SOA to organise National Seminar on Industrial And Marine Biotechnology

A two-day national seminar on ‘Research and Innovations in Industrial and Marine Biotechnology: A Circular Economy’ will be held at the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) here on November 4 and 5.

Sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology’s Science and Engineering Research Board (DST-SERB), it is being organised by SOA’s Centre for Industrial Biotechnology Research (CIBR) in collaboration with National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) and Biotechnology Research Society of India (BRSI), Thiruvananthapuram.

The seminar, to be attended by researchers, industry experts and policy makers, would aim to foster discussions on innovative biotechnological solutions which align with circular economy principles, Prof. Hrudayanath Thatoi, Director of CIBR and Convenor of the national seminar, said.

“The subject of the seminar is very important in the present scenario as industrial and marine biotechnology are poised to play critical roles in addressing contemporary global challenges such as resource scarcity, environmental degradation and climate change,” he said.

Prof. Thatoi said by leveraging biological processes for industrial applications these fields offered sustainable alternatives to traditional methods enhancing efficiency and reducing waste.

Marine biotechnology, in particular, unlocks the vast potential of marine resources contributing to food security, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels while promoting the conservation of marine ecosystems, he said.

“The concept of a circular economy further amplifies these benefits by emphasizing the importance of reusing and recycling materials, thereby minimizing waste and promoting sustainability as against the traditional linear economy,” he said adding the upcoming seminar would serve as a pivotal platform to explore these interconnections.

Prof. Thatoi said the CIBR was established in SOA in 2023 with the objective of carrying out advance research in the fields of marine, agriculture, environment, pharmaceutics and medical biotechnology focusing on industrial applications in a drive for sustainable bioeconomy.

“In today’s world where sustainability and environmental concerns are at the forefront, a ground breaking field known as white biotechnology or industrial biotechnology has emerged,” he said.

White Biotechnology harnesses the power of living organisms, particularly microbes, to produce sustainable and ecological solutions for a wide range of industries, Prof. Thatoi said adding CIBR was at the forefront of this evolution.