The CSIR–Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT), in collaboration with the Jena Trust, successfully organized a distinguished academic program on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at the CSIR-IMMT Auditorium, featuring Nobel Laureate Prof. Joachim Frank and other eminent scientists. The event drew enthusiastic participation from scientists, research scholars, students, and staff members.

The Jena Trust, established in memory of Padma Shri Prof. P. K. Jena, former Director of CSIR-IMMT (earlier known as Regional Research Laboratory, RRL) and Former DG CSIR, aims to promote excellence in science, education, and research. The collaboration with CSIR-IMMT for this program reflects the Trust’s continued commitment to nurturing scientific temper and academic leadership.

The program began with the formal invitation of guests and dignitaries to the dais, followed by the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. Dr. Ramanuj Narayan, Director, CSIR-IMMT, delivered the welcome address, highlighting the legacy of Late Prof. P. K. Jena and the importance of interdisciplinary research and global scientific engagement.

First, Prof. Bhanu P. Jena, Wayne State University, USA, delivered a Distinguished Lecture on his pioneering research on the porosome, a nanoscale cellular structure responsible for secretion. Prof. Jena explained the structural reconstruction and functional dynamics of the porosome and discussed how disruptions in cellular secretion mechanisms are linked to synaptic dysfunction, offering new perspectives for understanding neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The Chief Guest, Nobel Laureate Prof. Joachim Frank, was then formally introduced and delivered his Lecture of Eminence. Prof. Frank is a renowned biophysicist who was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, jointly with Jacques Dubochet and Richard Henderson, for the development of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution. In his lecture, Prof. Frank described the evolution of cryo-TEM and single-particle cryo-EM, noting that the breakthrough emerged from curiosity-driven and, in part, accidental research.

During the interactive discussion, Prof. Frank advised young researchers to maintain a peripheral and open view of science, emphasizing that creativity and major discoveries often arise at the intersection of disciplines and from unexpected observations.

The program was attended by staffs and students of different school, colleges and Institutes including ICT-IOCL, ICAR-CRRI, AIIMS, Utkal University, OUTR, RMRC, IIT, NISER and IISER.

The successful organization of this joint CSIR-IMMT–Jena Trust event reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to honoring scientific legacy while fostering cutting-edge research and meaningful interaction between globally celebrated scientists and the next generation of researchers.

Prior to this function, the inaugural program of the Jena Trust was held at the SSB Hall of CSIR-IMMT. The program featured the Prof. P. K. Jena Distinguished Lecture delivered by Prof. O. N. Mohanty, Director, RSB Metal Tech Pvt. Ltd., India, and former Vice-Chancellor of BPUT as well as former Professor at IIT Kharagpur. On this occasion, the biography book of Padma Shri Late Prof. P. K. Jena was formally released. The program also witnessed the conferment of the Prof. P. K. Jena Best Thesis Award in Extractive Metallurgy to two research scholars of CSIR-IMMT, Dr. Tonmoy Kundu and Dr. Jyotirmayee Mahanta, in recognition of their outstanding doctoral research.

The program was organized by Dr. Bibhu Ranjan Nayak, Dr. Yatendra Chaudhary, Dr. Anil Chaubey, Dr. Manju Unikrishnan, Dr. Manish Kumar along with other scientific and technical staff members of CSIR-IMMT. Family members of Late Prof. P. K. Jena were also present during the program.