Rourkela, July 1: A 5-day workshop on "DARSHINI: Cluster of Microscopic Equipment in Materials & Biotechnology," commenced today at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela. This is the sixth workshop organized by the Central Research Facility (CRF) of NIT Rourkela, showcasing the latest equipment and software procured through various funding resources, now accessible to the entire research community. Participants (Students and Researchers) from different parts of the country are participating in this conference from 1st July to 5th July 2024.

Welcoming the participants, the Coordinator of the program and Head of CRF, Prof. D.R. Parhi, “CRF aims to maximize the utilization of high-end equipment by bringing them under one umbrella. It ensures that sophisticated and modern analytical equipment is available to researchers for chemical, and material analysis, testing, and characterization. This workshop will provide a wide range of methods for research and experimentation to all the participants with advanced microscopic tools and instruments.”

In his inaugural address, the Director of NIT Rourkela Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao emphasized the significance of the workshop, stating, "High-end microscopes and related equipment are of substantial cost but also offer unparalleled detail and precision. Such opportunities to get practical sessions with equipment/machines worth lakhs of rupees are hard to find. I advise all participants to make the most of this 5-day course and gain valuable hands-on experience."

The Registrar Prof. Rohan Dhiman highlighted the workshop's diverse sessions, noting, "Our aim is to set international benchmarks in the quality of scientific equipment and research output. NIT Rourkela ranks among the top institutes in research achievements, thanks in part to CRF's contributions. These kinds of workshops are valuable for researchers, scientists, and students who aim to enhance their skills and knowledge in microscopy, enabling them to conduct more effective and precise research in their respective fields. "

The workshop coordinator & Senior Scientific Officer, Dr. Smrutisikha Bal added, "We have 35 pieces of equipment, each costing over 50 lakhs INR. We are also listed in the I-STEM (Indian Science Technology and Engineering) portal which holds the database of publicly-funded and functioning R&D Equipment/instrument facilities in various institutions and organizations; public and private across India. CRF has received numerous sample testing orders over the past years. The workshop's name, 'Darshini,' is derived from Sanskrit, meaning 'to look at,' symbolizing the essence of microscopy."

The inaugural program concluded with a vote of thanks by the coordinator Mr. S.K. Bai (Principal Scientific Officer at CRF). He said since last year, CRF saw over 9,200 bookings for testing scientific samples for experimental purposes, reflecting the facility's importance to the research community.

A few key topics covered in the workshop include, ‘Bio-Atomic Force Microscope’, ‘Metallography Sample preparations and analysis’, ‘High Temperature Microscope’, ‘Transmission Electronic Microscope’, ‘Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope’, ‘Inverted Microscope in the Analysis of Cells in Cancer Biology’, ‘Compositional Analysis: Metals, Alloys & Composites’, and ‘Petrological Microscope’.

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