The Department of Microbiology, in collaboration with MBSI, Research & Development Cell and IQAC at St. Joseph Vaz College (SJVC), organized a seminar titled ‘Fate and Impact of Microplastics in the Environment’ on July 24, 2025.

Dr. Aureen Lemos Godinho Gomes, Faculty Coordinator of MBSI and Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at SJVC, commenced the event with a warm welcome. Following this, Dr. Alisha Satwani, Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, introduced the resource person Dr. Trelita de Sousa, to the audience.

Dr. Trelita, Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at St. Xavier’s College, Mapusa-Goa shared valuable insights on how microplastics make their way into every corner of the environment: from oceans and rivers to soil and even the air we breathe. She also spoke about the importance of raising awareness on microplastic pollution and shared practical strategies for
controlling and reducing microplastic release into the environment thereby highlighting the urgent need for more research, regulation, and most importantly a collective action.

This session was followed by a prize distribution ceremony for the activities organized by the Department of Microbiology, SJVC, under MBSI. The activities were conducted for FY, SY, and TY students, and the ceremony recognized and celebrated their active participation and achievements. This was followed by the second session by Dr. Trelita on ‘Exploring career pathways in microbiology’ for students, aiming to broaden their understanding of the diverse career paths available in the field of microbiology.

The vote of thanks was proposed by Ms. Arzoo Mulla, Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, SJVC expressing gratitude to all participants, guests, and organizers who contributed to the success of the seminar.