Bangalore:
The 31st edition of the science festival hosted by The Bangalore Science
Forum opened with an analytical and comprehensive lecture by IISc director
P Balaram. He spoke on protein chemistry and disease.
The festival
started on a good note with an audience of researchers, teachers, retired
scholars and students listening keenly to Balaram.
He said
he was glad to be speaking at the science festival. “I don’t
know of any other lecture series that has gone on so many years without
a break. This must be the only one of its kind in the country,” he
said.
Remembering his
interaction with late H Narasimaiah, Balaram said: “Whenever he called, the
first thing he would ask for was the date - what date one would give to speak -
even before speaking about anything else. You wouldn’t have a choice but to give
your date for the lecture series,” Balaram said.
“That was how
passionate he was about this festival. It’s nice that people have come in the
rain to listen to this lecture,” he said.
Balaram spoke
on the discovery of the DNA double helix, which he said helped the world
understand the mode of genetic transfer of biological characteristics.
He said the
rise of bioinformatics is a good thing and told students to pursue a career in
that segment. He highlighted the contributions of American biochemist Linus
Pauling, who did extensive research on haemoglobin in detail and biology in
general.
Pauling is
among a group of rare scientists to have been awarded the Nobel Prize twice for
contributions in different fields.
Wednesday’s
lecture will be delivered by Dr K Venkata Ramana, vice-chancellor of BGS Global
Hospital. He will speak on ‘The frontiers of neurosciences’.
toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com
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HN was passionate about the festival:
IISc director: (From left) H N Mahabala, president of Computer Society
of India; P Balaram, director of IISc, and A H Rama Rao. president of
Bangalore Science Forum, at the science festival on Tuesday |