Science in India Newsletter

Index

S&T Policies:

 S&T Policies:

1. Indian Government increases scientific focus on ASEAN

Consistent with its “look east” policy in R&D issues shown persistently in recent years, Minister of Science & Technology, Kapil Sibal has suggested the creation of an R&D Innovation Fund for ASEAN +6. He said that more than half of the population of the world resides in Asia which has the market and the capacity to match the western economy. Though there is a great national diversity in capacity and development of political, economic and technological institutions across the ASEAN countries, the wave of globalization has given rise to several common fundamental S&T policy issues. Areas of common interest for the Fund are biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture for food security and advanced materials. Besides the Fund the proposal to set up an India-ASEAN Institute for Intellectual Property for building human resource capacities and training was laid down in the Joint Declaration. The ASEAN + 6 ( India, China, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea) meeting took place in Delhi in November.

Furthermore India has offered ASEAN countries cooperation in space technologies, e.g. short-term training programmes in satellite design, remote sensing data, satellite imagery of the region for weather forecasting and a pilot project in tele-medicine.

An MoU between the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on a Global Innovation &Technology Alliance (GITA) was also signed on the occasion. Under GITA, international technology partnerships with ASEAN e.g. can take place through various modes such as Joint Development; Technology Transfer/ licensing, Joint Venture/ Collaboration.
(Press Release Indian Government 07.11.2006, Financial Express 08.11.2006, )


                                                                                         

With the US doubling its research budget, senior American officials are on a tour of India exploring avenues for enhancing collaboration with scientific institutions, particularly in the fields of physical sciences and engineering. A delegation led by US nodal research agency National Science Foundation (NSF) chief Arden L Bement visited research institutions in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore meeting top Indian scientists and officials to work together. He said NSF would like to increase cooperation with India in various fields including energy, climate change and infectious diseases. NSF has been involved in about 330 research projects in India as against 800 in China.


(PTI Science Service, 01.-15.11.2006)                                         
 

Inaugurating the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR, a multi-stakeholder initiative) — Triennial Conference 2006 on the theme "Reorienting Agricultural Research to meet the Millennium Development Goals”, President Dr. Kalam said that India must embark on a second green revolution to increase productivity through research and newer production methodologies.
The President focused on nanotechnology as the new technology that should be applied in agriculture. Some of the possible areas of research in agriculture using this technology were nanoporous zeolites for slow release and efficient doses of water and fertilizers for plant, of nutrients and drugs for livestock, nanocapsules for herbicide delivery, nanosensors for soil quality and for plant health monitoring.
Later the Chairman of the GFAR, Adel El-Beltagi announced an alliance between the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States for global information and knowledge exchange.

(The Hindu, 10.11.2006)
  

The biotechnology sector in India is evolving, and the regulatory authorities are trying to streamline the regulatory process for biotech crops. However, the biotechnology community in India still feels that further reforms are needed for faster growth in their sector. The Government of India recently announced two new regulations that could adversely impact trade in agricultural biotechnology products.
Bt cotton remains the only transgenic crop approved for commercial cultivation in India. A number of other biotech crops are under development by private seed companies and public sector institutes. The next biotech crop in the pipeline for commercial release is expected to be Bt aubergine in 2007/08. Other transgenic crops approved for contained and limited field trials are cabbage, cauliflower, corn, cotton, peanut, mustard, okra, pigeon pea, rice, and tomato, for traits such as nutritional enhancement, pest resistance, and increased yields.

(USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, GAIN Report India Biotechnology 2006) 

                                                                                          

The Supreme Court of India last month banned any new field trials of genetically modified (GM) crops in the country to allow it to examine potential conflicts of interest in the approval mechanism.
The court's decision followed a public interest petition filed in May 2005 by four activists saying that India's bio safety protocols are a serious threat to public health and the environment.
The case follows campaigns by civil society organisations over the safety of field trials of the country's first transgenic food crop, Bt aubergine genetically modified to resist insect pests. These protests forced the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) — whose prior permission is needed for GM trials — to form a panel of experts to give a final decision on the trials. But the panel, as well as the GEAC itself, was criticised by civil society groups for not being sufficiently independent. The petitioners had recommended five independent experts to be added to GEAC, which the government had refused.
In a subsequent hearing the court sustained the ban, but gave permission for a limited field trial of GM mustard.

(SciDev.Net, 31.10.2006)                 

                                                                                          

The Indian delegation to the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) was led by Dr. Ajay Dua, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion. He emphasized that the discussions in WIPO need to make substantial headway, lest issues falling within its domain get deliberated bilaterally between nations or negotiated in other international fora. It has not been able to develop consensus within WIPO on a number of controversial issues such as Patent Law harmonization, evolving a Development Agenda, protection of traditional knowledge as well as on rights of broadcasting organizations.
India has been strongly emphasizing a Development Agenda at the Doha round of WTO negotiations. Reiterating this in WIPO is consistent with this position. India has also been leading the efforts for evolving measures at the international level to protect traditional knowledge from being misappropriated.

(Press Release Indian Government 29.09.2006, PRA:MV:NC)  

                                                                                           

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has worked out an ambitious plan to take science to one million children across the country in the next five years, Minister of Science and Technology Kapil Sibal informed. Addressing newspersons after dedicating a Nano Lab, the first of its kind in the country at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore, he said the DST planned to popularise science in a big way and attract the best students.

Mr Sibal said initially the top 45,000 to 50,000 students, constituting one per cent of students in tenth standard in the country, would be selected in the age group of 10-17 to facilitate them to participate in the Global Summer Camp, which would be addressed by top scientists and Nobel laureates.

He said that in a similar programme, the DST proposed to support 12th standard students willing to pursue education in science and involve in research activities, by bearing all educational expenses for the next 15 years and paying an incentive of an Assistant Professor scale for the next five years.

(The Hindu, 24.09.2006)                 

                                                                                           

 Research:

8. IIT Delhi develops software for drug designing

The Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi has developed a wide array of software tools for drug designing and developing individualised medicine. "The ChemGenome software will be useful for genome analysis and Bhageerath (energy based protein structure prediction server) will help in predicting protein structure," said B Jayaram of IIT-Delhi's Supercomputing Facility for Bio-informatics and Computational Biology. The ChemGenome software can distinguish genes from non-genes in 331 bacterial genomes and 20 eukaryotic genomes with almost 90 per cent accuracy. The protein structure prediction software can successfully bracket native-like structures in the lowest energy structures for 50 small alpha helical and mixed globular proteins, Jayaram said. "The drug design protocols could sort out marketed drugs from non-drugs for some known drug targets," he said.

(Zee News, 18.10.2006)

                                                                                          

In a major breakthrough, biochemists of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore have found that the anti-cancer drug and the inhibitor of “heat shock” protein 90 - Geldanomycin - is an effective anti-malarial agent. The discovery is an outcome of the study of several fibrile episodes on the growth of malarial parasite plasmodium falciparum on patients suffering from malaria, Prof. Utpal Tatu said.

The next logical step in the drug development would be to conduct human clinical trials and the department is on the lookout for tie-ups with pharma companies. Explaining the phenomenon, Tatu said the plasmodium thrives at around 25 deg celsius and when it enters human body, it has to cope up with human body temperature, 37 deg celsius, and when humans develop fever they have to thrive up to 43 degrees. Thus, the plasmodium experiences `heat shock' wherein its proteins undergo some changes.

(Economic Times, India Times, 24.10.2006)  

                                                                                           
 

 Research:

10. Mumbai scientist develops three human embryo stem cell lines

“Mother” of country's first scientifically documented test-tube baby, Dr Indira Hinduja once again became the first Indian scientist to use human feeder layer as medium to develop three human embryonic stem cell lines. When the stem cell lines are grown under this medium of human feeder, they could be passaged (reimplanted in fresh feeder layer for growth) at least 200 times compared to mouse feeder where passaging can be done only for 75 times," Hinduja said.

Human embryonic stem cells are usually established and maintained on Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast (MEFs) feeder layers. However, it is desirable to develop human feeder cells because animal feeder cells are associated with risks such as viral infection and/or pathogen transmission, she said adding the research was carried out in her clinic “Inkus” without any external financial and technical assistance. The stem cell lines, which are being characterized and differentiated and Karyotyped could be of great therapeutic applications. She said the stem cell lines are developed according to the ethical guidelines by the ICMR.

(Zee News, 09.11.2006)                                                                               
                                                                                           
 

In a significant breakthrough in gene therapy, scientists of the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) in Kolkata claimed to have isolated a protein molecule from the parasite Leischmania that could provide better treatment in some inherited disorders. For their research, the scientists studied the causes of Mitochondrial Epilepsy with Ragged Red Fibres (MERRF) which is characterised by progressive degeneration of tissues. Mutating functions of mitochondric deficiency leads to a variety of effects on cells and tissues, including nerve and muscle tissues, Adhya said. Cells containing such defective mitochondria were treated with the protein isolated from the parasite. It was observed that the protein entered the cell and corrected mytochondrial defects leading to increase in respiration. A similar approach can be taken to correct mitochondrial effects in some other diseases such as a certain form of Alzheimer's or maternally-inherited diabetes, Adhya said.

(PTI Science Service, , 01.-15-11.2006)                          

                                                                                          

 Academic Exchange/ Education:

12. Fellowship Programme between Siemens and DAAD

Siemens has expanded research and development sites worldwide. Siemens Corporate Research is primarily represented in China , Russia and India. By granting scholarships, Siemens and DAAD promote research projects in the fields “power & sensor systems, materials & microsystems, software engineering and information & communications”. The project addresses post-graduates from China, India and Russia. It will run for 6 years with a financial volume of 2.56 mill Euros.

(www.siemens.de/generation21/hochschule, www.daad.de/wirtschaft/de)

                                                                                          
 

The Indo German Institute of Technologies (IGIT) will relocate to the well known BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore (http://www.bramhan.com/bms/), in order to justify its status of a Transfer Centre for Technologies. IGIT will be represented at the International Tribology Seminar. being organized by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), with its Tribology (interacting surfaces in relative motion) measuring machine developed internally by Prof Piwowarski (International Society for Mine Surveying, c/o RWTH Aachen) in cooperation with Prof Venkatesh from IGIT Bangalore. This machine is used largely by companies who deal with oil and lubricating machines, machine tools, automobile und high-precision machines, in order to conduct measurements on friction, abrasion and exactitudes.

(http://www.intec-online.net)

                                                                                          
 

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the US-based University of Minnesota signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together in the area of health research.

It covers a wide range of fields like epidemiology, cardiovascular disease, cancer, communicable diseases, metabolic diseases, obesity and diabetes.
Up to date four US-IND government joint statements relate to health. At a recent visit of the Minister of Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss to US joint statements on prevention of STDs and HIV, maternal and child health, environment and occupational health were extended.
Another Indo-US joint statement on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and disease surveillance is also active.

(Zee News, 19.10.2006)

                                                                                           
 

The European Commission is using the platform of the European Higher Education Fair to be held in November 2006 to promote marketing of European education & research opportunities in India. The DAAD & the lead agency Edu France together with Nuffic (Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education). & the British Council are going to conduct the education fairs in seven Asian countries. The EHEF programme consists of a one day Symposium followed by a two day educational fair.

For further information please visit: www.ehef-newdelhi.org

                                                                                          
 

 Miscellaneous:
 

16. BAARC - Extension in Andhra Pradesh

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre’s (BAARC, in Trombay, Mumbai) new extension at Vishakhapatnam in coastal Andhra Pradesh will become functional from 2008. It will concentrate on new research reactors, researches in energy and environment protection with special emphasis on High Temperature Reactor, Isotope processing units and computer science, BARC Director Dr. S Banerjee said. They will also be working on water splitting techniques and new material required for the high temperature reactor which would work at temperatures close to 1000 degrees celsius.

(PTI Science Service, 01.-15.11.2006
 

                                                                                           
 

As natural calamities cause a substantial loss of GDP in South Asian countries every year, India has launched a major initiative to prepare hazard, risk and vulnerability maps at micro-scale for early warning and effective disaster risk reduction and management.

A SAARC disaster management centre located at the National Institute of Disaster Management in New Delhi (NIDM) has been opened to serve member countries by providing policy advice and facilitating capacity development provision and exchange of information.

Two recent initiatives have been taken to open new vistas of cooperation among the countries of the region: 1) the South Asian regional framework of disaster management to help governments design national policies and programmes of action, 2) the Delhi Declaration adopted at the South Asian policy dialogue on disaster risk reduction and management, which calls for setting up of a South Asian regional platform involving all stakeholders including government and NGOs.

(Zee News, 15.10.2006, Homepage of the Centre)

                                                                                           
 

Companies including the pharma giants are looking at importing rDNA products and drugs from China for marketing in the country. Some of them have received approval from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) for conducting Phase III clinical trials. Pune-based Emcure Biotech has already received the GEAC nod for importing and marketing r-human Granulocyte colony stimulating factor rhG-CSF from Shanghai Sunway Biotech, China. In terms of numbers of approvals from the GEAC, Chinese products are ahead since as many as five Indian companies are conducting Phase III trials to market these rDNA products in India.
Wockhardt Ltd has launched hepatitis A vaccine under the brand Biovac A, a Chinese product developed by Zhejiang Pukang in December 2005.

Considering that the drug development costs in India are 1/8th vis-à-vis China's 1/5th of the global costs, it makes sense for Chinese companies to also outsource new drug discovery activities to India while both countries can proceed with pre-clinical studies and drug development simultaneously.
Securing rDNA products from China would benefit both partners since China is ahead in the technology while India has the marketing and distribution set up, which can facilitate export of Chinese biotechnology products to the US and more regulated markets such as the European Union.
The Indian vaccine, biologicals and diagnostics opportunity is estimated at $821 million and can be attributable to the existing strengths in recombinant DNA technology.

Considering the growing opportunities that exists between the two countries, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) took a 13-member biotech delegation to Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Nanchang in China in September 2005. During the visit, the delegation identified eight areas of interest such as collaborative R&D, speeding up of pre-clinical study, bioinformatics/chemi-informatics, free flow of biological materials, preferential incentives, exchange and technology transfer and human resource development where Chinese and Indian biotech companies could collaborate for mutual benefit.

(Biospectrum, October 2006)

                                                                                           
 

Springer has signed a wide-ranging cooperation agreement with the Indian Academy of Sciences in Bangalore (IAS). From January 2007, Springer will publish, jointly with the IAS, their ten renowned journals and will provide access to their content worldwide in an online full-text database on SpringerLink.
“This cooperation agreement provides Springer with high-quality scientific content from India and also the opportunity for developing new publishing projects,” said Rüdiger Gebauer, President, Global Publishing, after signing the agreement in Bangalore. “

“We have a longer business history in India than most,” said Derk Haank, CEO of Springer Science+Business Media. “SPS, our premedia operation in Chennai, dates back many years, and our publishing arm Springer India has been growing strongly since 1999. This agreement is a further and clear commitment to ongoing investment in India, which we expect will grow rapidly in scientific content output.”

(Springer Press Release, 02.10.2006)

                                                                                          

This newsletter has been prepared by the Science Section of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi. Texts of articles from science magazines and newspapers have been edited for their length and are partly based on information from the Embassy. No responsibility for the content of the articles is accepted.