The launch of Bioconclave '23 at Bversity was a major event in the biotech community, focusing on the celebration of biotech and addressing the gap in skills between academia and industry. A diverse group of industry leaders and experts were gathered to share their thoughts and opinions on the theme of the event. Over 1,000 students were in attendance, providing a massive student audience for the event. To further highlight the significance of the event, the legendary Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was invited to participate, along with the Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Dr. K Ponmudy, for the inauguration. Read on to discover how the rest of the event unfolded.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY DR. K PONMUDY
Dr. K. Ponmudy, the Honorable Higher Education Minister, inaugurated Bioconclave '23 and delivered a speech on education in Tamil Nadu. He highlighted the significance of the education sector and the need for investment and growth opportunities. He emphasized the role of education in shaping the future, preparing future leaders and driving progress. The minister's speech emphasized the government's commitment to supporting education in the state.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY DR. SOUMYA SWAMINATHAN
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was a keynote speaker at the event, providing valuable insights and perspectives on biotechnology and genomics through her speech "Inspiration for Biotechnology: Why the Blooming Industry of Biotech and Genomics." Attendees gained comprehensive knowledge of the industry's current state and future potential and were inspired by Dr. Swaminathan's speech.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY SURESH SAMBANDAM
Suresh Sambandam was a key player in the development of Bversity and his speech provided insights into the company's journey. Suresh first discovered the "Biology Boys" (the Co-Founders of Bversity) and was impressed by their DIY microscope, leading to his involvement with the company. He played a crucial role as an investor and mentor, providing support and inspiration throughout the journey, and contributing to the company's growth and success. Attendees gained insights into the role of investors and mentors in startups and were inspired by Suresh's story of helping bring Bversity to life.
LAUNCH OF BVERSITY
The launch of Bversity, a virtual college for biotechnology, was facilitated by Dr. K. Ponmudy, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, and Suresh Sambamdam. Bversity offers personalized hybrid learning through hands-on research and masterclass videos, Experimentation facilities at home, and industry exposure at the end of their course, with the goal of creating 1 million skilled biotech workers. It places a focus on pedagogical tools and is based in Chennai, India with a 20+ member core team that has served over 76 universities and 2000+ bioscience students.
SHEROES OF BIOTECH - PANEL DISCUSSION
The first panel, moderated by Hannah Priyadharshini J, Director of Corporate Relations - Bversity, focused on "Women in the Biotech Industry." The panel, named "Sheroes," featured Dr. Chaitra Harsha, CEO of Vipragen, and Veenaa Jayaraman, VP of Biosciences from Spinco Biotech, discussing their journeys, motivations, and the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the biotech industry.
STARTUPS AND BIOECONOMY - FIRESIDE CHAT
The second panel, moderated by Raghul Jaganathan, Chief of Learning and Development - Bversity, focused on the theme "Bio-based startups and Bioeconomy" The panel included experts such as Dr. Arun Shastry, CSO of Hanugen Therapeutics, Dr. Shanmugapriya Chandrasekaran, Head of R&D at Kriya Medical Technologies, Dr. Vijayakumar Muppala, Director of Dr. Biosciences, and Dr. Fathima Benazir, CSO of Azooka Labs. The discussion centered around identifying problems to solve and the factors involved in the bio-economy as an entrepreneur.
GAME-CHANGING CAREERS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY- FIRESIDE CHAT
The third panel, moderated by Godwin Immanuel, CMO of Bversity, focused on the importance of multidisciplinary learning for growth in the biotech industry. The panel featured successful leaders from various companies, including Divya Chandradhara, CEO of BioAgile, Naveen Kulkarni, CEO of Quantumzyme, Dr. Ramachandran Baskaran, CSO of Nucleome, and Geethanjali Radhakrishnan, Co-Founder of Adiuvo Diagnostics. The panel encouraged attendees to seek out workshops and experiences to enhance their skills and career opportunities.
BIOTECH IS THE NEW BUZZWORD - FIRESIDE CHAT
The final panel, moderated by Dr. Parani Madasamy, Head of R&D at Bversity, discussed the growth of the cell therapy and nutrigenomics fields. The experts on the panel shared their journeys and their perspectives on the future of these industries. The panelists, Narayanan R, CEO of Xcode Life Science, and Ranganathan Raghavan, Advisor at Beckman Coulter LS (Danaher), also spoke about how biotech has evolved over the past 30 years and provided a vision for the future for students in the field.
IDEA SHOWCASE AT BIOCONCLAVE ‘23
The Idea Showcase was an event aimed at supporting student entrepreneurs by providing them with a platform to showcase their start-up ideas and products. Successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders such as Dr. Jyotirmayee Dash, CEO -TeraLumen, Mr. Jatin Khaimani, Product Manager - Nalagenetics, and Ms. Dhanushya Sree, Co-Founder - Neurostellar were invited to provide valuable insights and guidance to the students. The event featured the innovation of Team Biotte, a novel degradable pipette tip addressing sustainability concerns in the scientific community. The goal of the event was to be a success and inspire the next generation of bio-entrepreneurs.
RESEARCH SHOWCASE AT BIOCONCLAVE ‘23
The Research Showcase was an event for students to showcase their research work. Invited experts like Dr. Janani Dhakshina Moorthy, CEO - GeneAura and Berty Ashley, Principal Scientist - DART offered valuable insights and feedback. The event featured many great research pieces, with winners exploring the anti-inflammatory properties of a plant tested on monocytes. This cutting-edge research by students is exciting and demonstrates their potential to make important contributions to the scientific community.
CAREER BAZAAR AT BIOCONCLAVE ‘23
The Bio-Bazaar at Bioconclave '23 was the highlight of the event for students as it opened their eyes to the vast potential of the biotech sector. They were amazed by the industry's explosive growth and its seemingly endless possibilities, debunking the myth that "Biotech lacks scope, jobs, and opportunities." Students left feeling empowered, knowing that they are on the cusp of a major career transformation. Let's take a closer look at some of the stalls that were on display:
Geneticists, such as Pavithra M H, study the inheritance of traits and may diagnose genetic disorders. They use statistical and computational tools to analyze genomic data. Anand K manages clinical trials as a scientific project manager. Nithesh Kumar Manoharan is responsible for quality control and ensuring products meet standards. Laxmi Narayanan Thirunavukarasar, an agri-technologist, improves farming efficiency through technology. Rohit Pranesh is a biopharma expert. Kanagalakshmi B, a production/bioprocess scientist, designs studies to evaluate or improve products or processes. Krishna M, a computational bioinformatician, uses computer algorithms to research and analyze biological systems. Dr. Surya Aathmanathan is a molecular biologist who examines genetic variations and relationships. Arjun is a scientific content writer who creates well-structured scientific documents for healthcare and scientific audiences.
EXPERIENCE CORNERS AT BIOCONCLAVE ‘23
The Experience corner stalls at Bioconclave ‘23 was set up to inspire student audiences who got to experience such unique companies in the biotech industry. Here is a glimpse of the companies or people taking part in out experience corners:
Climec Labs is an organic brand that offers bio-air purifiers to improve indoor air quality through biotechnology and environmentally friendly solutions.
Adiuvo Diagnostics is a techno-social enterprise that develops platform technologies in optoelectronics for early disease detection in low-resource settings.
Rubizon is an Indian consultancy firm focused on reducing the time and cost of developing novel and generic products while ensuring quality.
Neurostellar aims to demystify the brain through neuro-technology to re-engineer the self.
Sharmila, a Ph.D. Research Scholar, holds the world record for the largest collection of microbes, with over 17,000 pictures on display at Bioconclave '23.
Bversity walked students through courses in Molecular genetics, Genomics, and Drug designing, with a creative corner filled with merchandise to express pride in being a biotechnologist.
Here’s the beginning of the biotech revolution, Bversity just sparked the wheel of change, Take part and engage for more.
Be a part of the Bversity movement.
Speak to Hannah atÂ
89390 58996 | 8428348396 | hannah@bversity.io
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