A Pre-Biotechnology Process Generator (PBPG) is being set up at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) with the Department of Biotechnology funding up to Rs 2.1 crore. This initiative is in addition to the upcoming biotechnology incubator facility being set up at Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park near Hyderabad.

PBPG facility will have the state-of-art facilities for carrying out bench-scale process / product development studies for biotechnology products. The facility would be made available to prospective tenants of the biotechnology incubation centre or companies to enable quick up scaling of technology by inventors who have limited scale-up facilities of their own. The PBPG facility is likely to be operational in few months.

The country's first biotech incubation centre (BTIC), initiated by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Industries and Commerce and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and executed by the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) with an investment of over Rs 20 crore, is expected to be fully operational by March 2007, Dr M Ramakrishna, project-coordinator (BTIC) and head-Chemical Engineering Process Development (IICT), told Pharmabiz.

The incubation centre aims at setting up pilot plant facilities to test biotech processes and develop them at bench-scale / pilot scale level in addition to establishing technology. The processes could be based on mammalian cell culture or on microbial basis (rDNA and / or non-recombinant). IICT is executing the project keeping in mind the requirements of the industry in the coming five years.

The incubator will provide lab facilities to scientists / entrepreneurs along with common facilities. The aim is to enable scientists create potential ideas with minimum investments. Scientists interested in carrying out research in the incubator may be provided linkage with venture capital funding companies.

DBT is supporting with funds to procure necessary equipments and to meet operating expenses and the AP Government is providing infrastructure support in the form of land, building and service utilities. The IICT and other CSIR laboratories will be providing technical support to scientists at all stages, on charge-basis.