A three-day international workshop on "Frontiers in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology" was inaugurated, here on Monday, at Committee on Scientific and Technological Co-operation (Comstech) secretariat building. OIC Comstech, a premier body entrusted to develop science and technology in 57 OIC member states organised the workshop for the scientists across the OIC region including Pakistan.
The scientists, researchers and other relevant professionals from Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and other countries have arrived in Islamabad to take part in the international workshop, focusing on training of these professionals in the emerging applications of molecular biology and biotechnology.
In his inaugural address, Comstech Adviser Science, Dr Anwar Nasim said, "Rapid scientific advancement in Islamic countries depends on exploring frontier technologies and the scientists of the OIC member countries need to focus modern applications of biotechnology as it is the future of science." "There is need to strengthen this discipline in our universities and in medical research institutions," he emphasised.
18 sessions of the workshop, six in a day, shall focus different subjects such as protein engineering, signalling in cancer cells, discovery of new genes, industrial enzymes, strategies to identify disease genes, gene cloning public health and pharmaceuticals, DNA barcode and commercialisation of biotechnology. Training will be conducted by renowned resource persons from Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Pakistan and US and trainers.-PR