A four-day International Symposium on Genome Editing for Food Security and Environmental Sustainability (GEFSES) commenced at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, bringing together scientists, academicians and researchers from India, Canada and Germany.
Inaugurating the symposium, Dr J.P.S. Gill, Vice-Chancellor, highlighted the university’s collaborative GEFSES programme, supported by the Canadian NSERC-CREATE initiative in partnership with McGill University, University of Saskatchewan and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). He informed that over the past six years, the programme has provided advanced training in CRISPR-Cas9 technologies through graduate courses, seminars and international externships, while promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and leadership among young researchers. He stressed the importance of multidisciplinary research in addressing challenges related to agriculture, animal sciences, food security and environ
mental sustainability.
Dr R.S. Sethi, Dean, College of Animal Biotechnology and Organizing Secretary, informed that the symposium features expert deliberations on recent advances in genome editing, genomics and their applications in animal biotechnology, agriculture and allied sectors. He highlighted its role in providing young researchers an opportunity to interact with leading scientists and explore the practical and commercial applications of scientific discoveries for ensuring food security and environmental sustainability.
Dr Jaswinder Singh, Director, GEFSES, McGill University, Canada, traced the evolution of the initiative and acknowledged the contribution of partner institu
tions. Joining virtually, Dr Baljit Singh, Vice-President (Research), University of Saskatchewan, emphasised interdisciplinary research and translating laboratory discoveries into practical solutions. Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director Research, PAU, stressed problem-oriented research focused on addressing field-level challenges and benefiting the farming community.
The plenary sessions featured Dr Debasis Dash, Director, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, discussed marine biotechnology; Dr Ashwani Pareek, Executive Director, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, highlighted genome editing in agriculture; Dr Manoj Prasad, Director, BRIC- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, spoke on plant genomics, scientific translation and mentorship; and Dr Ravi Kumar Gandham, Director, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, highlighted the role of genomics in Indian Zebu cow improvement and sustainable livestock production.
Dr Yogesh Vikal, Director, School of Agricultural Biotechnology, PAU, proposed the vote of thanks.
