Skip to main content

At Kerala Science Congress: Move to project nanotechnology as 'new alchemy'?

Dr BLV Prasad
By Rosamma Thomas 
In medieval chemical science, it was believed that base metals could be transformed to gold. For centuries, alchemists tried to transform lead to gold. It was telling that at the end of his lecture on the focus theme of nanotechnology at the 35th Kerala Science Congress at Kuttikkanam in Idukki district on Sunday, Dr BLV Prasad, Director, Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bangalore, showed a photograph of a jewellery shop, laden with gold – he mentioned that the image represented the desired goal for most industry linkages with nanotech.
‘Nanoscience and nanotechnology for human welfare’ was the focal theme of this Kerala Science Congress. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, inaugurating the conference, talked of how this congress will serve to bring together researchers in diverse fields, so they learn from each other and explore chances of collaboration.
The 2023-24 budget of the state government has allocated over Rs 3,000 crore for Research and Development, and the budget document states that Kerala is among the pioneering states in the country to “recognize the role of knowledge as a key resource of the modern economy.” CM Vijayan spoke of the light of knowledge, which would dispel superstition and notions of hierarchy based on caste, leading to a free society.
He cited Article 51A of the Constitution of India, and the duty to nurture the scientific temper and humanism. He mentioned that knowledge could not be confined within academic institutions, and must seep through society.
Over 700 delegates registered for the Science Congress event, where a range of scientific disciplines are represented – there are papers in agriculture, biotechnology, chemical sciences, earth and planetary sciences, engineering and technology, mathematics, nanotechnology, and environmental and health sciences to be presented at the event, which will conclude on February 14. 
The chief minister, in his inaugural address, also mentioned Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Vietnam, warning of the dangers of technology when used for violent ends.
The lecture hall was full to capacity and the cameras rolled during the inaugural session, at which the chief minister arrived punctually to make a pithy address. Once the chief minister left, however, the media personnel also appeared to follow him – the cameras were packed away, and the halls were no longer as full.
It was then that the series of inaugural lectures by scientists began – Dr BLV Prasad described his work and explained how his laboratory could be a site of research for scientists in other parts of the country. Following him, Dr Deepthy Menon of the Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine at the Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetam in Kochi spoke of the potential for nanotechnology in medicine – experiments are currently being conducted on mice and pigs, and some of them show remarkable recovery through delivery of drugs through nanotechnology.
Experiments conducted on mice and pigs show remarkable recovery through delivery of drugs through nanotechnology
One slide of a mouse with ovarian cancer showed successful treatment. Expounding on the potential for such delivery of drugs and devices, she mentioned “nano balls” which could encase “drug A, drug B, contrast agent A….” and aid in targeted delivery of the drug. Prof Sabu Thomas, vice chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, who was chairing the session, asked about potential side-effects of the use of nanotechnology in human medicine.
“That’s a double-edged sword,” Dr Menon responded, admitting that if gold for instance were used in nanotechnology and injected into the human body, it would be necessary to check where the substance would accumulate.
In one of her slides, Dr Menon presented a list of the material that could be used in nanotechnology, and graphene, which could absorb radiation and thus prove harmful to human health, was among them.
She also presented another slide noting that there were over 6 lakh cancer deaths in the US in 2022; nearly 20 lakh new cases of cancer were detected in that country in just one year – the data did not include figures from previous years, so there was little the audience could do to glean cancer prevalence in the US over time. 
It was interesting that the point of reference for Dr Menon was the US, and her data was from the US; the authority she cited too was the Food and Drug Administration, US.
The nanotechnology lectures at the 35th Kerala Science Congress reminded this reporter of the warning that American astronomer and science writer Carl Sagan sounded in his final TV interview of May 27, 1996, warning that democracy would be at risk if the general population did not understand what the scientists were up to.

Comments

TRENDING

Importance of Bangladesh for India amidst 'growing might' of China in South Asia

By Samara Ashrat*  The basic key factor behind the geopolitical importance of Bangladesh is its geographical location. The country shares land borders with Myanmar and India. Due to its geographical position, Bangladesh is a natural link between South Asia and Southeast Asia.  The country is also a vital geopolitical ally to India, in that it has the potential to facilitate greater integration between Northeast India and Mainland India. Not only that, due to its open access to the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh has become significant to both China and the US.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'BBC film shows only tip of iceberg': Sanjiv Bhatt's daughter speaks at top US press club

By Our Representative   The United States' premier journalists' organisation, the National Press Club (NPC), has come down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recent "attacks on journalists in India." Speaking at the screening of an episode of the BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question,” banned in India, in the club premises, NPC President Eileen O’Reilly said, “Since Modi came to power we have watched with frustration and disappointment as his regime has suppressed the rights of its citizens to a free and independent news media."

Chinese pressure? Left stateless, Rohingya crisis result of Myanmar citizenship law

By Dr Shakuntala Bhabani*  A 22-member team of Myanmar immigration officials visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar to verify more than 400 Rohingya refugees as part of a pilot repatriation project. Does it hold out any hope for the forcibly displaced people to return to their ancestral homes in the Rakhine state of Myanmar? Only time will tell.

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam*  The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

China ties up with India, Bangladesh to repatriate Rohingyas; Myanmar unwilling

By Harunur Rasid*  We now have a new hope, thanks to news reports that were published in the Bangladeshi dailies recently. Myanmar has suddenly taken initiatives to repatriate Rohingyas. As part of this initiative, diplomats from eight countries posted in Yangon were flown to Rakhine last week. Among them were diplomats from Bangladesh, India and China.

40,000 Odisha adolescent girls ask CM: Why is scheme to fight malnutrition on paper?

By Our Representative  In unique a postcard campaign to combat malnutrition, aimed at providing dietary diversity, considered crucial during adolescence, especially among girls, signed by about 40,000 adolescent girls from over 10,000 villages, have reminded Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik that his government's Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG), which converged with Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman  ( POSHAN ) 2.0 in 2021, is not being implemented in the State.

Natural farming: Hamirpur leads the way to 'huge improvement' in nutrition, livelihood

By Bharat Dogra*  Santosh is a dedicated farmer who along with his wife Chunni Devi worked very hard in recent months to convert a small patch of unproductive land into a lush green, multi-layer vegetable garden. This has ensured year-round supply of organically grown vegetables to his family as well as fetched several thousand rupees in cash sales.

Over-stressed? As Naveen Patnaik turns frail, Odisha 'moves closer' to leadership crisis

By Sudhansu R Das  Not a single leader in Odisha is visible in the horizon who can replace Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He has ruled Odisha for nearly two and half decades. His father, Biju Patnaik, had built Odisha; he was a daring pilot who saved the life of Indonesia’s Prime Minister Sjahrir and President Sukarno when the Dutch army blocked their exit.