The AP Government, in its efforts to derive the advantages of biotechnology, is planning to focus on strengthening the university infrastructure and research capabilities in the next few years. The government has initiated discussions with universities such as the University of Hyderabad, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), Sri Krishna Devaraya University, Nagarjuna University and some agriculture universities with the intent to develop centres of excellence and provide support in the form of equipment.
The government had created a Rs 5-crore Biotech Fund for the financial year 2003-04. A part of this fund is to be utilised to set up about six such centres. The areas of medical, agriculture & veterinary and marine resources had been identified. The government has already identified ANGRAU, Hyderabad, for Agriculture and Veterinary sciences, the Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, for Marine resources and the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Tirupati, for Medical biotechnology. The objective of these centres is to undertake result-oriented research projects.
An Agricultural Biotech Centre of excellence is to be set up in association with ANGRAU. The University will be strengthened with latest equipments, the students will be exposed and trained to modern research techniques. Subba Rao, Siva Rama Krishna and Padma Raju of ANGRAU are coordinating in setting up of this center.
A Marine Biotech Park is coming up at Vishakapatnam for which 135 acres had been earmarked. US Based Biogenus Inc, promoted by a NRI from AP has evinced interest in acquiring 60 acres of land for a major project. Shantha Marine Biotech has also expressed interest. A Marine Bio Resources Development Centre is being set up at The Andhra University (AU), which will meet the needs of start up companies. The center would work on the development of a vaccine to prevent shrimp disease. Construction work is to begin by March, 2004. A conference in November and a workshop in December, this year are going to be held where Industrialists, Policy makers, Marine Biologists and Academicians are going to discuss about the mode of execution. Ramana Murthy, Maheshwara Rao of Andhra University are actively involved in the project. On a later stage, the center at AU may be shifted to the marine biotech park.
A Medical Biotech Center of excellence is to be set up at SVIMS, Tirupati. The center will work on stem cell research. The institute is given Rs.35 lakh by the state government. SVIMS has started offering MSc in Biotechnology and MSc in Bio-Informatics this year. Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India has been approached by state government for grant.