PRESS RELEASE
GOA UNIVERSITY ORGANIZES NATIONAL SEMINAR ON
FUNGAL DIVERSITY AND BIOPROSPECTING IN THE AGE OF GLOBAL WARMING
MYCOLOGISTS ACROSS INDIA TO MEET IN GOA
Taleigao, October 27 th,
The hon’ble speaker of legislative assembly of Goa, Mr Pratapsingh Raoji Rane would inaugurate the national seminar on Fungal Diversity and Bioprospecting in the age of Global warming on Thursday 29th October 2009, at the conference hall of Goa University. The national seminar organized by Department of Botany on October 29th and 30th has attracted more than hundred delegates from various parts of the country. They would present scientific papers and display scientific posters highlighting latest research findings in mycology. Mycology is the study of fungi. Fungi are microscopic filamentous organisms which support a global industry of $ 500 billions. World’s first antibiotic Penicillin was produced from a fungus.
Fungi are increasingly used in production of enzymes, drugs, pigments, organic acids, antibiotics, proteins and support the food and beverage industry. The theme of the conference has been specifically selected because global warming and climate change may impact the diversity and role of fungi in various ecosystems. Fungi are more numerous than plants. However out of an estimated 2 million fungal species only about 100,000 have been catalogued. Thousands of new species remain to be discovered from tropical habitats. The mycologists participating in this seminar would be discussing various aspects of tropical fungal diversity. India has about 30% of global fungal diversity. A small state of Goa has more than 1000 known fungi. However exhaustive surveys are required to catalogue fungal biodiversity.
Industries give importance to bioprospecting of fungi, which deals with systematic chemical screening of fungal species. The leads obtained are useful to identify chemically creative fungi. The seminar would discuss many papers on chemically creative fungi which produce useful enzymes, drugs and antibiotics. Fungi are very important in boosting agriculture. Biofertilizers using phosphate solubilising fungal species are now being mass produced. Organic farming and organic products depend on fungal biofertilizers. Yeasts have been used for production of wines, beer and bread. The seminar would also discuss several aspects of fungal biotechnology. Fungi have been employed in pollution control. Fungi are used in new techniques in mineral biotechnology such as bioleaching of metallic ores to get pure metal compounds.
Among many other scientific issues which confront the mycological community the national seminar in Goa would address questions like-
Would global warming and climate change affect fungal biodiversity?. Would climate change increase crop diseases due to fungi?. What needs to be done to catalogue India’s fungal biodiversity before the natural habitats are destroyed?. How new strains of industrially useful fungi can be developed? How mycobiofertilizers could increase agricultural yields? What are the possibilities of new fungal diseases infecting economically important crops? How to control pathogenic fungi?. What is the future of fungal biotechnology?. What are the latest developments in fungal nanobiotechnology?. What is the progress in India’s edible mushroom industry?. Would edible fungal biomass provide cheaper and novel source of nutrition to the mankind?. How knowledge from fungi could boost economic development and industrial growth?. How teaching and research in mycology in India and Goa could be promoted? How the wild habitats of rare and endangered species of fungi could be conserved? What are the frontier areas in mycological research? . Many of these and similar questions would be presented, discussed and deliberated in the nation level seminar at Goa University.
There would be ten special lectures on both the days by eminent mycologists. Four scientific sessions would cover the research efforts of India’s mycological community. An eminent mycologist Prof. D.J. Bhat is the convener of the seminar. Prof. B.F. Rodrigues is the organizing secretary. The 36th annual meeting of Mycological Society of India would also be held during the seminar. On the inaugural day chief guest Mr. Rane would release the volume on seminar abstracts and a book on mycorrhizae.
The seminar would conclude on 30th October evening in the presence of industrialist Dr. Sangam Kurade and Director of industries Dr. Sanjit Rodrigues. A special interaction with local farmers has been planned in collaboration with state agriculture department on October 30 th, at 10.30 a.m.
For more details please contact joint organizing secretary Dr. N. Kamat by email at nandkamat@gmail.com
Issued by:-Dr. B.F. Rodrigues, Professor, dept. of Botany, org. secretary for the seminar
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