The ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (ICAR-IISR), Kozhikode and the Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics (BIG) Facility, ICAR-IISR successfully organized the National Symposium on Recent Trends in Omics in Plant Biology from May 20–22, 2025, as part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations. The event brought together over 70 participants, including scientists, academicians, students and industry representatives from across India, to deliberate on the advances and applications of omics technologies in plant sciences.
The National Symposium on Recent Trends in Omics in Plant Biology commenced with the Pre-Symposium Workshop on May 20, 2025, which focused on hands-on training in transcriptomics, Genome Wide Association Studies, metagenomics and machine learning using tools such as Galaxy, R and Python. The workshop, limited to selected participants, aimed at capacity building for early-career scientists and students, and was supported by expert trainers from reputed institutions. The workshop highlighted the demand for candidates possessing domain expertise and additional skills in bioinformatics.
A formal inaugural session on May 21, 2025, began with the Welcome Address delivered by Dr. T E Sheeja, Head, Division of Crop Improvement and Biotechnology. The Presidential Address was delivered by Dr. R Dinesh, Director, ICAR-IISR, who highlighted the significance of the symposium in the context of integrative omics research and the institute’s contributions in the domain of spice crop improvement. This was followed by the Presidential Address delivered by Dr. R Dinesh, Director, ICAR-IISR, who emphasized the institute’s commitment to advancing omics-based research in spices and the broader importance of integrative approaches in plant biology. The Guest of Honour, Dr. Sudhakar Pandey, Assistant Director General – FVS & MP, ICAR, addressed the gathering next, highlighting ICAR’s efforts in supporting multi-omics research and its potential to strengthen India’s agricultural innovation landscape. The session's highlight was the inauguration and Inaugural Address by Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR. Dr. Singh underscored the critical role of omics technologies in transforming horticultural research and the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration to tackle complex agricultural challenges. As part of the occasion, the Training Manual and the Book of Abstracts were formally released, symbolizing the knowledge-sharing mission of the symposium. The session concluded with a Vote of Thanks proposed by Organizing Secretary, Dr. K Anees, ICAR-IISR,
The event featured three thematic sessions:
- Innovations in Genomics, Genome Editing, Horti-Informatics and Artificial Intelligence
- Omics meets Computational Biology
- Proteomics, Metabolomics and Nutrigenomics in Plant Science
Notably, the event featured keynote lectures and lead talks by eminent scientists from reputed national institutions such as the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (ICAR-IASRI), ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), ICAR-National Institute of Plant Biotechnology, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (NRC-Equines), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research (ICAR-IIMR), ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes (NRC-Grapes), and the Central University of Kerala.
The symposium also hosted an industry spotlight session, offering private partners a platform to showcase innovations in sequencing technologies, omics platforms, and bioinformatics solutions.
The valedictory session of the National Symposium on Recent Trends in Omics in Plant Biology was held on May 22, 2025, marking the successful conclusion of three days of insightful scientific deliberations and interactive sessions. Welcome Address and Symposium Report was presented by Dr. K Anees, Senior Scientist, ICAR-IISR. This was followed by the Presidential Address by Dr. K.S. Krishnamurthy, Principal Scientist, ICAR-IISR, who appreciated the scientific rigor and interdisciplinary dialogue fostered during the symposium. An award distribution ceremony was held next, recognizing outstanding oral poster presentations. The symposium concluded on 22 May 2025. Dr. Sona Charles, Organizing Secretary extended sincere thanks to ICAR and DBT for financial support for making the event a grand success.
