Report 1997-99, 1997 - 1999

The NCBS laboratories were moved to the University of Agricultural Sciences Campus. Thirteen research groups were present in the four study streams that included Biology of Disease, Structural and Cell Biology, Molecular and systems neuroscience and Developmental Biology and Genetics. Each group had 1200-1500 sq ft laboratory space, three to four shared laboratories in the new building as opposed to the cramped quarters in IISc. High speed internet access was available. Michael Bate from Cambridge was the Sir Dorabji Tata professor. Veronica Rodrigues collaborated with groups at NCBS and NIMHANS. Madan Rao from the Raman Research Institute collaborated with Satyajit Mayor. Mahendra Rao of University of Utah collaborated with Mitradas Panicker. Manjari Mazumdar, Sumantra Chattarji, Apurva Sarin and R. Sowdhamini had joined the faculty. Gayatri Kalia was the Head of Administration and Finance. Annual Symposiums were initiated to promote academic interactions and collaborations. Four international scientific advisors were consulted for the growth of the institution. (Tsakonas from Harvard, Kensaku Mori from Riken Institute, Mel Simon from Caltech, Jim Spudich from Stanford). A note on the building of the new NCBS campus and another on the move out of IISc. A series of research oriented and teaching workshops were initiated, the first of which was 'Cell Cycle Regulation' co-organized with Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore and held in Mangalore. There existed a Cardiff University sandwich Program. A hybridoma facility was established. A rice transformation facility was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. An animal house was to be ready in late 1999. An art exhibition was conducted. A library was made in memory of Carolyn Ann D'Souza, a student who passed away in 1998. A day care centre was opened in 1998. Exhibitions by the photography club and cookathons were held.