21-Day ICAR-Sponsored Winter School on ‘Vaccine Engineering Techniques for Development of New Generation Vaccines against Animal Diseases’ Concludes

11 February 2026, Bengaluru

The 21-day ICAR-sponsored Winter School on Vaccine Engineering Techniques for Development of New Generation Vaccines against Animal Diseases concluded successfully today at the ICAR–Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bengaluru Campus. The programme marked the culmination of an intensive training and capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening expertise in advanced vaccine technologies.

The valedictory programme was graced by Dr. S. K. Bandyopadhyay, Former Animal Husbandry Commissioner and Member, ASRB, and Dr. Artabandhu Sahoo, Director of ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru.

In his address, Dr. Bandyopadhyay emphasized the practical dimensions of vaccination in animals and underscored the importance of developing veterinary vaccines that are scalable and field-applicable. He congratulated the participants and encouraged them to apply the knowledge gained to advance next-generation vaccine technologies.

The programme commenced with a warm welcome address by Dr. Pallab Chaudhuri, Joint Director, ICAR-IVRI Bengaluru Campus, and Course Director of the Winter School.

Dr. Artabandhu Sahoo appreciated the efforts of ICAR-IVRI, Bengaluru Campus, in successfully organizing the training programme. He highlighted the significance of emerging vaccine technologies in improving animal health and stressed the role of host factors in ensuring successful vaccination outcomes.

The Winter School provided comprehensive exposure to state-of-the-art vaccine engineering platforms, incorporating modern tools such as genetic engineering, nanotechnology, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning for immunogen design and discovery.

The academic sessions featured 22 guest lectures delivered by eminent experts from premier institutions including Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), International Institute of Biotechnology and Toxicology (IBAB), ICAR–Indian Veterinary Research Institute (Izatnagar), The Ohio State University, and leading industry partners such as Indian Immunologicals Limited, Biovet Pvt Ltd, and Biological E Limited.

In addition, the core faculty of ICAR-IVRI delivered 20 lectures and conducted eight hands-on practical demonstrations. The classroom learning was further complemented by a field visit to the BioVet Vaccine Production Centre and the IVRI Animal Experimentation Facility at Yelahanka.

During the valedictory session, participants shared their feedback and reflected on their learning experiences, highlighting the relevance and applicability of advanced vaccine engineering techniques acquired during the training.

The Winter School successfully strengthened technical competencies and fostered collaborative learning, contributing significantly to the development of skilled human resources in next-generation veterinary vaccine research and development.

A total of 23 participants attended the Winter School, including Assistant Professors, Scientists, and Research Officers from 10 different states across the country. Representing nine diverse disciplines of veterinary and animal sciences, the participants engaged in meaningful interdisciplinary interactions throughout the programme.

(Source:  ICAR– Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bengaluru)