JOIN US'Promote inter-disciplinary research'
Inter-disciplinary research needs to be promoted among the faculties in universities, said IISc (Bengaluru) former director Prof P Balaram.
Delivering ICRAIEST 2009 Endowment Lecture on ‘Chemical Communication in Biology’, organised by the Department of Industrial Chemistry of Mangalore University on Wednesday, he said that inter-disciplinary research will usher in a convergence of different streams of studies. “The barriers between various fields should be removed to promote inter-disciplinary research. In the past, the disciplines were kept apart. Today, fortunately, most subjects are becoming inter-disciplinary,” he added.
He said that teaching methodology should be changed, to make way for student-centric and experiment-oriented research. Students should be encouraged to take up research, he suggested.
Calling upon research students to take up study on new topics, Prof Balaram said that instead of going for ‘hot subjects of today’, the students should think of the future and take up research activities.
“Chemical ecology is an inter-disciplinary area which needs to be focused,” he suggested.
He also spoke on snail toxins, isolation of toxins and its characterisations which has a wide range of possible medical uses. The snail hunts its prey with its venom-coated harpoon, releasing toxins that paralyses the prey, he explained.
Earlier, Prof Balaram inaugurated MSc in bio chemistry at the Mangalore University campus.
Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof K Byrappa presided over the programme. Industrial Chemistry Chairperson Prof B K Sarojini was present.