'India poised for giant strides in biotechnology'

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 18. India is poised for giant strides in biotechnology with the younger generation of scientists fast adapting to the strategic benefits of this discipline, according to Dr. Manju Sharma, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology. She was speaking after inaugurating a four-day international conference on `New Horizons in Biotechnology' here on Wednesday.

Dr. Sharma said India had not missed the biotechnology revolution and was very much part of global initiatives in the field. "Biotechnology is emerging as a potent tool for nation- building in India. A fusion of the three main streams of physics, chemistry and biology have led to promising developments in the realms of food security, health care, genomics, bioprospecting, environmental biotechnology and marine biotechnology. The range of products, processes and technologies unleashed by biotechnology have the potential to contribute to the economic development of the nation," she said.

Dr. Sharma said innovations in biotechnology were capable of enhancing agricultural productivity through the development of pest-resistant species, improvement in food quality, reduction in post-harvest losses and decline in perishability. A wide variety of transgenic plants able to resist pests and disease have enabled the development of value-added crops and brought the idea of `super crops' and `super trees' closer to reality. Two institutes in India are currently working on the development of drought-resistant crops suitable for arid lands. Transgenic animals for stock development have also been made possible, she added.

Dr. Sharma said the National Plant Genome Centre in New Delhi had succeeded in the genetic mapping of major crops like chick pea. She said the country was working out new initiatives in biotechnology to harness its rich biodiversity for commercial benefits. She said the process of bioprospecting which had come to be known as the `genetic gold rush' had come to be acknowledged as a potential area for ecological as well as economic interests.

Conservation of biological resources through the use of biotechnology tools will ensure sustainable development and creation of wealth.

She said molecular medicine was emerging as the next medical revolution capable of providing solutions to dreaded diseases like cancer and reversing the process of ageing. The Department of Biotechnology is working on the development of diagnostic kits and vaccines for various diseases.

Welcoming the State Government's proposal to set up biotechnology parks in the State, Dr. Sharma said skilled manpower resources were as important as financial investment and infrastructure for the biotechnology industry.

The Director of the Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Thiruvananthapuram, Dr. G. Vijay Nair, the chairman of the State Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, Dr. M. R. Das and Dr. Ashok Pandey, Head of the Department of Biotechnology, RRL, also spoke. Prof. J. Klein of the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, delivered the keynote address.

About 350 delegates from 26 countries are participating in the conference being hosted by the RRL.

Dr. Manju Sharma, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, inaugurating a four-day international conference on biotechnology, in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Poll scene warms up
Next     : Putting the smile back on their faces