The Hyderabad-based Shantha Biotechnics and Bharat Biotech International have bagged the Biotech Product and Process Development and Commercialization Awards for 2005, for developing Shanpoetin, the country's first recombinant human erythropoietin and for development of vaccines and biotherapeutics for the benefit of the masses, respectively.

Others who received awards include prof PN Rangarajan for transferring recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine technology to the Hyderabad- based Biological E Ltd, leading to production of BEVAC.

Dr Chitra Mandal, deputy director, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata also received the award for her contribution in medical science both in applied and basic research encompassing mainly the fields of immunochemistry and diagnostics immunology, specifically glyco-immunology.

Various other awards have been given to individuals on the occasion of national awards functions on Technology day by the finance minister at New Delhi on Wednesday, for their outstanding contributions.

Dr Bansi Dhar Malhotra and Associates of National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi and Dr NB Tulsani, ex-scientist, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi were jointly awarded Rs 1 lakh for the development of Digital Blood Glucose Analyzer for the estimation of glucose in blood.

The WIPO Gold Medal for the year 2004 went to Prof VK. Choudhary and Associate of Department of Bio-chemistry, University of Delhi, South Campus for the development of "A Whole-Blood Agglutination Assay for the on-site Detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (HIV)." The invention describes a simple and rapid test for the detection of anti-HIV antibodies in blood.

The award of Rs 2 lakhs to small scale industry unit was given to Arjuna Natural Extracts Ltd, Alwaye, which has developed a technology for extracting Omega 3 fatty acid from less unsaturated fatty acids available in the raw fish oil.