By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)
The Sir Syed University of Engineering and
Technology (SSUET), Karachi, organized a highly informative workshop and
seminar on the topic of ‘Biomechanics of Contractile Proteins’ recently.
On the occasion Prof Dr Joachim W Herzig, the
visiting scholar from Germany, gave a detail presentation on the topic
which continued for about two and a half hours. The session was attended by
the faculty members of biomedical department of the SSUET, experts
and students.
Prof Dr Joachim, who is also a consultant to a number
of pharmaceuticals companies on biology and human science, is acclaimed as an
international authority in his field and advisor to number of Universities and
research institutions.
Focusing on the theories of motion among humans
and animals, Prof Joachim analyzed bioinformatics predominantly focusing
on three types of large data sets available in molecular biology, macro
molecular structures, genome sequence and result of functional genomics
experiments.
In his presentation he compared genomics of humans and
animals. He gave an overview of muscular movement, muscular structure and
functions. In this regard he cited examples to show how mosquitoes fly
using his wings, which are functions of his body organs which expands and
contracts.
He showed that a normal mosquito wings stretches 200 times
per second and that makes mosquitoes to fly. In this regard he quoted an
example of human body that needs proteins and dissolve into energy for motion
in the body.
He cited the example of how a man stretches his arms and
what chemical reaction takes place inside the body. He took names of number of
agents and re-agents that help in dissolving proteins and calcium in human
plasma that enables a man to move.
Dr Joachim pointed out that it is an extraordinary field of
human research and all major pharmaceutical companies are concentrating on
producing medicines and chemicals that can help human body to do work and
move.
He quoted human hearts which, he said, contracts and expands
as an example of myosine and proteins. He said that upon expansion, human
heart receives blood and on contraction it circulates blood in human body. The
tissues of heart are made to function like this with the help of myosine,
calcium and protein. He invited researchers from Universities and institution
to focus in this area of human bodies functioning, its longevity and age
and observed that perhaps quality of life is likely to improve to a great
extent.
He is currently on a visit to Karachi for about a month and
his lecture/talks in many Universities are available on web and anyone
interested can download and start further research in this area that has great
potential.
Dr Joachim also answered to a number of question raised
by participants and students of bio-medical. He thanked Chancellor Engr
Mohammed Adil Usman, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Jawaid H. Rizvi of SSUET for
inviting him to this largest private sector university.
The guests on the occasion included Dr Shahida Qaiser,
currently working as Managing Director of a pharmaceutical firm and Mr Pervez
Hayat Noon, who is highly educated widely travelled and currently holding a
reputed pharmaceutical company in Pakistan.
Earlier, the SSUET Registrar, Engr Abrar Ali, gave a
thorough introduction about SSUET and said that it presently has over
5500 students on its roll studying in the disciplines of Computer,
Electronics, Bio-Medical, Civil, Telecom Engineering and Computer Science.
On the occasion the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor
presented bouquets to the visiting professor from Germany.
Research opportunities at the interface if bio medicine and
engineering include cell/tissue engineering use of bio materials, clinical and
medical instrumentation, physiological modeling, bio-nanotechnology, cellular
biomechanics, neural engineering, engineering biophysics, a number of
discoveries at brain computer interface and controlled drug delivery system.
The field of Bioinformatics is multi-disciplinary. With
informatics providing enormous computing powers to the bioscience processes,
bioscience firms are readily allowing the expansion in their IT infrastructure
for R & D operations.
