Patna: Patna Women’s College (Autonomous), in collaboration with Mount Carmel College (Autonomous), Bengaluru, inaugurated the two-day international conference ICTSSMARP–2026 online, focusing on the theme “Translating Science into Solutions: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Real-World Problems.”
The conference, organised jointly by the Department of Microbiology and the Department of Biotechnology at Patna Women’s College, saw the release of a Compendium of Abstracts documenting diverse research contributions. The inaugural ceremony featured the traditional lighting of the lamp, a prayer, and addresses highlighting the importance of scientific research, innovation, and inter-institutional collaboration.
Dr. Sister M. Rashmi A.C., Principal of Patna Women’s College, welcomed participants, stressing the role of interdisciplinary research in addressing global challenges. Dr. Regina L. Suganthi, Registrar (Admissions) of Mount Carmel College, emphasised the significance of collaborative efforts between institutions. Dr. Arti Kumari, Head of the Department of Biotechnology at Patna Women’s College, elaborated on the conference theme and its relevance to contemporary scientific challenges.
Guest of Honour Prof. Saumitra Das, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, highlighted the importance of integrative research in pandemic preparedness and personalised medicine. The event was compered by Dr. Niti Yashvardhini, with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Preeti Swarupa.
The plenary session was chaired by Dr. Shobha Srivastava, Dean, Faculty of Science, Patna Women’s College. Keynote speakers included Dr. Akila Parvathy Dharshini from Stanford School of Medicine, USA, on Alzheimer’s disease; Dr. Ashwini Kumar Ray, University of Delhi, on gut microbiome interactions and cardiometabolic health; and Dr. Supriya Sharma, National Institute of Biologicals, Noida, on affordable molecular diagnostics for food- and vector-borne pathogens.
Following the plenary session, technical discussions were conducted in four parallel virtual rooms, covering topics such as artificial intelligence and big data applications, vaccines and immunotherapies, antimicrobial resistance, plant stress biology, biodiversity conservation, bioinformatics, genomics, emerging biotechnologies, and synthetic biology.
Day one of ICTSSMARP–2026 successfully brought together researchers, academicians, and students nationwide, fostering academic exchange and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in science and technology.
