Earth

I, Dr. K. Panneer Selvam, serving as Assistant Professor and Head, PG & Research Department of Microbiology, M. R. Government Arts College, Mannargudi in Thiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu, India. Being a government higher educational institution, it has been serving learners who majorly represent families of poor socio- economic backgrounds. As an active researcher cum academic person, it is recorded that the DBT Foldscope project funded by the esteemed DBT, New Delhi is the fifth major research project being shouldered as a Lead applicant/ Principal Investigator. While it is assured that the DBT foldscope project would be implemented as per the DBT approved objectives of the submitted proposal, it is assured that other associated activities under the project such as organizing foldscope workshops for school students, higher educational learners, research scholars, NGOs, and other interested persons would be implemented effectively. The present DBT foldscope research project focuses on determining the prevalence/ speciation of the clinically important yeast - Cryptococcus neoformans especially isolated from Pigeon droppings collected from traditional temples across the districts of Tamil Nadu state. As a microbiology researcher/ academician, it is found that the foldscope invented by Dr. Manu Prakash, is a simple cum affordable device and could be used by everybody for observation/ evaluation as to reveal/ bring out the hidden bio- space of different samples/ specimens. To note frankly, foldscope device is a boon and an invention of the present time. Thank you.