“More students opting for courses in life sciences and biotechnology”

[dhilipkumar]

"More students opting for courses in life sciences and biotechnology"

TAMBARAM: A huge population which can speak and write English fluently, a large domestic market, strong bio-manufacturing skills, strengths in computing software and services and availability of skilled manpower at low costs were the strengths of India in the field of biotechnology, T.Madhan Mohan, Adviser, Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology, said on Friday.

Speaking at the inaugural function of a two-day national seminar on Bioinformatics Application in Medical Sciences at SRM University in Kattankulathur, he said these strengths were supported by performance indicators, that included an increase in the number of new companies and small and medium scale enterprises engaged in research and development.

Mr. Mohan said that in addition, more students were opting for courses in life sciences and biotechnology. The gap in terms of demand and supply was narrowing and it was having positive economic and social impact among the people owing to the advent of new technologies.

He also listed out areas where there was a need for skill development. It included technology transfer, bio-enterprise/ and management in biotechnology, platform technologies and regulatory procedures, biosafety and ethics, process development and up-scaling, preclinical toxicity and clinical trials, good manufacturing and laboratory practices, biostatistics and epidemiology and stem cells and tissue engineering among others.

On what kind of R and D was needed for India, Mr. Mohan said that it had to be globally competitive basic research and at the same time "feed Indian technology for the needs of industry, critical technologies and societal requirements."

He said that medical bioinformatics had widespread and important applications in the study of infectious and genetic diseases in human. It also found applications in disorders and diseases such as diabetics, obesity and cancer, identifying, active molecule in plants or combination of plants responsible for healing effects of spondilitis, paralysis and jaundice.

Mr. Mohan said that in 2006-07, his department had launched Bioinformatics Infrastructure Facilities for Biology Teaching through Bioinformatics. So far 82 educational institutions were covered under this facility and its goal was to expose teachers and students to real-world of science and the use of bioinformatics (cyber bioscience) in solving hardcore biological problems.

The seminar was organised by the Department of Bioinformatics, School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the university. T.R.Pachamuthu and T.P.Ganesan, chancellor and pro vice-chancellor (planning and development) respectively of the university, spoke.