The Department of Microbiology of St. Joseph Vaz College organized a Journal club activity for the T.Y.B.Sc. Microbiology students on 25th August 2025, at 1:45pm in Microbiology Laboratory 2. Two TYBSc microbiology students presented recent and relevant scientific research articles. The purpose of the session was to enhance scientific reading, critical thinking, and presentation skills among participants while encouraging open academic discussion.

Presentations:
1. Presenter 1: Ms. Jade Pereira; Title of Research Paper: Optimization, partial purification, and characterization of a novel high molecular weight alkaline protease produced by Halobacillus sp. HAL1 using fish wastes as a substrate. Summary: The student summarized the key objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions of the study. The focus of the paper was on the utilization of fish waste for production of alkaline protease followed by the purification of the enzyme.

2. Presenter 2: Ms. Isha Gomes; Title of the Research Paper: Exploring stress-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria from groundnut rhizosphere soil in semi-arid regions of Ethiopia. Summary: This presentation highlighted the stress-tolerant
rhizobacteria in saline environments.

Following the presentations, a brief but engaging discussion took place. Participants raised questions regarding the experimental approaches, validity of the conclusions, and possible real-world applications. The presenters responded thoughtfully, and further insights were shared by peers and faculty members, enriching the overall learning experience. The Journal Club session successfully fostered academic engagement and provided a platform for students to develop their analytical and presentation skills. It also encouraged peer learning and critical evaluation of scientific literature. A total of 19 TYBSC students attended the session.