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TIDCO, US co sign pact for biotechnology projects

Our Bureau

CHENNAI, Dec. 5

THE Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) and the US-based Genome Technologies, LLC (GTL) have signed an MoU for setting up a Rs 450 crore project for bio-genomics and bioinformatics in Chennai.

The Tamil Nadu Industries Secretary, Mr Sakthikanta Das, told newspersons here on Tuesday, that the MoU was signed this morning in the presence of the Chief Minister, Mr M. Karunanidhi. The facility was in line with the programme outlined in the State's biotechnology policy announced in September.

The GTL project in Chennai would be implemented in phases, and the first module will be operational in three months. The bioinformatics facility will come up at the TIDEL software park in Taramani, he said. This project, coming up on a commercial basis, is a pioneering effort in the country, he said.

The CEO of GTL, Dr Sena Senapathy, said that GTL would bring in advanced and patented technologies for high-throughput genetic sequencing and discovery of genetic polymorphisms and for processing disease-causing genetic mutations. The project will facili tate research and enable bioentrepreneurs to commercialise their research findings, validate products, offer contract sequence services and provide training on a commercial basis, he said.

The facility in Chennai will be in addition to GTL's existing facility in Madison, WI, US. GTL will focus on providing advanced bionformatics systems and support services to the medical, pharmaceutical and biological research industries. Revenue generati on will be through license fees and contract service payments from commercial partners, royalties from sale of products and retail e-commerce sales of informatics systems through branded Internet sites, he said.

Initially, the first module that is to come up shortly, Dr Senapathy said, would provide a technology that will save time and cost involved in sequencing. The end-users would be the pharmaceutical companies. The benefits of the technology developed by GT L will also be available to agriculture and other sectors using biotechnological tools, he said.

The TIDCO Chairman and Managing Director, Mr R. Gopalan, said that while the finer details are being worked out, TIDCO was likely to take a stake in the project. Funds would also be mobilised through the Department of Biotechnology, Technology Developmen t Board, Venture Capital funds and financial institutions.

The project would provide employment to about 600 personnel, he said. An assessment of the available human resource has been carried out, and in addition, required training would be provided by GTL.

The other facilities envisaged in the Tamil Nadu Government's biotechnology policy were also on the anvil. Further developments regarding marine biotechnology may be expected shortly. Discussions are at an advanced stage with the Cornell University for t he biotechnology park, he added.