Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 17: The Centre for Molecular Biology, Central University of Jammu organized an expert talk by Prof Dr Raghuvir Ram Viswanatha from the Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, USA.
The lecture, titled “CRISPR Screens to Discover New Insect Genes,” was held under the seminar series of the Centre, “Advancing Genetic Frontiers to Decode the Secrets of Life.”
The session took place at the Brig Rajender Singh Auditorium and witnessed enthusiastic participation from faculty members, research scholars, and UG & PG students.
Dr Raghuvir’s enlightening presentation delved into the transformative use of CRISPR-based genome screening to identify essential insect genes, study signaling and stress responses, and explore host-pathogen interactions. He explained how CRISPR screens employ guide RNAs to target thousands of genes simultaneously, enabling researchers to pinpoint genes vital for specific cellular functions.
Focusing on Drosophila CRISPR screens, Dr Raghuvir discussed the discovery of toxin receptor genes, mechanisms of insect–pathogen interaction, and efforts to establish CRISPR-based screening systems in mosquitoes. He elaborated on the role of ecdysone in insect development, its transporter gene products crucial for hormone uptake, and the properties of NTX toxin — a bacterial virulence factor harmless to humans but lethal to mosquito cells.
Dr Narendra K Bairwa, Director, Centre for Molecular Biology, presented a formal vote of thanks.
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