My Visit to IISc Bangalore

Smriti Mishra

When I first heard that we had received permission to visit the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, on 14th November (Thursday) – a date that coincided with our educational tour to Bangalore – my excitement knew no bounds. Usually, IISc grants permission to visit its campus only on Fridays. Therefore, getting this special permission in itself was exciting news for all of us. Our educational tour, consisting of eleven M.Sc. Botany students, was accompanied by the HOD Botany, JNRM, and a lady staff member. We reached Bangalore on 13th November.

The very next day, i.e., 14th November, was filled with excitement. It was our day to visit IISc. The institute, called ‘Tata Institute’ by the locals, is regarded as a premier research and education centre for science and engineering in the country. After a sumptuous breakfast at the iconic Mavalli Tiffins Room (MTR) in Gandhinagar, we began our journey to IISc by boarding a bus from the Majestic. The bus ride was comfortable. I was awestruck to see hundreds of government-run buses at Majestic, the main bus stand of Bangalore. Public transport is very well organized in Bangalore. It took about 30 minutes to reach IISc from the Majestic.

We reached IISc well before our scheduled visit time of 11.30 AM. We had ample time on our hands. Therefore, after finishing all the formalities and obtaining the token passes at the entry gate, we started to explore the sprawling campus.

The IISc campus is vast, spanning about 400 acres. The roads are wide and are shaded by lush green canopies. Sunrays rarely found their way onto the walking path. It was very soothing. I noticed that students, research scholars and teachers were all riding bicycles inside the campus. It was a new sight for me. I had never experienced such peace and calmness before in my life. I am at a loss for words to describe the academic charm and brilliance of the campus.

The IISc campus is a beautiful blend of historic buildings and modern facilities. During our walk on the campus, we passed by the JRD Tata Memorial Library, followed by several other iconic buildings. On our way to the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology (MCB), which had granted us the time slot from 11.30 AM, our HOD shared his experience of a month-long training on ‘Recombinant DNA Technology’ he had attended at IISc in 2010. He told us how researchers would cycle back to their respective laboratories after dinner and work until 1-2 AM. Walking those same paths, knowing that some eminent people like Sir CV Raman, Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, Anna Mani, Satish Dhawan, and CNR Rao, to name just a few, were once part of IISc, I felt a deep sense of pride and inspiration.

We reached the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology (MCB) by 11 AM and waited in the reception area. I found that people working in IISc are very particular about their time. We were asked to reach the MCB department at 11.30 AM. At exactly 11.25 AM, we were warmly welcomed by Dr. William Surin, Principal Research Scientist at MCB. He took us around the Central Instrumentation Facility of the Department and showed us many advanced instruments like the NMR machine, gas chromatography, ultracentrifuge, sonicators, spectrophotometers, etc. We also got to know the working principles and applications of these instruments. Dr. Surin also explained flow cytometry, an analyzer used to study neutrophils and macrophages. We had read about these instruments in theory only. Seeing these instruments for the first time was an enriching experience for all of us.

We visited various research laboratories of the faculty members. I was fortunate to know the different ongoing experiments and projects undertaken by the research students. The enthusiasm of the researchers and the advanced equipment they were working with left a lasting impression on me.

One of the highlights of our visit to IISc was the opportunity to interact with faculty members and the Chair of the MCB Department. We were taken to the conference hall, where we met Prof Saumitra Das, Chair of the MCB Department and Prof. Utpal Nath. The Chair and the faculty members of the department were not only very knowledgeable but also very easily approachable. They shared their insights and experiences. The Chair explained the collaborative work of IISc’s various biological science departments. He spoke about research on microbes that cause diseases like hepatitis, cancer, etc. He also spoke about how viruses and bacteria cause diseases in crop plants and methods to prevent this. Prof. Utpal Nath, an expert in plant biology, shared his ongoing research on the genetics of Arabidopsis thaliana. The entire session was very interactive. We ended it with a memorable group photograph.

After this interactive session, we visited the research lab of Prof Utpal Nath, primarily focused on experiments with model plants. In that section, one research project was going on the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This plant was grown under controlled conditions at 22°C with specific light exposure. There was a separate room for growing this plant under sterile conditions. Ms Druppal, a research scholar, explained her research on gene manipulation and its impact on the plant’s development. She was studying how removing one gene from this plant would affect its overall growth and development. She highlighted the importance of model plants in understanding complex biological systems and disease mechanisms.

During the visit, we also learned about various scholarships and fellowships offered by IISc. There is a rigorous selection process and only the top 5 % of students who have cleared the CSIR-NET / GATE and similar exams are selected for admission into the Ph.D. programs after interviews. We concluded our visit with a delicious lunch at the IISc restaurant named Nesara.

Overall, my visit to IISc Bengaluru was an inspiring and enriching experience. As I left the campus, I carried with me not just memories of the day but also renewed motivation for my further academic studies. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Botany Department, JNRM, and more particularly, Dr Dipon Sharmah, HOD Botany, whose efforts made this opportunity possible. This experience has encouraged me to aim higher in my life.

(Smriti Mishra is pursuing her master’s in Botany at Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya, Sri Vijaya Puram)