Microbiologists arrive at FMMC for 5th National Anaerobic workshop – KONKANCATHOLIC.COM

Microbiologists arrive at FMMC for 5th National Anaerobic workshop

November 10, 2021

Mangaluru: The department of Microbiology, Father Muller Medical College is organizing a 4 days National Hands on workshop on anaerobic culture techniques and Recent Identification Techniques titled ‘An Encounter with Anaerobes’ from 10/11/21 to 13/ 11/21. The workshop is aimed at training the participants to impart concepts in anaerobiosis, to enable them to isolate and identify the various anaerobes and to present them with various case studies arranged by experts in the field.

5th National Hands on Workshop on Anaerobes under the banner of American Society Microbiology (ASM) & American Forum of India (AFI) was inaugurated by the Director FMCI Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho among a array of delegates and dignitaries in the Father Muller Research Centre, Block A of FMMC ON 10 November 2021. He stressed on the fact that though being a lay person in the subject of discussion, the inevitable connection of the spiritual belief of God though not seen on human could be similarly allayed on the illness and wellbeing due to these unseen microbes. The workshop which was regularly conducted by the department was postponed for 2 years citing the pandemic. 

This unique workshop gives the participants  an opportunity to get exposed to various anaerobic isolates, to provide practice oriented diagnostic techniques to isolate and identify them, to perform  antimicrobial susceptibility testing  and  thus familiarizing with these ‘silent and forgotten pathogens’. In addition, the latest technique for Microbial Identification, MALDI TOF will be demonstrated with  hands on training. Molecular Identification of Anaerobes by Conventional, Multiplex & Real Time  PCR also will be  done by  demonstration as well as hands on Training.

This unique event and those pathogens, who hate oxygen, were the centre of the 4 days workshop.  The role of anaerobes in causing various   invasive    infections is well documented. They   are the most primitive bacteria, but were   forgotten or overlooked   as Anaerobic Culture Techniques are very laborious, time consuming, relatively expensive and needs a lot of practice and patience. The   clinicians empirically believe    that Metronidazole drug will provide an antibiotic coverage to all the anaerobes is also another factor. In the mid-1980s, anaerobes   was the  topic  of interest  in  Microbiology. After 2 or 3 decades they vanished from the stage which rolled a red carpet to molecular techniques.  Like  the yester year  heroines who come back  to the stage  after some years  in supportive  roles,  we  can sustain on  a ray of hope that anaerobes   might again  occupy  the  centre stage of  bacteriology in the near future and   this workshop may  be   stepping stone  to that  effort.

Fr Ajith Menezes,   Administrator  FMMC,  Fr Rudolph   Ravi D’Sa Administrator  FMMCH, Dean FMMC Dr Jayaprakash Alva  & Chief of Research  Dr Sanjeeva Rai,  Dr Antony   Sylvian,  Dean,  FMCOAHS  other distinguished  dignitaries were present at the inaugural.

Eminent personalities of our country like Dr Rama Choudhry, Professor & HOD,  All India  Institute of Medical Sciences will be delivering the Key note address enlightening  on her vast experience  on the  clinical perspectives  on anaerobic  infections and  Microbiome in Health & Disease. She is also the Indian Ambassador to   American Society of Microbiologists & also the Chair person of the Anaerobic  Forum  of India.   She was instrumental in getting permission to conduct this workshop under the banner of  ASM  & AFI .

Other  guest speakers  include  Dr Chetana  Vaishnavi , Retired Professor from  PGI  Chandigarh   and   Dr Padmaja  Shenoy , Assoc. Prof from  KMC Manipal who will be delivering the talks in a virtual platform.

Though the workshop were for a select 10 participants, but due to the immense interest and application received 24 were accommodated and few more were on the waiting list. The delegates  included Staff & PGs  from premier  institutes such as  AIIMS, New Delhi;  Breech Candy  Mumbai;   Stanly  Medical College Chennai  and many institutes   from   various  states   in  India.      Prof Dr Beena Antony is the Organizing Secretary and Prof Dr Meena Dias the Organizing Chairman of the workshop. Sponsors such as Don Whitley Anaerobic Workstations, BD Diagnostics,  Ajosha Bioteknik & Durga Laboratories & Mahalasa Agencies have helped in providing their support to the workshop.  A manual complied by Prof Dr Beena Antony was released during the inaugural titled ‘An Encounter with Anaerobes’.