Chemists Forge New Bonds In India

The American Chemical Society and India's Council on Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) wrapped up the first segment of their inaugural joint meeting at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune, India, on Jan. 9. "By bringing together people from around the world, this conference is symbolic of some of the key trends that are changing the chemistry enterprise," said ACS Director of External Affairs David L. Schutt.

Focused on organic chemistry and chemical biology, the ACS-CSIR conference attracted more than 500 scientists from academic, industrial, and government throughout India. They were treated to a rich and diverse scientific program given by eminent scientists from both the U.S. and India and a cultural program highlighted by an Indian classical dance performance tracing the history of Indian science. The scientific and cultural feast will continue at CSIR's Indian Institute of Chemical Technology in Hyderabad on Jan. 11–12.

"We hope that this meeting will encourage scientific interactions between individual researchers in India and the U.S.," explained K. N. Ganesh of NCL, one of CSIR's 38 national research laboratories.

"Enhancing the flow of scientific information and improving prospects for research collaborations, particularly among young people who represent the future of our discipline, are important responsibilities for ACS," explained ACS President E. Ann Nalley in a statement. To that end, the meeting featured an Indo-U.S. Science & Technology Forum-funded workshop that brought together early-career scientists from both the U.S. and India. Students from India also had the chance to showcase their research during poster sessions.

As India's chemical enterprise continues to grow, "this meeting has given us a unique opportunity to forge collaborations between people who think about science in different ways," said speaker Laura Kiessling, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and editor of ACS Chemical Biology.