Activity- International Conferencetitled “Translating Science into Solutions: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Real-World Problems (ICTSSMARP–2026)” Date- 16/01/2026 to 17/01/2026
The Department of Microbiology and the Department of Biotechnology, Patna Women’s College (Autonomous), Patna University, Patna, Bihar, in collaboration with the School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Mount Carmel College (Autonomous), Bengaluru,Karnataka, successfully organized a two-day Online International Conference titled “Translating Science into Solutions: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Real-World Problems (ICTSSMARP–2026)”on 16th and 17th January 2026.
The conference commenced on 16 January 2026 with a formal inaugural ceremony that included the traditional lighting of the lamp and prayer. Dr. Sister M. Rashmi A.C., Principal, Patna Women’s College, delivered the welcome address, emphasizing the importance of scientific research, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing global challenges. Dr. Regina L. Suganthi, Registrar (Admissions), Mount Carmel College, highlighted the significance of inter-institutional academic collaboration. A key highlight was the release of the Compendium of Abstracts.
The inaugural session also featured an address by the Convener, Dr. Arti Kumari, Head, Department of Biotechnology, Patna Women’s College, who elaborated on the relevance of the conference theme. The Guest of Honour, Prof. Saumitra Das, PhD, FNA, FASc, FNASc, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, emphasized integrative scientific research and collaborative innovation in pandemic preparedness and personalized medicine.
The programme was compered by Dr. Niti Yashvardhini, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, and concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Preeti Swarupa, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Patna Women’s College.
The Plenary Session of Day 1 was chaired by Dr. Shobha Srivastava, Dean, Faculty of Science, and the Plenary Session of Day 2 was chaired by Dr. Birendra Prasad, Head, Department of Botany, Patna University. Eminent speakers from across the globe included Dr. Akila Parvathy Dharshini S (Stanford School of Medicine, USA), Dr. Ashwini Kumar Ray (University of Delhi), Dr. Supriya Sharma (National Institute of Biologicals, Noida), Dr. Amrendra Ajay (Medical College Boston, USA), Ms. Nandani Bhogar Suresh (Co-founder and COO, Breathing Bricks), Dr. Naresh Kumar (University of Antwerp, Belgium)and Dr. Imtiaz Zafar (NIMHANS, Bengaluru).
Following the plenary sessions, multiple parallel technical sessions were conducted on both days with nearly 150 participants from institutions such as Pondicherry University, Mount Carmel College, University of Delhi, and Patna Women’s College, covering themes including Plant Stress Biology, Biodiversity Conservation, Bioinformatics, Genomics, Emerging Biotechnologies, and related areas.
The conference concluded with the Valedictory Session on 17 January 2026, where theGuest of Honour, Dr. Keshvardana Sanula, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, IISc, Bengaluru, highlighted the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to translate scientific research into real-world solutions. The programme ended with the National Anthem.
The successful organization of ICTSSMARP–2026 was a collective effort of the organizing committee comprising Dr. Niti Yashvardhini, Dr. Preeti Swarupa, Dr. Swetnisha (Department of Microbiology) and Dr. Arti Kumari, Dr. Alok Ranjan, and Dr. Vivek Raj (Department of Biotechnology), Patna Women’s College. The conference reinforced the importance of multidisciplinary research, academic collaboration, and student participation in addressing real-world scientific challenges.
