Prof. Shree Prakash Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology (DCRUST), Murthal, said India has developed an ecosystem that nurtures new ideas and creates innovative solutions to the world’s challenges real.

VC Singh was addressing participants at a three-week international workshop on ‘Biological Information for Genome Annotation’ organized by the Department of Biotechnology under the Fulbright Specialist Program of the Educational Foundation USA -India (USIEF) university.

Prof Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given an unprecedented boost to innovation and entrepreneurship through visionary public policies.

He further said that ‘Startup India’ was a ‘Standup India’ initiative launched in 2015. This initiative has made India the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world, with over 1,12,000 startups spread across 56 industrial sectors.

He said that the current workshop was mainly focused on the upcoming field of bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary scientific field that uses computing technology to study biological data. It focuses on the use of computational tools and techniques to manage, analyze and interpret complex biological data. Bioinformatics plays a vital role in decoding biological information such as DNA and protein sequences to better understand the molecular foundations of life.

Vice-Chancellor Singh said bioinformatics has helped researchers understand large data sets, identify patterns and gain meaningful biological insights.

Prof JS Rana, dean and head of the department of biotechnology, said the department was organizing a three-week international workshop on ‘Bioinformatics for Genome Annotation’ from November 28. The workshop would be organized under the USIEF-Fulbright 2023-2024 Specialized Program. , with the special presence of Fulbright Specialist Professor Sharon Gusky from Connecticut State Community College, USA, he said.

Prof. Rana said that forty participants would attend the workshop, which would prove beneficial for students and researchers.

Rana hosted Professor Sharon Beth Guskey and William Guskey from Connecticut State Community College, USA. He said the workshop focused on the importance of bioinformatics for genome annotation. Participants would learn how genome annotation was useful in drug discovery, gene function prediction, vaccine development, and molecular diagnostics.

He explained that the Fulbright Specialist Program was a U.S. government initiative to promote international cooperation through short-term, project-based academic exchanges. The aim of these programs is to strengthen mutual understanding and solve global challenges by facilitating knowledge sharing, capacity building and professional development in host countries.

Program Coordinator Prof. Kiran Nehra, Organizing Secretary Prof. Anil Sindhu, Prof. Pamela, Prof. Riti Chaudhary and others were present during the event.