The Biotechnology Strategy 2013 document and the activities of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) will give a further leg up to the initiatives of Department of Biotechnology (DBT ) in supporting the research activities in the country.
The DBT’s Strategy 2013 document is in the final stages of review and would look at a four pronged strategy to bring in the government, industry, research institutes and global organisations to help the sector achieve its targeted revenues of $100 billion by 2025 from the current $7.5 billion. In this regard, DBT would continue to support in basic research and bring in the linkages, said the new DBT secretary, Prof. Vijay Raghavan recently.
The strategy of 2013 would be to increase collaborations and this was the only way to support the basic research being carried out in the country. In fact DBT will support all partnerships for high quality standards in science and technology , he said in his keynote address at the Bangalore India Bio 2013.
“This is where BIRAC and other funding options coming out of our department will encourage affordable product development and provide the base of the Biotechnology Strategy 2013. Only increased interactions with the industry is the way forward because lifesciences research is a dynamic world. This is where the Biotechnology Strategy 2013 document will provide much of these and be an enabler of inclusive and sustainable growth”, said Prof. Vijay Raghavan.
BIRAC was set up by the DBT to stimulate, foster and enhance the strategic research and innovation capabilities of the Indian biotech industry. It is an independent, autonomous, dynamic organisation, applying unique methodologies for nurturing the high risk projects which hold potential for commercialisation. It as an organisation nurturing and promoting innovation led research which would play an important role of “connector and catalyser”.
Further, BIRAC helps establish connectivity with professional and institutional networks and provide financial support for mid-level, quality innovation targeted at affordable solutions and product development.
The council nurture innovation research in biotech enterprises specially start-ups and small-medium enterprises (SMEs). Major thrust of the programme is towards funding technologies which address a major national problem. The proposals spanning across the spectrum of pre-proof-of-concept to validation of established technologies are considered for support in the form of grant or loan.
The BIRAC, through its Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP) has recently invited research proposals from Indian biotech companies for development of novel and innovative industrial processes and products in industrial biotechnology.
The broad areas of research include biotechnological interventions for large scale production of high value products such as fine and speciality chemicals, antibiotics, vitamins etc; improved enzymatic systems for new and more efficient bioprocesses that show increased yield, quality and purity through bioprocess design, process optimisation and downstream processing; and production of new and functionalized biopolymers. The area of research also includes conversion of renewable raw materials into sustainable and cost-effective bio-products; bioremediation (using novel products or methods) and bioenergy (new biological sources and efficient production processes); and innovative down-stream processing (economic separation and purification processes for complex biochemical mixtures).
The proposals should either be based on developing innovative new technologies or scale-up and validation of existing technologies.
Industrial biotechnology is the application of biotechnology using micro-organisms and their derived enzymes for environmental-friendly production and processing of chemicals that have wide ranging usage in several industries be it healthcare/pharmaceuticals, food and feed, paper and pulp, textiles and bio-energy. The benefits derived are plenty with productivity gains and reduction in energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, industrial waste and pollutants.
The BIRAC under its Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) scheme has also invited research proposals in biotechnology from entrepreneurs or potential entrepreneurs from academia, start-ups or an incubatee who have an exciting idea which may be in the nascent and planning stage and there is an unmet need for mentorship and initial funding.
This is the second call for proposals from BIRAC since the BIG scheme was launched last year for igniting new ideas in biotechnology. The main aim of the scheme is to establish and validate proof of concept and also to enable creation of spin-offs. The scheme is for high level of innovation in the biotechnology sector and it supports only up-to proof-of-concept stage. The scheme will help to support and nurture these high risk early starters and their concepts.
Biotechnology start-ups which are registered company incorporated on/after January 1, 2010 with a functional R&D laboratory can apply under this scheme. If the registered company does not have a functional laboratory of its own, then it should be incubated in an incubator which has a functional laboratory.
Entrepreneurs or potential start-ups from academia, research institutes or researchers, PhDs, medical degree holders, biomedical engineering graduates nurtured in a technology business incubator with an exciting idea which may be in the nascent or planning stage are eligible for the scheme.
Two professors, Dr Ashwini Nangia and Dr Radha Rangarajan, from University of Hyderabad (HCU) have bagged the BIG for taking forward their ideas to proof-of-concept stage in the healthcare and biotechnology sectors.
According to sources at HCU, both innovators work at the Technology Business Incubator within the HCU campus. There is a Life Science Incubator at the IKP Knowledge Park, which provides membership, networking, branding, funding support and laboratory infrastructure to start ups. IKP is the BIG partner for both the new projects.
Speaking to Pharmabiz, Dr Ashiwin Nangia, Professor from the Department of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad said, “My idea is to take forward a modified drug design where the functional groups bind to the insulin and regulate its release in diabetic patients. The modified insulin will bring down the glucose levels and help in treating the diabetic patients effectively.”
Dr Nangia further explained that if the modified drug is administered to a patient suffering from diabetic just 10 minutes before having food it will effectively last for six to eight hours and can be helpful in controlling glucose levels by taking just one to two tablets a day.
The Professor said that his main focus was to test novel drug molecule for treatment of type 2 diabetes for which he will take it for pre-clinical animal trials.
Professor Dr Radha Rangarajan is currently
identifying novel therapies for multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections which is a major public health concern and associated with high levels of morbidity, mortality and treatment costs. “A successful drug emerging from this research would add to the armament of medicines for the effective management of infectious diseases,” he said.
As the research of both the professors are at the initial stages of pre-clinical trial, it will take at least about 12 to 18 months to take up the next step in their research based on the results obtained from studies on cell lines and preclinical trials in animals.