INDIAN STUDENT SUBHA.B SELECTED FOR SCI FINDER EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

INDIAN STUDENT SUBHA.B SELECTED FOR SCI FINDER EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

Subha. B who is currently pursuing her Ph.D in chemical biology from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, is among the 16 students selected to participate in the 2011 SciFinder Academic Exchange Program (SAEP). She is the only candidate from India selected for this programme. In August, these Ph.D students will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to exchange ideas with Chemical Abstract Services (CAS) senior management, editorial scientists and technical specialists about key issues pertaining to their research. The students will discuss how CAS functions and how to improve the function of the same.

Ms. Subha uses SciFinder, a leading research tool for chemists and researchers. It provides the essential content and proven results that scientists need to increase productivity and make faster breakthroughs and offers instant access to the most comprehensive collection of chemical substance and reaction information. “For being considered for the exchange programme we had to submit an essay illustrating the advantages and disadvantages of the chemical informatic tools in the search engine,” says Ms. Subha. She wrote a two-page-long essay where she compared few of the search engines that are out there. “Research scholars get lost over some technical terms; so I proposed introducing a dictionary as part of the database which will provide the meaning for some basic terms. I also suggested putting links to YouTube videos that explain basic chemical and biological processes,” she says.

Ms. Subha and her colleagues will also attend the 242nd American Chemical Society (ACS) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Denver, Colorado. Students also get the opportunity to tour local research organisations such as Battelle Memorial Institute, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Centre, TechColumbus and other local research organisations. The programme also offers a stipend of $1000. Ms. Subha is completing her second year of Ph. D under Dr. Anokona Datta. She is currently working on designing molecular sensor for imaging metal ions.

                                                                                  Prof. John Kurakar