Students and (bottom) researchers at the national conference on “New Frontiers in Life Sciences” at the Regional Museum of Natural History in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 9: A three-day national conference on life sciences began at the Regional Museum of Natural History here today. The conference titled “New Frontiers in Life Sciences” is being held to observe the 13th Orissa Bigyan Congress.

“Research has proved that it will soon be possible to stop the process of ageing as well as reverse it,” said K.C. Pandey, general president of the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA).

“With scientific advancements, it is possible for a 60-year-old man to become as strong in body and mind as a 20-year-old youngster. The gamut of science is growing in leaps and bounds with several pathbreaking findings,” said Pandey.

Terming the 21st century as the century of life sciences, he said there were many emerging areas such as molecular biology, (nano) biotechnology, cryobiology, toxicology, environmental biology, synthetic biology, immunotherapy, cell clattering, human ageing and so on.

“During the 50’s, life science was in a nascent stage and only a few areas were known. Today, we are trying to explore life itself and have reached a point where we would soon be able to combat diseases like AIDS,” he said.

Kanpur president of the Indian Society of Life Science (ISLS) R Ramamurthi also addressed the audience comprising students, researchers and scientists.

“Youngsters should be motivated not only to take up science, but also to participate in social development. Discoveries and inventions are futile if it does not reach the common man,” he said.

Padmalochan Rout, a biotechnology student of Majhighariani Institute of Technology and Science (MITS), Bhubaneswar, said: “The conference would help in giving information about the recent trends in life sciences as well as career prospects for budding scientists.”

Other speakers included, ISCA members M.K. Chakrabarti, Vijay Laxmi Saxena, Nilangshu Basu, botany professor at Utkal University P.K. Chand, working president of the Orissa Environmental Society S.N. Patro, and general secretary of the ISLS A.K. Saxena.

Tomorrow, there will be panel discussion on biodiversity conservation in the face of climate change, prospects of biotechnology, recent development in cancer research, and advances in behavioural sciences.