DAYA News Bureau, November 13, 2024: Like every year, Durgapur Adda Young Association successfully organized the 5th Marie Curie – Meghnad Saha Science Conference on November 12, 2024 (Tuesday), at Ankuron Science Centre, Bidhannagar. The full-day event saw the participation of around 300 students from 10 schools, 25 teachers, and several science enthusiasts.
Since 2019, the organization has been conducting this annual science conference in November to promote scientific awareness among school students. The event particularly aims to explain the Nobel Prize-winning research in Physics, Chemistry, and Physiology in a simplified manner for students of Grades 8 to 10.
Highlights of the 2024 Science Conference:
🔹 Physics Nobel Prize 2024:
Dr. Somshukla Maiti, Senior Scientist at CSIR-CMRI, explained the groundbreaking research in artificial intelligence by John J. Hopfield (USA) and Geoffrey Hinton (Canada), which revolutionized machine learning using artificial neural networks.
🔹 Physiology Nobel Prize 2024:
Dr. Arnab Ganguly, Professor at Asansol BB College, discussed the discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation. This research, conducted by Victor Ambros (USA) and Gary Ruvkun (USA), was instrumental in understanding post-transcriptional gene expression.
🔹 Chemistry Nobel Prize 2024:
Dr. Snigdha Roy, Professor at Asansol BB College, engaged the audience through an interactive session on Computational Protein Design by David Baker (USA), John Jumper (UK), and Demis Hassabis (UK). Their research on protein structure prediction has significant implications for drug development and biotechnology.
Each session included Q&A interactions and an open quiz, where students actively participated and won prizes for correct answers.
Special Recognition:
The event also honored Satarupa Bhattacharya, a Durgapur-based researcher who represented India at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany (2023). She shared her inspiring journey “From Durgapur to Lindau” with the students, motivating them to pursue careers in scientific research.
The conference concluded with a call to action by the organizers, urging students to embrace scientific thinking beyond textbooks and actively engage in research.
Each guest speaker was felicitated with a memento, a
nd all participants were provided with refreshments.
Students from five Bengali-medium schools (Bidhannagar Boys, Rai Rani High School, Bidhannagar Girls, Jemua Bhadubala, Amlajora High School) and five English-medium schools (St. Peter’s, Steel Carmel, Purva International, Techno India, Nirjhar HS) showcased remarkable enthusiasm, reflecting the youth’s growing interest in science and research.