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Nano-bio synergy - A growing need

Thursday, November 27, 2008, 08:00 Hrs  [IST]

Unlike most of the forerunner countries in nanotechnology, where the public contribution has been matched by a significant component of private funding, in India it is largely a government funded effort. In keeping with the global nanotech development efforts, the Government of India has devised a National Nanoscience and Technology Initiative, allocating a sum of $200 million for the promotion and development of nanotechnology in India over the period of 2006 to 2011. Nanotechnology research effort in India is led by the various Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). IIT Bombay has formed the Centre for Research in Nanotechnology & Science (CRNTS), researching healthcare applications of nanotechnologies that range from nanomaterials to actual devices, while IIT Madras has done exciting research in the field of nanofluids, among others. Important nanotech R&D is currently underway across other premier institutes in India such as the IISc Bangalore, Department of Biological Chemistry at the Indian Association for Cultivation of Science at Jadavpur; Molecular Biology lab, Department of Biotechnology at IIT Roorkee, Department of Chemistry and Zoology at the Delhi University, and the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Applied Sciences, New Delhi, to name a few. The research conducted across these institutes encompasses varied areas, including nanolithography, nanostructured high strength structures, targeted drug delivery systems and the design of DNA chips for development of biosensors for pathogens detection. Life science-focused nanotech research has also included the development of a method for improving the potency of DNA vaccines and immunotherapeutics. The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, is conducting cutting edge research in the key area of carbon nanotubes-nanotechnology's wonder material, on the very edge of commercialization- and applications such as nanomaterial-based composites. However, most of the research conducted in India is lab scale and would require significant ramp up across funding, infrastructure, and manpower capabilities to achieve commercial scale success. There are only a handful of nanotech-based companies currently in India, though it has been estimated that more than 100 pharma-biotech companies in India are conducting research in nanotech-based applications. Some of the close to commercialization success stories across India include: ● Dabur's launch of Nanoxel, a nanoparticle-based version of Paclitaxel with superior therapeutic and safety profile. ● The Defence Research and Development Establishment, Gwalior, has developed a typhoid detection kit using a nano sensor developed at IISc, Bangalore--hence addressing a major health problem in the third world. ● The University of Delhi's department of chemistry has developed eleven technologies for improved drug delivery systems using nanoparticles, four of which have been granted US patents. Another technology that has been transferred by the University of Delhi to industry uses nanoparticles for the delivery of drugs to the eye to fight disease. The process involves the use of nanoparticles to encapsulate non-steroidal drugs, improving the drug's bioavailability on the cornea surface. The technology has been transferred to Chandigarh-based Panacea Biotech Ltd. ● In Chennai, the Bhaskar Centre for Innovation & Scientific Research, a private research organization, is researching the development of an anti-microbial spray using a combination of silver nanoparticles and herbal extracts. Bharat Biotech is set to launch the country's first locally manufactured nano-biotech product, a prescription topical emulsion for oestrogen therapy in partnership with NASDAQ listed Novavax using its micellar nanoparticles technology. ● The Central Scientific Instruments Organization is working on the design and development of a nanotech-based microdiagnostic kit for tuberculosis. Unlike India, China is aggressively pursuing the nanotech dream. While Indian publishers probably have a mere 100 nanotech-based publications to their credit, their Chinese counterparts are churning out double the number of publications every year. Similarly by about 2002, China had spent nearly $200 million on nanotech-based research, whereas India had spent a mere $5 million. Thus, the aggression of the Chinese nanotech dream to achieve leadership position is very well evident. Contrarily, while the Indian nanotech effort is relatively less aggressive, it fares far better than China when it comes to judging credibility and quality of the research produced. The limited number of publications contributed by Indian scientists to nanotech research receives far more citations per paper, than their Chinese counterparts. Similarly, unlike China, India boasts of six international patents to its credit within the nano-biotech domain. India has already achieved a prominent footprint across the global pharma and biotech industries. With the acceptance of the World Trade Organization (WTO) norms in 2005, India has gradually metamorphosed from a leading generics player to an innovator, with the launch of indigenously developed products across vaccines and recombinant biopharmaceuticals segments. India also boasts of a large pool of internationally qualified, well trained researchers, an excellent network of research institutes, which have been making noteworthy and commendable contributions to global biotech research. Nanotechnology as a science offers tremendous potential benefits to a highly populous and developing country like India. However to achieve the desired synergies across nano-biotech, by leveraging existing capabilities in biotechnology and scaling up the same to make headways in nanotechnology, would require a cohesive, persistent and aggressive effort and support from the academia, industry and the government. As rightly suggested by our esteemed former President Dr APJ Kalam, this would happen only through the delegation of a dedicated task force, and formulation of a National Nanotech policy, which would enable us to define, direct, and chart the course of nano-biotech development in India, and also set specific timelines for achieving the desired outcomes in the areas identified. Similarly, it would also require significant revamp of the current funding levels, as recommended by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), which has called for the establishment of a national nanotechnology development fund of around $2 billion (Rs. 9,600 crores). Nanotechnology being multidisciplinary, warrants cross-domain expertise. It is a highly capital intensive research requiring highly sophisticated instrumenting involves and long periods of gestation. It is highly innovation-driven. It is therefore necessary to devise initiatives that could incubate and nurture lab scale innovations, and help them achieve commercial grade success. One such initiative is the Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI) scheme to boost public-private-partnership efforts in the country. SBIRI supports high-risk pre-proof-of-concept research and late stage development in small and medium companies lead by innovators with science backgrounds. However, there needs to be a much more dedicated, persistent, and aggressive effort, involving not just the government but with a larger participation from the industry to transform the current Indian nanotech 'labscale dream' into a 'commercial success story.' Future prospects The future of nano-biotechnology, in a fusion, is at the moment a 'horn of plenty' for researchers. Presently, the nano-bio synergy promises uncharted possibilities of technological developments that may arise out of organized research and also through serendipity. In the Indian context, nanotechnology is at a premature stage, but the future is laden with interesting promises. But however big the possibilities, we should have a pragmatic sense and expectation while planning out a contingency plan for nanotechnology developments. Nanotechnology cannot make us immortal, but yes, can prolong life through drug discovery for presently incurable diseases. Pragmatic, applications-oriented development allows safe, solid steps to be taken in a world where funding (especially from venture capitalists) is not necessarily abundant beyond the basic research phase. This is especially important given the fact that customers for an emerging, futuristic new technology that is sometimes considered 'unproven' can be hard to find. The health and safety questions that surround nanotechnology-and which could constitute a source of great public concern-could be more easily handled in this evolutionary approach to nanotechnology and applications development. By focusing on clear applications level problems that are relevant to their customers, nanotechnology firms give themselves a launch pad to enable long-term development. Some of the key developments that can be expected out of nanotechnology in the near future would be: ● Novel medical device architectures in which wear of the wiring due to electronic current resistance can be nullified by using a carbon nano-tube chain, thereby increasing the implantable lifetime medical devices ● Drug delivery platforms where using nanoparticle-based drug molecules can be delivered noninvasively via the outer integument (skin), rather than using invasive means to introduce drugs/chemicals into the blood stream. The theory is, that the nano size of the particles, allow the particles (carrying or linked to the drug) to penetrate the skin-blood barrier ● Targeted drug delivery--where a nanoparticle is sandwiched between a molecule targeting a particular organ location within the body on one end and the drug molecule on the other. The theory behind this type of particle arrangement where the nanoparticle acts as the liaison between a targeting/or location finder molecule and a drug molecule is to enhance localized delivery of drugs inside the body The fact that nanomaterials do have health and safety questions hanging over them is of crucial importance to the medical industry. Nanoparticles are a source of concern due to the possibility that they may be absorbed through the skin, or inhaled, with as yet unknown health consequences. Lab animal tests have indicated that some nanomaterials, such as carbon nanospheres and nanotubes, can cause fatal inflammation in the lungs of rodents. They can also cause organ damage in fish, and can kill ecologically important aquatic organisms and soildwelling bacteria. Nanoparticles can also stunt the growth of the roots on several crops. A number of bodies, including the Royal Society, Britain's scientific body, and the Royal Academy of Engineering have stated that nanoparticles could be a cause for concern. It would appear that if nanoparticles are indeed found to have adverse health effects, and if these are not dealt with--and seen to be dealt with--fast enough, the nanotechnology industry could face several obstacles--as could any healthcare-related industry based on nanotechnology. The public backlash that may ensue from a perceived inability or unwillingness to address health and safety issues, could adversely affect the industry. The Indian effort toward nano-bio synergy, momentarily, lacks the budget and prolificacy that goes with commercial and academic research and development in some countries. However, the country's research and development effort is seeing change, and shows promise. (Extracted from Nano - Bio Technology Market : A Frost & Sullivan white paper prepared for ASSOCHAM)

 
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