarkers, diagnostics and
animal, plant and agricultural sciences.
It also covered basic biology, cellular
signalling, cancer and plant biology.
“The genomics industry is still at a
nascent stage in India. While genomic
profiling is the way forward for
healthcare, we need to create ample
awareness in the medical community
to leverage its potential,” said Sam
Santhosh, Trustee, SGRF and Founder
& Chairman, MedGenome, a leading
US-India genomic research and
diagnostics organisation.
According to Sam Santhosh, NGBT
conference provides a platform that
brings together accomplished national
and international speakers, thinkers
and thought leaders who shape the
course of scientific discovery, research
and innovation. India, with its huge
biodiversity and genetic pool, can
contribute much more to the world’s
Genomics industry is still
at a nascent stage in India.
While genomic profiling
is the way forward for
healthcare, we need to
create ample awareness
amongst medical community
to leverage its potential.
Sam Santhosh
Trustee, SGRF
genomic database and to the growth
of future medicine.
“The Conference also provides an
environment of exchange of ideas
and provides opportunities for people
to form collaborations, and is an
ideal platform to share knowledge
and find out about the new and
emerging technologies in biology and
biology-enabling technology areas
like genomics. Such forums help in
understanding the real-life challenges
and the ways to address them by
engaging renowned experts from
across the globe,” he added.
NGBT Jaipur was hosted
in collaboration with Toronto
Recombinant Antibody Centre (TRAC),
Canada; Birla Institute of Scientific
Research (BISR), Jaipur; Rajasthan
University of Health Sciences (RUHS),
Jaipur; Eternal Heart Care Centre &
Research Institute (EHCC), Jaipur; SMS
Medical College Hospital (SMSMC),
Jaipur; and Institute of Bioinformatics
(IOB), Bengaluru.
It also featured technology
leaders from institutions like National
University of Singapore, University of
Toronto, University of Montreal, Pacific
Biosciences, MedGenome, Genentech,
Indian Institute of Science, BGI, Centre
for Cellular & Molecular Biology
(CCMB), Johns Hopkins University, 10X
Genomics, Nature Genetics, National
Institute of Biomedical Genomics,
REVOLUTION Medicines and others
from across the world.
Dr. Kuldeep Singh, Director ICAR-
National Bureau of Plant Genetic
Resources, New Delhi, has been
awarded the 2018 SGRF Excellence in
Science Award.
SGRF had also announced over
100 “meeting scholarships” for
students pursuing scientific research.
The recipients of the scholarship were
selected based on abstracts submitted
for the conference.
Using a combined toxicovenomics
and phage display approach, scientist
from the Technical University of
Denmark could develop an experimental
recombinant antivenom based
on a cocktail of fully human antiimmunoglobulin
G (IgG) monoclonal
antibodies that are capable of
neutralising the dendrotoxin mediated
neurotoxicity of Black Mamba whole
venom in a rodent model, said Dr
Andreas H Laustsen of Denmark.
This is the first report on the
development of a fully-human
monoclonal IgGs against animal toxins as
well as the first use of oligoclonal human
IgG mixture experimental snakebite
envenoming,” according to Laustesen of
Technical University of Denmark
Other participants at the symposium
included Kristen Wiley from Kentucky
Reptile Zoo, US; Priyanka Kadam,
Snakebite Healing and Education Society
Maharashtra, India; Ajay Kartik, Madras
Crocodile Bank Trust; Sadanand Raut,
Vighnahar Foundation, Narayangaon,
Maharashtra; Dr. Sekhar Seshagiri,
Genentech, San Fransisco, USA; Dr. Jay
Fox, University of Virginia, Charlottesville,
USA; Dr. Robin Doley, Tezpur University,
Assam; Dr. Viswanath BS, Mysore
University, Karnataka; Dr. Kemparaju K,
Mysore University, Karnataka; Dr. Dev
Sidhu, University of Toronto, Canada;
Dr. Gopi Kadiyala, Kyntox Biotech India
Pvt. Ltd, Banglore and Dr. Omesh Bharti,
Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla.
NOVEMBER 2018 / FUTURE MEDICINE / 91