Nanotechnology to play key role in health, environment

Aligarh: Nanotechnology is poised to play a key role in the spheres of health, food production, food preservation and all environment and security-related issues, a noted scientist today said.

Prof William I Brustein, who was the chief guest at the inaugural session of the four-day International Conference on Nanomaterials and STEM Technology held at Aligarh Muslim University, said the ongoing joint programme between Ohio State University and AMU, which has been described as the 21st century knowledge initiative, was a pioneering project in this field.

Brustein is the head of Global Strategies and International Affairs at the Ohio State University, USA.

The project, which includes a two-year dual PhD and masters degree programme, has been funded by the US-India Educational Foundation.

Indian-oigin US scientist from Ohio State University Prof Anil Pradhan, while addressing the inaugural session, said that nanotechnology is poised to play a key role in the spheres of health, food production, food preservation and all environment and security-related issues.

He said through this programme not only the brain drain will be reversed but would ultimately lead to an expansion of Indo-US collaboration in a consortium of Indian universities.

In his message to the conference, noted scientist and Nobel Prize winner, Prof Ahmad H Zewail said “advances in nano science and nanotechnology are increasingly impacting our lives and our society”.

In his welcome address, AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt Gen (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah said that AMU is proud of the fact that through the above Indo-US collaboration, the university is playing an important role in paving the way for what can truly be described as new green revolution in the country.

Shah said that through different research projects in the spheres of nanotechnology, AMU was helping in ushering a new era in the spheres of food production, food preservation, insecticide, pesticide and environment-related issues.

The four-day conference is being attended by more than 250 scientists from different countries.

PTI