CDFD launches ‘Gyandeep’ initiative to train DNA scientists from Kendriya Vidyalayas

Dr. Shweta Tyagi, Staff Scientist and Head of the Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation at CDFD, chaired the event and introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Chandana Basu, an Early Career Fellow with DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance and co-founder of GENETIKS4U.

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) has launched a new outreach initiative ‘Gyandeep’, aimed at producing DNA scientists from Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV). The inaugural session of Gyandeep, launched by CDFD in collaboration with GENETIKS4U, an outreach project funded by India Biosciences and KV Sangathan, Hyderabad, was organised on Friday at CDFD, Dr. Varsha, Staff Scientist and Head of Science Communication, CDFD, said.

Dr. Shweta Tyagi, Staff Scientist and Head, Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation, CDFD, presided over the event and introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Chandana Basu, DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Early Career Fellow and co-founder of GENETIKS4U.

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Dr. Basu captivated the KV students by explaining the basics of DNA, genetic codes, and fundamental genetics in a fun and engaging way, making complex concepts easy to grasp. The event saw enthusiastic participation from students across various Kendriya Vidyalaya branches in Hyderabad. One of the highlights was a hands-on demonstration where students isolated DNA from bananas, and the experience of holding the extracted DNA left them thrilled.

Throughout the event, a series of interactive sessions kept the students fully engaged, and prizes were awarded to the winners. All attendees received a souvenir, including a science comic created by GENETIKS4U.

Both students and teachers expressed great enthusiasm and strongly recommended that similar sessions be held in the future, not only for students but also for teachers.