First Collaborations in Indian Chemical Ecology
The main purpose of this meeting is two-fold: we wish to create collaborations for the burgeoning development of chemical ecology in India, and promote the most forward-thinking and visionary ideas in the field in general.
NCBS and partners such as IISc and UAS in Bangalore as well as several North East institutes are part of a large national effort funded by the Indian Department of Biotechnology to increase capacity in chemical ecology on the Indian subcontinent (http://news.ncbs.res.in/story/exploring-diversity-chemical-signals-nature). In 2014 and 2015, NCBS held a School on Chemical Ecology for young Indian scientists, now known as the KS Krishnan School. As a follow up to this educational event, we will hold the first Collaborations in Indian Chemical Ecology Workshop from September 10-13, 2016 here at NCBS in Bangalore. Unlike the Krishnan school, which was created to stimulate and educate young researchers, this will be a purely scientific, and intimate meeting of PI-level scientists designed to:
- Expose international experts to current projects as well as the amazing opportunities for Indian chemical ecology
- Expose Indian scientists to cutting edge research in the field of chemical ecology
Rather than simply presenting research results, this will be a "visionary"meeting. We ask that invitees discuss not where they have been, but rather where they are going in their research. What new avenues are they most excited about? What is the future of chemical ecology? How does Indian biodiversity fit into that vision?
Nearly 20% of our world’s biodiversity hotspots are in India. We plan for a small gathering of highly motivated individuals with lots of brainstorming and knowledge transfer. As one of its outcomes, we plan to compile a vision statement on Indian Chemical Ecology for publication, as well as stimulate new collaborative projects.