The three-day event, held at the University of Hyderabad, brought together leading researchers from India and abroad to discuss breakthroughs in plant genomics, stress biology, microbial interactions, and biotechnology-driven crop improvements
Hyderabad: With the threat of climate change to global agriculture growing bigger, scientists at the International Conference on Developments in Plant Biology and Biotechnology (ICDPBB 2025) here explored how rising carbon dioxide levels affected oilseed crops and how plants adapted to extreme environmental stress.
The three-day event, held at the University of Hyderabad, brought together leading researchers from India and abroad to discuss breakthroughs in plant genomics, stress biology, microbial interactions, and biotechnology-driven crop improvements.
Organised by the university’s department of plant sciences at the School of Life Sciences, alongside the 16th Plant Sciences Colloquium, the conference aimed to promote international collaboration in agricultural research.
Former university vice chancellor Prof. Appa Rao Podile stressed the growing role of biotechnology in developing resilient crop varieties. Scientists from around the world shared their insights, including Prof. Barry D. Bruce (University of Tennessee, USA) on protein transport in plastids and Prof. Akhilesh Tyagi (University of Delhi) on rice genomics and gene function.
Prof. Baishnab C. Tripathy (Sharda University) explained how oilseed crops adjust to high carbon dioxide levels, while Prof. Maitrayee Das Gupta (Calcutta University) examined the evolution of nitrogen-fixing symbiosis in plants.
Sessions covered a range of topics, from CRISPR-based gene editing in plant defence to how drought and heat affect crops. Researchers discussed the latest findings on chloroplast function, stress physiology, and bioinformatics applications in agriculture. Scientists such as Prof. Boris Zorin (Ben-Gurion University, Israel), Prof. Ifuku Kentaro (Kyoto University, Japan), and Prof. Antoni Planas Sauter (Barcelona, Spain) brought an international perspective to the discussions. The colloquium also provided a platform for young researchers to present their work, while a cultural programme, BioSymphony, added a creative touch with music and dance performances by students.
On the final day, Prof. Ramesh Sonti (ICGEB, New Delhi) delivered a valedictory lecture on bacterial virulence in rice, followed by an awards ceremony. Prizes were given for the best oral and poster presentations, and outstanding students in MSc Plant Biology & Biotechnology and MSc Molecular Microbiology were presented with medals and certificates. Students also won awards for the Petri-Art competition, and Cover Page Design contest, among others.
