September 11, 2024 – A two-day hands-on workshop on mammalian cell culture techniques began today at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab. The workshop was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Faheem Aftab, Dean of Life Sciences at the Riazuddin Auditorium CEMB, University of the Punjab. This event has brought together 27 participants from a diverse range of institutions, both national and international.

Notably, the participants hail from esteemed institutions such as The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, University of Sargodha, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Poland, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Government College University Faisalabad, BZU Multan, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, COMSATS University Islamabad, School of Health Sciences UMT, National Veterinary Laboratory Islamabad, Department of Bioinformatics and Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, and the University of Lahore.

In his opening remarks, Chief Organizer Prof. Muhammad Idrees emphasized the workshop's importance in advancing expertise in mammalian cell culture, which is pivotal for drug development and biomedical applications. He noted that participants will explore the latest techniques and advancements over the next two days, covering a range of topics from basic to advanced levels. Prof. Idrees expressed his gratitude to the esteemed Chief Guest, Prof. Dr. Faheem Aftab, for inaugurating the workshop and extended thanks to Prof. Dr. Moazur Rahman, Director of CEMB, for his continuous support and guidance in making the workshop possible.

In his welcome address, Prof. Dr. Moazur Rahman acknowledged the support of the University of the Punjab for the MPhil and PhD programs at CEMB. He highlighted the advanced research being conducted at CEMB in agriculture and health sciences, noting that Biotechnology (BT) research at the center is a collaborative effort between agricultural and health researchers at CEMB. Prof. Rahman also discussed ongoing research in virology, stem cells & regenerative medicine, and genetic diseases. He proudly mentioned that CEMB’s virology group was a pioneer in hepatitis diagnostics, having identified the most prevalent HCV genotype 3a in Pakistan when the national prevalence of Hepatitis C was 12%. He emphasized the importance of local scientific innovation and the ongoing efforts to develop affordable stem cell therapies.
In his keynote address, Prof. Faheem Aftab praised CEMB for its impactful applied research and expressed pride in the center’s contributions. He highlighted the significance of mammalian cell culture in advancing biomedical research, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. Prof. Aftab emphasized that the techniques being taught in this workshop are crucial for understanding cellular behavior, modeling diseases, and developing innovative therapies. He extended his best wishes to the participants and commended the organizing team for their efforts.
At the conclusion of the event, Prof. Moazur Rahman and Prof. Muhammad Idrees presented a souvenir to Prof. Faheem Aftab in recognition of his support and contributions.
The workshop is generously sponsored by the Pakistan Science Foundation, World Wide Scientific, and Ayyan Molecular Products, enhancing its scope and reach.