CHENNAI: Over 700 delegates from various countries participated in the three-day international conference on ‘Celebrating Genetics - The Human Way’, organised by Vision Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya.
Dr Mylex Axton, chief editor, Nature Genetics Journal, inaugurated the meet as well as the 41st Indian Society of Human Genetics annual meeting that was the part of the conference on Thursday. Speaking on the ocassion, Axton said any research in genetics was an investment that paid rich dividends in future. He added that the salient features of genetics was that it helped understand the impact of genes in specific local populations. One could then compare and deduce the same at a macro level.
The three-day meet aimed at understanding the various facets of human genetic diseases with the recent technological advancements. International scientists would be sharing their research experiences in deciphering the human genetic diseases.
Dr T Ramasamy, former science and technology secretary to the Centre, said a large section of the population could not afford medicare at current prices. The only alternative was preventive healthcare in which a study in genetics could play a crucial role.