Chiasma 2023
CHIASMA is a student-led science fest organised by the Biological and Life Sciences division of the School of Arts and Sciences that provides students from all over the country a chance to benefit from the rich curriculum of the University and receive hands-on experience of its facilities. Through a culmination of workshops, talks, and exciting competitions, CHIASMA provides a platform for students to venture into the world of Life Sciences by bridging the gap between scientific exploration and everyday life.
CHIASMA has been consistent since 2017 in creating an engaging environment for students across the country to network and explore skills required for biological research. CHIASMA 2023 is a newer revamped science fest with exciting workshops and experiences guaranteed to ignite the spark in you. Join us to be a part of an enriching journey of fun-filled learning – three new workshops and an entirely new catalogue of exhilarating social events.
Date: February 3-5, 2023
Workshops
CHIASMA 2023 brings to you eight enthralling workshops led by competent instructors trained to guide you through every step of the process. From ecology to forensics, we’ve got it all covered! Each workshop is carefully designed in collaboration with the distinguished faculty at Ahmedabad University to ensure the best learning experience. The workshops are designed to inspire curiosity and encourage a research-oriented approach to learning while simultaneously exploring everyday applications of tools usually only used in scientific environments.
Biological Sciences Workshops
DECIPHERING LIFE
“Enough with speculating about What is Life; let's give science a shot!”
If you’re one of those kids who did not fall asleep in organic chemistry class, the Deciphering Life workshop is the right fit for you! This molecular biology workshop provides an understanding of macromolecules like proteins by introducing you to the necessary skills required for isolation and quantification of these using an electrophoresis technique known as sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) as well as more analytical techniques.
Abraham Dayalu Arakkaparambil (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2025)
Vaishnavi Patel (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2024)
Souvik Sen Gupta (Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Sciences)
LIFE IN BYTES
“Data! Data! Data!” he cried impatiently. “I can’t make bricks without clay.”
As always, Sherlock got it right! Ever wondered what happens to the multitude of data derived from months of experimentation? Life in Bytes is a bioinformatics workshop that introduces participants to computational tools used to analyse genomic data. The workshop will explore the world of complex molecular interactions in a cell using industry-standard software, at the same time providing an introduction to various necessary tools such as sequence alignment and homology modelling. It will enable an understanding of how new advances in technology, big data and computer programming help us identify patterns in biological data and model molecular systems.
Abhinn Gupta (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2024)
Vidhi Paida (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2025)
Krishna Swamy (Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Sciences)
THE IDENTITY HINT
“How to solve crimes? Learn forensic science.”
Do you know who killed Mr Thrombey? Here is your chance to find out! The Identity Hint is a forensic sciences workshop that aims to introduce participants to the world of forensics through techniques like Dactylography and Graphology, as well as blood spatter and handwriting analysis to foster both technical as well as logical skills.
Kanishkaa Suri (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2024)
Shailiny Mehta (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2025)
Ritesh Shukla (Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Sciences)
FOOD DETECTIVES
“It is not as unusual as you might assume.”
The Food Detectives workshop will help you figure out how much of that proverb is actually true. The workshop aims to provide an understanding of the common adulteration techniques and a hands-on experience that will help in gaining a deeper insight into the difference between adulterated and unadulterated food.
Mansi Parekh (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2024)
Ashutosh Kumar (Associate Professor, School of Arts and Sciences)
WORLD AT NANOSCALE
“Nothing goes unnoticed under that microscope.”
Get ready to try your hand at alchemy! In the World at Nanoscale workshop, learn how to synthesise gold nanoparticles, view them under an electron microscope, and use the principles of dynamic light scattering to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis. The workshop aims to provide an understanding of these concepts with the help of two instrument exemplars of fully-featured preparation facilities: a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) to observe various biological and material samples.
Vishva Patel (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2024)
Aashi Parikh (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2025)
Ritesh Shukla (Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Sciences)
THE ETHOLOGIST’S WORLD
“Foray into the world of Whitaker and his snakes and Salim Ali and his birds.”
This ecology workshop aims to elaborate on how the theoretical aspects of ecology can be practically applied while interconnecting significant concepts in ecology with other parts of the biological sciences. Join The Ethologist’s World to get lost in the world of various organisms and their interactions with the environment. The workshop will introduce you to the interesting field of ecology and provide a deeper understanding of how to approach questions in animal behaviour.
Charvi Trivedi (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2024)
Rohith Srinivasan (Integrated MS in Life Sciences, Class of 2025)
Shomen Mukherjee (Associate Professor, School of Arts and Sciences)
Psychology Workshops
STRESS AND MINDFULNESS
Stress accompanies us at almost all the important events of our lives and we are always looking for ways to get rid of it. Here is a workshop that will provide you with a thorough understanding of good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress). Stress is always posed as this ridiculous villain, but there are two sides to every story, aren’t there?
Mindfulness has become the go-to word for dealing with any kind of stressful situation. But what does it mean, and what is practically possible under its guise?
This workshop is an effort to provide insight into mindfulness activities required for coping with stress effectively. This integration of different modalities is meant to be a life experience and a moment of awareness that you would not want to miss.
Reetu Ravani (BA Psychology, Class of 2023)
Twarita Shah (BA Psychology, Class of 2024)
Divita Singh (Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Sciences)
APPLICATION OF PSYCHOLOGY IN INDUSTRIES
What comes to your mind when you think about psychology?
Psychology is a science that has branched out into a myriad of domains each with vast empirical literature and nuanced applications.
In this workshop, we take you across a few such application-based theories and activities drawn from fields of industrial-organisational psychology, consumer psychology, social psychology, human resources, marketing, economics and management.
By the end of the workshop, you will also get an insight into your own interests and learn simple psychological tricks to conquer challenges in your daily life.
Trust us, the advancements in the subject will blow your mind!
Hetvi Parekh (BA Psychology, Class of 2023)
Sanjana Vora (BA Psychology, Class of 2023)
Divita Singh (Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Sciences)
For any queries, contact:
Poorav Shelat: +91 94084754345
Hrishita Sitwala: +91 8155052406
Or email us at [email protected]
Socials
CHIASMA is a celebration of science, it is a festival where students from all over the nation come together and participate not only in workshops, but also socialise with their fellow students, scientists and researchers, as well as science enthusiasts. While we aim to foster an environment that encourages the participants to think in a research-driven manner, our purpose is also to provide a platform for all to network and learn by interaction. Our motto ‘Intertwined with Curiosity’ is not only limited to the workshops but also the social evenings. The meaning manifests itself when the curiosity is ignited in the individuals participating to discover what all they are capable of. These events serve as a transition for the participants from our morning scientific day workshops to memorable evening experiences.
This year, as Chiasma grows, we have more splendid events and contests planned. While moving forward with the legacy of Surtaal and Beat Busters, we also have beautiful evenings planned where you can let out a breather after the mind-bending workshop sessions in the day. Are you excited yet? Because we definitely are!
For any queries, contact:
Poorav Shelat: +91.9408754345
Dhruvi Pandit: +91.9512667555
Or email us at [email protected]
