Global College of Pharmaceutical Technology, the pharmaceutical arm of Global Knowledge Campus, hosted a 4 day conference discussing global health challenges along with a multidisciplinary workshop on Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR), a cornerstone technology in molecular diagnostics. The event brought together academia, industry, and public health experts to discuss RT-PCR’s transformative role in virology, drug development, and clinical diagnostics, with a special focus on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over one thousand and two hundred attendees, including researchers, students, and representatives from various sectors. The 4 day conference event was a success, particularly for a tier-2 city. The event focused on timely and relevant subjects, such as viral threats like COVID-19, and addressed critical gaps in technical expertise by offering insights into optimizing RT-PCR workflows, minimizing errors, and applying findings to clinical decision-making.

The conference featured a range of insightful scientific talks and hands-on sessions. Notably, Sk Erfanul (Molecular Biologist, Dept. of Microbiology, Jagannath Gupta Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital) provided a deep dive into COVID-19 detection, emphasising the critical importance of data accuracy in clinical diagnostics. Tamal Kumar Das (Senior Area Sales Manager, Athenese DX Pvt. Ltd) bridged the gap between industry and academia by simplifying RT-PCR workflows and highlighting cost-effective innovations. Mrs. Shrestha Mukherjee (Technical Officer, NICED—NACO-funded Early Infant Diagnostic Project) showcased the impact of RT-PCR on early HIV diagnosis, and Vishal Bhutoria (Director, Drug Assays Solution Pvt Ltd; Founder, Ambay Enterprises) underscored its relevance in drug development and personalized medicine. Debashish Dutta (Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology, GCPT) discussed the historical role of RT-PCR in combating viral threats.