The 48th Annual Meeting and International Conference of the Environmental Mutagen Society of India (EMSI) brought together researchers, academicians, Vice-Chancellors and state government officials from India and eight other countries at Jamshedpur Co-Operative College, in association with Kolhan University, Jharkhand, from January 29 to 31, 2026.
The scientific sessions spanned environmental impacts on humans and aquaculture, transgenerational plant protection, molecular insights into cancer research, plants with antimutagenic potential, and sustainable agriculture through the use of bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers.
A central strand of the programme examined the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis through lectures on signalling pathways, gene expression, and DNA damage and repair, with an emphasis on targeted drug development. Presentations highlighted signalling pathways, oxidative stress-related DNA damage, and error-prone repair mechanisms, offering molecular insights into cancer development and potential therapeutic targets. Researchers also discussed the molecular basis of disease onset, including transgenerational effects of nanoparticles and the genotoxic potential of common pesticides.
In silico docking of synthetic drugs and nanoparticles was discussed in detail, reflecting a growing computational component in mutagenesis research. Alongside the modelling work, several environmental exposures were shown to have a significant impact on human health, with nanotoxicology, microplastics, airborne particulate matter and prenatal arsenic exposure singled out in the abstract as notable concerns discussed at the meeting.
Cancer-focused sessions drew significant attention to plants with antimutagenic potential and the use of phyto-active compounds to mitigate toxicity and induce cell death in cancer cell lines.
For regions like Jharkhand and its neighbours, which depend heavily on agricultural yield, the conference provided strategies for chemical reduction through plant-based pesticides, bio-fertilizers and infection-harnessing techniques intended to protect the food chain and farmers’ health from chemical overuse. Discussions on agricultural eco-toxicology and the use of plant-based medicines reinforced this regional focus, and sustainable practices emphasised cost-effective agricultural modalities that align with global Sustainable Development Goals.
Notably, the conference served as a platform for scientific exchange that attracted administrators and pollution control regulators, aiming to protect human health by mitigating environmental exposure.
The meeting concluded with a valedictory session on January 31, 2026, attended by executives of the Higher Education Departments and several past and present Vice-Chancellors from Jharkhand and Bihar. The session reviewed the event’s achievements and expressed a strong commitment to organising similar future forums. A unique highlight was the collective pledge taken by participants to control environmental issues and promote awareness of their impact on living organisms.
Key messages from the conference were disseminated to the public through local media via daily briefings, ensuring that the scientific outcomes reached a broader audience beyond the academic community. Organisers said the deliberations collectively supported several Sustainable Development Goals and highlighted cost-effective agricultural modalities as practical routes to reducing environmental chemical exposure in agriculture-dependent states.
No datasets were generated or analysed in connection with the meeting report, which documents the conference programme and its outcomes rather than presenting new experimental findings. The full meeting report is published open access in the journal Genes and Environment.
Subject of Research: A conference report on environmental mutagenesis and epigenetics in relation to human health, presented at the 48th annual meeting of the Environmental Mutagen Society of India.
Article Title: A report on the international conference on environmental mutagenesis in relation to human health held during the annual meeting of the Environmental Mutagen Society of India, January 29–31, 2026
Article References: Ganguly, B. B. (2026). A report on the international conference on environmental mutagenesis in relation to human health held during the annual meeting of the Environmental Mutagen Society of India, January 29–31, 2026. Genes and Environment, 48(1), Article 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41021-026-00359-x
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s41021-026-00359-x
Keywords: environmental mutagenesis, epigenomics, EMSI, DNA damage and repair, nanotoxicology, microplastics, arsenic exposure, bio-pesticides, sustainable agriculture, cancer research, Jharkhand, conference report
News Source: Drew Townsend. (October 28, 2026). Indian environmental mutagenesis conference links pollution, pesticides and DNA damage to human health. Scienmag.
