The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, is celebrating its Silver Jubilee on November 26, 2002. On this occasion, CCMB is organizing a week long symposium on the "Current Excitement in Biology" from November 24 to 29. The symposium will address several questions that have emerged after the mapping of the Human Genome sequence, which is now available to the scientists.

According to a press release issued by Lalji Singh, Director of CCMB, the symposium will bring together several leaders in the areas of modern biology from abroad and provide an opportunity of close interaction with the Indian researchers. They will share the breakthroughs in the development of technologies, which are revolutionizing biology. More than 30 scientists from the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Australia and some other European countries have already confirmed their participation. Many more confirmations are awaited. Many distinguished scholars and scientists from India would be participating in the symposium.

R A Mashelkar, Director-General of CSIR, is the Chairman of the National Organising Committee with Dr Lalji Singh as the Convenor. The Organising Committee consists of Dr M S Swaminathan, Dr P M Bhargava, N K Ganguly, Director-General of ICMR, K V Raghavan, Director, IICT, E Premkumar Reddy, Director, FELS Institute, Philadelphia, M S R Rao, Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, among others.

About 25 young scientists would be selected to participate in the symposium. These talented young scientists will be selected from all over the country in recognition of their outstanding contribution in any branch of biological sciences or biotechnology coming within the purview of the symposium. The research work carried out by the nominee in India will be taken into consideration for selection. Scientists below the age of 35 are eligible for selection.

Apart from individual candidates, nominations can also be made by Fellows of various academies, Director of national research laboratories / institutions and Head of the universities / departments / faculty / national scientific societies.