AMU researchers achieve distinction

ALIGARH:A large group of AMU research scholars from various Departments of Studies in Aligarh Muslim University presented their research papers at an International Conference on Free Radical Biology organized by the Departments of Bio-Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Integral University, Lucknow.
About 300 eminent scientists from different countries including USA, UK, Russia, Saudi Arabia and those from different parts of India participated in the conference. Researchers emphasized the significance of free radicals regarding various facets of life science, including diabetes and cancer prevention studies.

Out of five prestigious awards given at the Conference, the AMU researchers bagged top three awards, two in oral and one in poster presentation.  Out of oral presentations, first, second and third “Integral Young Scientist Awards” were bestowed on Faaiza Shahid, Department of Biochemistry (AMU), Natalya Antonova, Novosibirsk State University (Russia) and Yawar Sadiq, Department of Botany (AMU), respectively.  Saniya Khan, Department of Biochemistry (AMU) achieved the best poster award.

Yawar Sadiq, who is pursuing her PhD under the supervision of Prof M. Masroor Akhtar Khan, presented her work on spearmint, a special type of ‘Podina’ plant.  Her research revealed that the production of spearmint essential oil, their active constituents limonene and carvone as well as rosmarinic acid content could be improved by using some novel plant growth promoters.  In fact, Spearmint essential oil and its bioactive phytochemical, rosmarinic acid, are potent antioxidants regarding prevention of aids virus activity.