The Department of Microbiology of Gulbarga University, in association with the Gulbarga University Microbiology Alumni Association, will begin its golden jubilee year celebrations with the inauguration of a two-day national conference on ‘Microbial Frontiers: Technology for Better Tomorrow’ at the Pasteur Hall of the department on June 25.

The conference, being organised to mark 50 years of the Department of Microbiology, will bring together academicians, scientists, researchers, industry experts and alumni from across the country to deliberate on recent advances and emerging trends in microbiology and allied fields.

Gulbarga University Vice-Chancellor Professor Shashikant S. Udikeri will be the chief guest at the inaugural session. Gadde Ramamohan, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh and an alumnus of the Department of Microbiology, will inaugurate the conference.

Former vice-chancellor of Gulbarga University and alumni Dayanand Agsar, retired professor and former Head of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Vijayakumar Savalagi, Gulbarga University Registrar Ramesh Londonkar, Registrar (Evaluation) Ninganna Kannur, Finance Officer Jayambika, syndicate member Peerzade Faheemuddin, Academic Council member Basavaraj Sanakki, and Alumni Association President K. Lingappa will attend as guests of honour. M.B. Sulochana, co-ordinator of the Department of Microbiology, will preside over the programme.

According to the organisers, the conference will focus on cutting-edge innovations in microbial technology and research in industrial microbiology, food microbiology, dairy microbiology, medical and diagnostic microbiology, bioprocess engineering, agricultural and environmental microbiology, genomics and biotechnology.

Renowned academicians, scientists and industry experts from universities, research institutions and industrial organisations will deliver keynote lectures and technical presentations. The conference will feature paper presentations and poster sessions, providing a platform for students, scholars and young researchers to showcase their work, and interact with experts in the field.

The organisers said the deliberations would highlight the role of microbial innovations and emerging technologies in promoting public health, sustainable development and scientific advancement. Discussions will also focus on advanced research tools, methodologies and standards required to meet the challenges of contemporary scientific research.

The golden jubilee celebrations mark an important milestone in the history of the Department of Microbiology, which was established in 1976 by the late Shiv S. Rodgi. Over the past five decades, the department has emerged as one of the leading centres of microbiological education and research in south India.

The organisers informed that the department had produced more than 1,500 post-graduate degree holders, over 129 Ph.D. scholars, and more than 40 M.Phil. graduates, many of whom have distinguished themselves in academia, research, healthcare, industry, entrepreneurship and public life in India and abroad.

The organisers added that the department has contributed significantly to scientific knowledge through the publication of more than 700 research papers in national and international journals.

“Faculty members have successfully completed several major and minor research projects funded by organisations such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST),” Mr. Agsar told The Hindu.