Report on 5th Advanced National Hands-on Workshop on Anaerobes
The
Department of Microbiology, along with Father Muller Research Centre had
organized a 4-day Advanced National
Hands-on Workshop on culture techniques and recent advances in Anaerobic
Bacteriology, titled 'An Encounter with Anaerobes' from
10/11/21 to 13/11/21 under the banner of American Society Microbiology (ASM) and Anaerobic
Forum of India (AFI). It was aimed at training the participants to
impart concepts in anaerobiosis, to enable them to isolate and identify the
various anaerobes, and to present them with various case studies arranged by
experts in the field emphasizing the recent techniques. A total of 24 delegates
had participated, which included staff and Post Graduates from premier institutes
such as AIIMS - New Delhi, Breach Candy - Mumbai, Stanley Medical College -
Chennai and many more from various states in India. Six staff members from our
institute also got trained in this workshop.
The inaugural function of this unique workshop on Anaerobes was
conducted among an array of dignitaries and delegates in the Father Muller
Medical College & Research Centre on November 10, 2021. Rev. Fr. Richard
Coelho - Director, FMCH, Fr. Ajith B. Menezes - Administrator FMMC, Fr. Rudolph
Ravi D'sa - Administrator FMMCH, Dr Jayaprakash Alva - Dean FMMC, Dr Sanjeeva
Rai - Chief of Research, Dr. Antony Sylvian - Dean, FMCAHS were the
distinguished dignitaries present at the inaugural ceremony. Dr Beena Antony -
the Organizing Secretary welcomed the dignitaries and participants. The
presidential address was given by Rev. Fr. Richard Coelho. An Anaerobic
Laboratory Manual complied by Dr Beena Antony was released during the inaugural ceremony. Dr Meena Dias, Organising
Chairperson, proposed the vote of thanks.
The workshop commenced with a pre-evaluation test, to assess the baseline
knowledge on Anaerobes, followed by the keynote address by an eminent speaker -
Dr Rama Choudhry, Professor and HOD, All India Institute of Medical Sciences
who enlightened the crowd on her vast experience on the 'Significance of
Anaerobes in human infections and Microbiome in health and disease'.
Day 2 of the workshop also encapsulated the wisdom of another eminent speaker -
Dr ChetanaVaishnavi, Professor (Retd.), PGI Chandigarh. She had enlightened the
delegates on the 'Clinical Spectrum &Approach to Management of
Clostridiodes difficile infection'. On
day 3 of the workshop, Dr Padmaja Shenoy, Associate Professor, KMC Manipal
facilitated the lecture on 'Antimicrobial susceptibility testing & mechanisms
of drug resistance in anaerobic bacteria. Dr Santhosh Devadiga, Research Scientist to
the Virology wing of Father Muller Research Centre had delivered a lecture on 'Recent
techniques for identification of Anaerobes with an Emphasis on Molecular Techniques'
The workshop had eight practical sessions, under the guidance of Dr Beena
Antony and the participants were taught to prepare various types of anaerobic culture media, inoculation of specimens,
setting -up various methods of Anaerobiosis, biochemical tests,
determination of MIC by agar dilution as well as discussion of various case
studies involving anaerobes. Additionally, the participants also had a
demonstration and hands-on experience on techniques for extraction of DNA and
conventional PCR directed by Dr Prasanna Bhat, Assistant Professor, Dept. of
Microbiology and Dr Santhosha Devadiga. On the final day of the workshop was
arranged with a visit to the Central Laboratory of Father Muller Medical
Hospital, wherein Dr Anup K.
Shetty, Professor, Department of Microbiology, FMMC showcased the inner
workings of the NABL accredited laboratory with a special emphasis on real-time
PCR. Other Resource persons for the workshop were Dr Thomas Kuruvilla, Mrs
Sharonraju & Dr Shruti Vasant, Dr Rekha B. & Mrs Hilda Pinto.
The workshop was officially
declared closed by a short valedictory function graced by the presence of chief
guest - Dr. Ramesh Bhat, Vice Dean of Father Muller Medical College; A brief interactive session with a post-evaluation
test and distribution of certificates was organized, wherein the delegates
voiced that the workshop
was a good learning experience which had given them the opportunity to
familiarize themselves with Anaerobic Bacteriology. All of them appreciated the hospitality of
our institute and expressed their wish to participate in many more such meticulous training programmes conducted here in
the future.
