An Autumn School on the theme “Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery: Promises and Concerns” is being organised from 8th to 13th October 2012 at University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University for mid-level faculty in Pharmaceutical Sciences under the initiative of UGC Networking programme and coordinatorship of Professor Indu Pal Kaur. The Inaugural Session will be at 10.00 am in the Golden Jubilee Hall of Panjab University Campus.
Dr Pradip K Bhatnagar, President, Daiichi Sankyo Life Science Research Centre, will be the Chief Guest on the occasion and will deliver the Inaugural Lecture on ‘Nanotechnology/Medicine: Why Pharma Industry is Sitting on Fence’.
Eminent speakers with expertise in diverse disciplines of nanotechnology together with the in-house faculty of UIPS will train the participants from different states of the Country. Highly qualified experts from academia viz. IIT Kharagpur and NIPER Mohali, neighbouring research organisations like IISER and PGIMER and industries like Ranbaxy, Abbott Healthcare & Venus Remedies will intricate on topics ranging from applications of nanodelivery in the design of pharmaceuticals including proteins and siRNA; regulatory requirements for nanotech products; analytical techniques employed for characterization of nanosystem; anticipation, apprehension and expectation of pharmaceutical industry from nanotech products; Formulation by Design (FbD) and optimization and biophysical implications of these products. The training school is complemented with wet labs on fabrication of nanoparticles; hands-on training on characterization and analytical techniques like SEM, TEM, XRD, NMR, DSC, FTIR.
A Colloquium on ‘Regulatory issues in Nanotechnology’ to be presided over by Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, PU, Professor Arun Grover, is also scheduled under the School on October 12 from 9.00 to 11.00 a.m. wherein Professor Saranjit Singh, NIPER, Mohali and Dr Samir Malhotra, PGIMER, Chandigarh will deliver talks. A visit to an upcoming Central Institute, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali for exposure of participants to molecular biology tools like Gel doc, RNA extraction and design and concept of Cell Culture lab is also part of the School schedule.
The Valedictory Lecture will be delivered by Dr Manish Grover, Director, Abbott Healthcare Pvt Ltd, Mumbai.
UIPS is the first and the only Pharmacy Institute in the country selected by MHRD for creating UGC Networking Resource Centre to promote research in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Since nanotechnology is presently emerging as one of the most exciting area for effective and safe drug delivery technologies, Prof. Kaur said that it was thus pertinent to organise such a School cum Workshop.