Sankara Nethralaya , Chennai`s The Kamalnayan Bajaj institute for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology acquires State of the Art technology

Sankara Nethralaya , Chennai`s The Kamalnayan Bajaj institute for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology acquires State of the Art technology

The Kamalnayan Bajaj Institute for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology as part of its ongoing measures in updating and advancing its research initiatives and giving its researchers the technological advantage, acquired the Waters Mass Spectrometer, ION Torrent Personal Genome Sequencer and the Fourier Transformer Infrared Spectroscope to be installed at its RS.Mehta Jain Department of Cell Biology and the Larsen &Toubro Microbiology departments. Readers would recall that these most advanced equipment had a most auspicious beginning when they received the divine blessings of two great Sages the Pontiff of the Pejawar Mutt and the Pontiff of the Shringeri Saradha Peetham when they had graced the Sankara Nethralaya recently.

These first of its kind India research aids were given a most befitting inauguration on Friday 26th of October 2012 by a stalwart in the world of research Prof CNR Rao FRS, National Research Professor & Honorary President & Linus Pauling Research Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Jakkur Bangalore, Chairman, Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, and chairperson of DST NANOMISSION. Dr Preethi Mehta got the proceedings started with a few words on the significance of the function and a thanks note to the Chief Guest for giving the function a special significance by his August presence.

Dr HN.Madhavan, President, Vision Research Foundation welcomed the Chief guest on a very personal note and gave a brief of the Himalayan heights he had scaled, his academic brilliance,honours and recognitions bestowed on him at the national and international level. Dr Madhavan concluded his welcome address with a reference to the simplicity and goodness of the man which made him readily accept the invite to be the Chief Guest and his amazement at how the learned Professor remembered the brief meeting he had with him many years ago. The Chief Guest was honoured with a shawl and citation by Dr SS.Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya.

This was followed by a brief address by Dr S.Bhaskaran, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya; he joined Dr Madhavan in thanking the Eminent Chief Guest for his presence and participation. Dr S.Bhaskaran touched upon the critical role of research, Sankara Nethralaya’s passion for research and its achievements in the same. He ended his talk with profuse thanks to Shri Ashok Mehta for his munificent support which helped in acquiring these most advanced diagnostic equipments for research after which the donor was honoured with a shawl and citation by the Chief Guest.

This was followed by the Chief Guest’s most interesting address on the topic ‘Celebration of Science’.

He started on the note that a knowledge and understanding of the History of Science and Scientists is vital to understand Science. What followed was an enchanting account of Scientists, their path breaking discoveries and observations, amusing accounts on the life of celebrated scientists and those who deserved a better deal. The Chief Guest had a word of appreciation for Sankara Nethralaya’s research efforts and closed his address with the observation that Science is selfless and wonderful.
The curtains on the momentous function came down with a warm Vote of Thanks by Dr S.Krishna Kumar, HOD, L&T Histo-Pathology Department.

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Posted by A Mahalingam( Mahali), Academic Officer, Sankara Nethralaya Academy, Chennai, India