Lecture on genetically modified food tomorrow

Proffesor Govindarajan Padmanaban will speak on genetically modified food - implications for food safety at a public lecture organised by National AIDS Research Institute at Abasaheb Garware College on September 17.

Proffesor Govindarajan Padmanaban will speak on genetically modified food – implications for food safety at a public lecture organised by National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) at Abasaheb Garware College on September 17.

Speaking to mediapersons,NARI director Dr R S Paranjape said the public lecture was organised to mark the centenary year celebration of the Indian Council of Medical Research. Former director-general of ICMR Dr S P Tripathi will speak on 100 years of ICMR.

Padmanaban who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2003 for his exemplary work in recombinant DNA technology,neurotoxicity due to consumption of kesari dal,malaria,development of hepatitis B and rabies vaccine at the Indian Institute of Science,Bangalore,where he served as the director.

NARI deputy director Dr R R Gangakhedkar said the talk was important as there is a growing global concern over declining agricultural yields,cultivable land,climate changes due to global warming and increasing population size that is impacting food security adversely.

Genetically modified foods have been drawing attention of scientists,policy makers and farmers world over.

GM foods have higher yield and barring two instances of allergies,they have been found to be safe to consume. Recognising the importance of GM food and controversies attached to it,NARI has organised the lecture.

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