Three-day conference on AI-driven innovations in drug discovery begins at Kathua

Jammu/Kathua, Nov 12 (PTI) A three-day conference-cum-workshop on 'AI-driven innovations in drug discovery and agriculture' organised by the CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) began at the Industrial Biotech Park in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, officials said on Wednesday.

The event aims to highlight the transformative role of artificial intelligence in advancing drug discovery and agriculture, with a focus on innovations such as semiconductor devices, electronic tongue, and adulteration detection sensors.

Director of the Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI), Pilani, P C Panchariya, who inaugurated the conference at the BioNEST Incubator, underlined AI's growing role in medical diagnostics and expressed interest in collaboration with CSIR-IIIM and BioNEST.

He also cited CEERI's achievements in developing semiconductor devices, electronic tongue, and sensors for detecting adulteration in dairy and edible oils.

"AI-driven innovations can accelerate scientific breakthroughs, optimize processes, and contribute to sustainable development in healthcare and agriculture," he said.

IIIM Director Zabeer Ahmed said the event seeks to promote innovation, capacity building, and entrepreneurship in AI-based drug discovery and agriculture.

He added that CSIR-IIIM has integrated AI tools to accelerate research and crop improvement, noting that hosting the event at the Biotech Park would also encourage local engagement with science and technology.

According to organisers, 75 participants from across India are attending the workshop, including 15 students from GDC Kathua and Jammu University's Kathua Campus, who were granted free registration.

The event will feature technical sessions, keynote talks, and hands-on workshops focusing on AI applications in drug design, molecular screening, and agri-data analytics, they said.

Day one included sessions on AI models for genomics, cheminformatics for anticancer drug discovery, and machine learning frameworks for predicting molecular interactions, officials added. PTI AB HVA