Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
CCT, CGC Landran organizes workshop to raise awareness on Antimicrobial Resistance
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, August 12, 2025: The Department of Biotechnology, Chandigarh College of Technology (CCT), CGC Landran, in collaboration with the ACIC, RISE Association, organized a workshop to raise awareness about the rising threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
The workshop titled, ‘The Silent Pandemic: Understanding Antimicrobial Resistance,’ aimed to enhance students’ technical understanding of AMR mechanisms, surveillance methodologies, including bioinformatic pipelines, and clinical management strategies.
In addition to creating awareness, the workshop also seeks to promote responsible antimicrobial stewardship and active student engagement through expert-led sessions and competitions.
AMR is a critical global health concern characterized by the ability of pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, to withstand the inhibitory or lethal effects of antimicrobial agents, such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics.
This resistance arises through genetic mutations and horizontal gene transfer, often accelerated by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in clinical, veterinary, and agricultural settings, thereby complicating infection management and increasing morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. The event was inaugurated by Keynote speakers, Prof. (Dr.) Dheerendra Kumar, Assistant Director, AMR Division, National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, and Dr. Sonal, Consultant in Pulmonary Medicine, Livasa Hospital, Mohali. They were welcomed by Dr. Palki Sahib Kaur, Director-Principal, CCT, Dr. Gurpreet Kaur, HoD, Biotechnology, Deans of CGC, faculty, and students of the department.
In his session, Prof. (Dr.) Dheerendra Kumar presented an insightful overview of antimicrobial resistance, detailing current and emerging detection strategies, including phenotypic susceptibility testing, molecular diagnostic techniques, and next-generation sequencing approaches.
His session highlighted global AMR monitoring frameworks and the importance of data sharing for effective containment strategies. Meanwhile, Dr. Sonal provided an in-depth clinical perspective, illustrating the impact of AMR through real-world case studies.
She discussed challenges in treating multidrug-resistant respiratory infections, outlined evidence-based antibiotic stewardship practices, and underscored the need for precise diagnostics to guide targeted therapy.
Her talk reinforced the critical importance of responsible antibiotic use in preventing the escalation of resistant pathogens and safeguarding patient outcomes.
The workshop also included engaging competitions to encourage student participation. In the Poster Making Competition, Shivangi Sabarwal is pursuing an M.Sc.Biotechnology, Palakpreet Kaur and Deepika, students of B.Sc. Biotechnology secured the first, second and third prizes, respectively.
In the Mind Speak competition, Anuneet, a 3rd year B.Sc. student, won the first prize, while Sargam, a M.Sc. Biotechnology and Harsh of B.Sc. Biotechnology bagged the second and third prizes respectively.