The 8th Workshop on Biosensors and Bioanalytical µ–Techniques in Environmental and Clinical Analysis, Goa, India, October 3–6,2007


The 8th Workshop on Biosensors and Bioanalytical Micro-Techniques in Environmental and Clinical Analysis" was held during October 3-6, 2007 at Birla Institute of Technology and Science - Pilani (BITS - Pilani), Goa Campus (India). The workshop was organized in collaboration with the International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, IAEAC (Switzerland).

The conference was chaired by Professor T.C. Goel (Director BITS-Pilani, Goa Campus) and co-chaired by Dr. Roberto Pilloton (IAEAC) and Dr. Sunil Bhand (BITS-Pilani, Goa Campus). Dr NN Ghosh (BITS-Pilani, Goa Campus) was convener of the workshop.

The previous editions of the workshop on Biosensors were held in Paris, France (1994), Lund, Sweden (1996), Las Vegas, USA (1998), Minorca, Spain (1999), Ithaca, USA (2002), Rome, Italy (2004), and Ku_adasi, Turkey (2006).

After the meeting in Ku_adasi Prof. Goel and Dr. Bhand, BITS-Pilani, Goa Campus, India, accepted to host the 8th workshop in Goa at a short notice. In 35 years history of establishment of the IAEAC, the 8th workshop at Goa was the first scientific meeting of the IAEAC successfully hosted by an Indian Institution.

The goal of the 8th workshop was to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of knowledge about the “cutting edge results” in biosensor applications in real life pollution problems, bio-analytical micro and nano techniques and clinical diagnostics. The workshop also provided an opportunity to strengthen existing networks of education and research among the participants and scope for future collaboration.

Thematically the workshop was focused on the following topics: Biosensors, bioelectronics and bio-analytical systems, high throughput assays, nano-biosensors, immunosensors, nucleic acid sensors & DNA chips , enzyme-based biosensors, organism- and whole cell-based biosensors, natural & synthetic receptors for biosensors, nano materials for biosensor applications, MEMS / NEMS applications in bio analysis, new signal transduction technology, systems integration, proteomics and single molecule detections, validation of biosensors with real samples, commercial developments and markets, applications in environ. & clinical analysis

Registration and mixer was organized in the B Wing Plaza of the Institute in the evening of October 2nd, 2007. The workshop was inaugurated on 3rd October 2007 in the grand auditorium of the institute by Shri. Digambar Kamat, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa, India on 3rd October 2007 at 10.00 A.M. and was presided over by Prof. L. K. Maheshwari, Vice Chancellor, BITS, Pilani. Other dignitaries on dais were Dr Roberto Pilloton (Italy), Prof. Bengt Danielsson (Sweden), Prof. TC Goel (India) and Dr Bhand and Dr Ghosh. Dr Pilloton gave a brief presentation of the IAEAC and its activities.

In total 75 delegates from 13 countries, including India, of which 23 were International delegates from Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, The Netherlands and U.K. participated in the workshop.

The keynote address was delivered by Prof Bengt Danielsson (Lund University, Sweden), which covered an overview of the development of bioanalytical methods for environmental and clinical analysis. Advances in thermal and optical techniques with recent results were also presented. A plenary lecture was delivered by Prof. Magnus Willander (Linkoeping University, Sweden) addressing intracellular nano-sensors based on ZnO nanowires for physiological analytes detection. Prof Willander presented most recent results from his work on experimental intracellular chemical sensing of a human fat cell, applications of ZnO nanowires and curing intracellular devices.

In addition seven invited lectures were delivered by Prof. Lo Gorton (Lund University, Sweden), Dr Paul Millner (University of Leeds, UK), Dr Roberto Pilloton (ENEA, Italy), Prof. Karsten Haupt (UTC, France), Dr. Ratnamala Chatterjee (IIT Delhi, India), Prof. Sudhir Chandra (IIT Delhi, India) and Prof. CK Mitra (UO Hyderabad, India). The invited lectures covered topics ranging from advances in bioelectrochemistry, affinity biosensing, micro and nanobiosensors, nano-imprinting of polymers, MEMS processing and integration, shape memory alloys for biosensor applications and nanoparticles in biosensors. During the workshop, total 55 (30 oral and 25 poster) research papers were presented in 6 oral sessions and 3 poster sessions. Out of 55 papers, 7 were from BITS-Pilani, Goa Campus.
The R.W. Frei Award for the best poster "Glucose monitoring with nanoengineered fluorescent biosensors using glucose binding sensing elements". was presented to Ms. Ayesha Chaudhari (IIT Bombay, India).

An exhibition of the scientific equipments was also organized during the workshop in which following companies exhibited their products: Metrohm (Germany), PalmSens (The Netherlands), Uniscan Instruments Ltd. (UK), Perkin Elmer India Ltd., Prudent Group (India).

On October 5, 2007, H.E. Shri. S.C. Jamir, Hon'ble Governor of Goa, interacted for an hour with the members of the International Advisory Board/ Invited speakers at Rajbhavan.

In addition to the scientific interactions and deliberations, a dinner was served on a cruise at the River Mandovi on October 3, 2007. On October 4, students of BITS-Pilani, Goa Campus, organized a cultural evening for the delegates of the workshop. An excursion was organized on the same day in the forenoon to visit the famous St. Francis Church and some of the prominent spots of Goa.

The valedictory function was held on October 06, 2007 with a brief presentation by Dr J-F. Masson (University of Montreal, Canada) conveying the invitation for the 9th workshop in June 2009, and concluding remarks by Dr Pilloton, Prof Goel and other participants.

Prof T.C. Goel , Chairman

Dr Roberto Pilloton, Co-Chair

Dr Sunil Bhand, Co-Chair