Ninth International “NextGen Genomics, Biology, Bioinformatics and Technologies (NGBT)” Conference in Mumbai

by Suman Gupta

Mumbai, September 30^th, 2019: SciGenom Research Foundation (SGRF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting Science in India through research and education, organized the 9^th annual ‘NextGen Genomics, Biology, Bioinformatics and Technologies (NGBT) Conference’ in Mumbai from September 30^th to October 2^nd.

The three-day conference is showcasing speakers from multiple areas of biology and biology-enabling technologies, both from India and abroad.  This broad meeting covers advances in genomics technologies for basic and translational science and includes talks focused on wide areas of biology including human genetics, drug discovery, clinical medicine, biomarkers, diagnostics, animal, plant, agricultural and conservation Sciences.

“Over the past nine years NGBT has evolved to create a forum for researchers, students, clinicians, plant and animal scientists, and technology/biology companies from India and across the globe to meet, share and gain knowledge on advances in science and technologies.   The science of genomics is revolutionizing healthcare, drug discovery, plant and animal sciences.   Our conference is intended to bring these cutting-edge advances accessible to scientist and aspiring students in India.  The ultimate goal of Science is to help the well-being of all in society and our hope is for our conference to be a catalyst towards this goal” said Dr. Sekar Seshagiri, NGBT Conference Chair and President, SGRF.

The conference is an annual platform that focuses on aiding and encouraging scientific research in India and South Asia and is attended by many industry leaders from across the world.

“We recently treated a lung cancer patient with the right drug based on her tumor mutation that resolved her lung cancer and improved her quality of life.  Genomics enabled precision medicine is changing cancer treatment by matching patients with the right drugs” said Dr Kumar Prabhash, Prof., Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

“I am pleased that the NGBT initiative has enabled scholars, thinkers and thought leaders from around the world to meet and exchange ideas. Scientific developments in the genomics space is going to radically change many areas including agricultural sciences. It will positively impact our farmers and their well-being” said Dr. K. K. Narayanan, Founder and former CEO of Metahelix, India.

The conference features scientific leaders from ACTREC, Tata Memorial Hospital, TIFR, IISER, IISc, NIBMG, NCBS, IIT, AIIMS, TNAU, KAU, SRMC, CCMB,  BGI, Johns Hopkins University, UCSF, Uni, of Frankfurt, the institute of Cancer Research UK, Uni of Toronto, Uni of Montreal, Goethe University, CMC-Vellore, Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital, Tata Rallis, Genentech, 10x Genomics, Nanostring, PacBio, Oxford Nanopoere, MedGenome, AgriGenome, Nature, QIMR Berghofer, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and other leading organizations from across the world.

SGRF also announced over 100 “meeting scholarships” to support student participation at the NGBT meeting.  The highly competitive meeting scholarships were awarded based on abstracts submitted for the NGBT conference presentation. “We are grateful for the support from prestigious journals such as Nature, Cell and Science, for their support for student poster prizes” said Dr Krishna Rajalingam, Professor, Univ of Frankfurt and co-chair of the NGBT meeting.

About SGRF   : The SciGenom Research Foundation (SGRF) is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting science in India through research and education. The foundation is also committed to creating platforms for scientific exchange and education by organizing high content scientific conferences, seminars and workshops primarily in India and Asia through SGRF Conferences, the educational arm of SGRF. To inspire and promote the next generation of scientists, SGRF supports talented young students and researchers by providing fellowships, grants and travel awards.