The 94th Annual Meeting of the Society of Biological Chemists, India (SBCI) is being held at the University of Hyderabad, Telangana, with the scientific theme “Biological Communications in Disease and Development.” The conference serves as a major national and international forum for discussions on advances in biological chemistry and related life sciences.
Founded in 1930 and headquartered at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, the Society of Biological Chemists, India is one of the country’s oldest and most prominent scientific organizations, committed to promoting research, collaboration, and global engagement in biological chemistry.
The 94th Annual Meeting and International Conference (ICBCDD) is scheduled from December 17–19, 2025, and is expected to host over 400 delegates, including approximately 300 students and 100 national and international scientists.
The host institution, the University of Hyderabad, is a premier Institute of Eminence established in 1974, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes. The conference is being organized by the Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, which is recognized for its strong teaching programmes and cutting-edge research in biochemistry and life sciences.
The SBCI Conference was formally inaugurated with a dignified inaugural session that marked the commencement of the scientific deliberations and set the vision for the conference. The session was attended by distinguished academicians, scientists, institutional leaders, and delegates from across the country, reflecting the conference’s national stature and interdisciplinary reach.
The inaugural proceedings commenced with an invocation through Saraswati Vandana, invoking blessings for knowledge and intellectual pursuit. This was followed by a welcome address by the Convenor of the 94th Annual Meet, Prof. Bramanandam Manavathi, who outlined the objectives of the conference and emphasized its role in fostering excellence in biological sciences through interdisciplinary collaboration.
An address was delivered by Prof. Naresh Babu, Head of the Department of Biochemistry, and Prof. Anand Kumar Kondapi, Dean of the School of Life Sciences, who highlighted the academic strengths of the host institution and the importance of advancing life science research aligned with national priorities.
The inaugural address was delivered by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, Prof. B. J. Rao, who underscored the role of universities in promoting scientific innovation, interdisciplinary research, and societal impact. This was followed by the presidential address by Prof. Hemalatha Balaram, titled “An Unusually Stable Succinimide in a Hyperthermophilic GATase: Investigations on Formation, Stability and Function”, in which she presented insights into protein chemistry and functional stability under extreme biological conditions.
The session further featured a keynote address by Prof. Sandhya Visweswariah of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, chaired by Prof. B. J. Rao. Her lecture, titled “Gut Reactions and Gut Instincts: The Role of cGMP”, highlighted emerging perspectives on cyclic nucleotide signaling and gut physiology.
The inaugural proceedings also included SBCI Award Lectures, chaired by Prof. Hemalatha Balaram. The P. S. Sarma Memorial Award Lecture was delivered by Dr. Sanjeev Shukla (IISER Bhopal) on “A Hypoxia-Induced Epigenetic–Splicing Axis Promotes EMT in Breast Cancer”. This was followed by the P. A. Kurup Endowment Award Lecture by Dr. Ravishankar Ramachandran (CSIR–CDRI, Lucknow), titled “Novel Mechanisms of AP-Site Recognition and Repair in DNA and mRNA: Insights from Mycobacterium tuberculosis”.
The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks, formally acknowledging the contributions of the speakers, organizers, and participants, and setting a strong academic foundation for the scientific sessions that followed.
