Biotecnika Times 1st Oct 2019 Edition

October 1st, 2019

Vol. 03

Toll Free Number: 18001-200-1818

NO 98

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WATER IS THE KEY TO DNA DOUBLE HELIXNOT HYDROGEN

st e T n i b o l g o 1 Rs Hem s r e h c r a e s e

By IIT R

Career A

t Tea Bo a rd of India

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

DNA Double Helix Is Twisty Because Of Water — Not Hydrogen Researchers have now disproved the prevailing theory of how DNA binds itself in the signatory double helix. They found that it is not the hydrogen bonds that hold together the two sides of the hereditary material DNA as previously thought.

THE CONDUCT OF THE CSIR- UGC NET EXAMINATION HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO THE NTA BY CSIR, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

By Ria Roy

Instead, the scientists at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden found that water is the key to the DNA double helix.

The discovery is published in the journal PNAS. And this discovery opens doors for a new understanding of research in medicine and life sciences.

Our DNA is constructed of two strands consisting of sugar molecules and phosphate groups. And between these 2 strands are nitrogen bases, the compounds which make up organism’s genes, with hydrogen bonds between them.

Until this recent study, it was commonly thought that those hydrogen bonds were what held the two strands of DNA together.

water the key to double helix For DNA to be read, replicated or repaired, DNA molecules must open themselves. This happens when the cells use a catalytic protein to create a hydrophobic environment around the molecule. Illustration Credit: Yen Strandqvist/Chalmers University of Technology Bobo Feng, one of the scientists behind the study, said that the cells want to protect their DNA, and not expose its DNA to hydrophobic environments, which can sometimes contain harmful molecules. But at the same time, these cells’ DNA needs to open up in order to be used. Feng added.

However now, the scientists show that the secret to DNA’s helical structure may be that the molecules have a hydrophobic or water-repelling interior, in an environment consisting The team believes that the cell keeps its DNA in a water solution most of mainly of water. the time and when a cell wants to do The environment is therefore hydro- something with its DNA, say read, philic or water-attracting, while the copy or repair it, cell exposes its DNA molecules’ nitrogen bases are DNA to a hydrophobic environment, hydrophobic or pushing away the sur- said Feng. rounding water.

And when hydrophobic units are in a hydrophilic environment, these units group together, to minimize their exposure to the water, the scientists said.

For example, reproduction involves the base pairs dissolving from one another and opening up. The enzymes then copy both sides of the helix to create new DNA.

Understanding proteins could yield many new insights into how we could fight resistant bacteria, or potentially even cure cancer, the researchers noted.

Bacteria use a protein called RecA in order to repair their DNA, and the scientists believe their results could provide new insights into how this process works by potentially offering methods for stopping it and thereby killing the bacteria.

In human cells, the protein called Rad51 repairs DNA. This protein fixes mutated DNA sequences which otherwise could lead to cancer.

They used the hydrophobic solution polyethylene glycol (PEG). Stepby-step, they changed the DNA’s surroundings from the naturally hydrophilic environment into a hydrophobic one. Researchers aimed to discover if there is a limit where DNA starts to lose its structure when it does not have a reason to bind because the environment is no longer hydrophilic. The team observed that when the solution reached the borderline between hydrophilic and hydrophobic and the DNA molecules’ in their characteristic spiral form started to unravel.

Upon closer inspection, researchers observed that when the base water the key to double helix pairs split from one another, holes Bobo Feng, Chalmers University of are formed in the DNA structure, alTechnology. Credit: Johan Bodell/ lowing water to leak in. And because Chalmers University of Technology DNA wants to keep it’s interior dry, it Feng said that in order to understand presses together, with the base pairs cancer, we need to understand how coming together again to squeeze out DNA repair occurs. To understand the water. In case of a hydrophobic that, firstly we need to understand environment, this water is missing, so DNA itself. And So far, we have not the holes stay in place. understood DNA Properly, because we believed that hydrogen bonds This discovery which proves water is were what held it together. Now, the the key to the double helix helps us to researchers’ team have shown that understand DNA, and how it repairs. instead, it is the hydrophobic forces And nobody has previously placed which lie behind it. They have also DNA in a hydrophobic environment shown that DNA behaves totally dif- like this and studied how it behaves, ferently in a hydrophobic environ- so it is not surprising that nobody has ment, Feng said. discovered this until now, he added.

The role of the hydrogen bonds ap- When it comes to repairing DNA, pears to be more to do with sorting the damaged areas are subjected to a the DNA base pairs so that they link hydrophobic environment, to be retogether in the correct sequence in the placed, researchers found.

DNA structure, researchers said.

A catalytic protein creates a hydroThis recent discovery is crucial for phobic environment. And this type of The scientists studied how DNA beunderstanding DNA’s relationship protein is central to all DNA repairs, haves in a hydrophobic environment, with its environment, according to the meaning it could be the key to fight- a method they were the first to expering many serious sicknesses, they iment with. researchers. said.

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

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1 Rs Hemoglobin Test Developed

By IIT Researchers India is a country where affordability deters access to healthcare. There is an urgent need to develop high-quality, easy-to-use, scalable and affordable technologies that solve problems in screening, diagnostics, and therapy.

THE CONDUCT OF THE CSIR- UGC NET EXAMINATION HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO THE NTA BY CSIR, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

By Rahul Mishra

Scientists at IIT Kharagpur recently pitched one such solution.

According to the 2018 Global Nutrition Report, almost 50% of pregnant women were anemic. Anemia precipitates organ damage by lowering the amount of oxygen in the body and contributes to multiple problems during pregnancy. These then culminate in pre- and post-natal maternal mor- interpret data from the bluish-green controlled temperature and humidity substance through an app that can be conditions. tality. installed on a smartphone. More exSuman Chakraborty, a member of pensive conventional techniques can For the Third stage collaborated with the Foundation for Innovations the department of mechanical engi- be avoided. in Health (FIH), a non-profit organneering at IIT Kharagpur and team have attempted to build a low-cost, According to the researchers, the ization in Kolkata. This was carried minimally invasive and portable de- device can measure hemoglobin in out to assess the feasibility of using less than Rs 1! It also requires a small the device in extreme point-of-care. vice to measure hemoglobin levels. amount of blood and is also less inThrough a series of chemical reac- vasive. It addresses the issue of both FIH has established an e-health delivery model in multiple health kitions, hemoglobin helps break down cost and convenience. osks in rural Bengal. Satadal Saha, hydrogen peroxide to produce oxyAmitabha Ghosh former director of Vice-president of FIH said that Prof gen.

IIT Kharagpur said that this device Chakraborty has provided FIH with would be affordable to the masses. the technological expertise for afIIT Kharagpur Hemoglobin Test- Though he noted that the device’s ac- fordable healthcare. Saha added that the third study helped researchers The Principle Behind the New De- curacy has room for improvement. identify “need and boundary condivice He further said his team is currently tions of the rural environment”. Based According to its design, the device working with different firms to intro- on the data obtained they researchers are improving the device. triggers just these reasons to produce duce the device among patients. oxygen. This is made to react with o-toluidine to produce a bluish-green IIT Kharagpur Hemoglobin Testsubstance. This substance absorbs Action Plan light proportionally to its amount.

Therefore more the substance, the Mr. Chakraborty said that his team darker it will appear. Using this indi- has conducted validation studies in cator, its inventor says the device can three distinct stages. estimate the amount of hemoglobin in In the First Stage, the researches the blood. used Drabkin’s method. Blood samWhile this technique is not new to ples were taken from the in-house biochemistry, the device’s makers say hospital in IIT Kharagpur and correits fabrication is novel. They have lated to measured hemoglobin levprinted micro-channels on a filter pa- els to the gold-standard test used in per using a simple office printer. This pathological laboratories. guides the collected blood sample to pre-designated reaction chambers The second study was conducted at the Salboni Superspeciality Hospital containing the reagents. in West Midnapore district of West The device is expected to be able to Bengal. The team said the results proved that the device worked in un-

Royina Saha, a program officer at

FIH said, high cost, irregular electricity, and complex consumable requirements deter the large-scale acceptance of the gold-standard test for on-field use.

IIT Kharagpur Hemoglobin TestWhat’s Next?

The results from these studies are being compiled for approval from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), post which it is expected to become available for commercial use. The group of researchers has also applied for a patent.

It also remains to be seen how human factors like end-user trust, social influence, acceptance in the healthcare fraternity, and behavioral intention will impact the device’s largescale use.

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

Career At Tea Board of India – Job Opportunities, Eligibility & Salary Discussed When the warmth of the morning sun blended with the smell of brewing tea comes to wake you up, then it is a glorious Good Morning!. In India most people start their day with a sip of hot delicious tea and why not, when you are a citizen of one of the largest tea producing countries famous as suppliers of the best quality tea, you are bound to be a teaholic.

WON’T IT BE AMAZING IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CAREER IN THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY ASSOCIATED WITH TEA RESEARCH – THE TEA BOARD OF INDIA.

By Ms. Somhrita Pal

India is also one of the largest consumer and exporter of tea. Tea management is one of the career lines that is gaining popularity in India.

Tea originated from Asia but now the whole world is hooked onto it.

Today West has outcompeted Asia as the largest consumer of Asia tea.

Tea being so popular, there are many jobs associated with it. Tea tasting has and tea brokers, consumers, from the evolved as one of the most specialtrade unions and principal tea producized jobs. Apart from it, one can work ing states. as a researcher, plantation manager, tea brokers, consultants, etc.

Now let’s have a look at various job opportunities which one can explore TEA BOARD Of INDIA at Tea Board of India or in fact any job profile related to Tea research – The Tea industries, by an Act of ParCareer At Tea Board of India. liament, comes under the control of the Union Govt. The origin of the Tea JOB OPPORTUNITIES – CABoard India dates back to 1903 when REER AT TEA BOARD OF INDIA the Indian Tea Cess Bill was passed.

The Bill provided for levying a cess India is the largest producer and on tea exports – the proceeds of which dealer of tea, there is a higher scope were to be used for the promotion of of making a career at the tea board.

Indian tea both within and outside One can join as an Assistant, and then India. The present Tea Board set up with time can be promoted to the post under section 4 of the Tea Act 1953 of assistant manager and then the was constituted on 1st April 1954. It manager of the tea garden. has replaced the Indian Tea Licencing Committee and Central Tea Board The tea industry is one of the largwhich functioned respectively under est industries with many domains. It the Indian Tea Control Act, 1938 and includes field like plantation work, the Central Tea Board Act,1949. The Processing, Tasting, auctioning, activities of the two previous bodies branding, marketing, and Research. had been confined largely to the exPlantation work means fieldwork port of tea and regulation of tea cultiwhere one needs to see to the soil vation as required by the International preparation, application of fertilizers, Tea Agreement then in force, and the choosing the quality seed best suited promotion of tea Consumption. in the prevailing environment and supervising the plucking of the leaves.

TEA BOARD ORGANISATION Processing involves factory work, AND FUNCTIONS like cruising, tearing and curling of the leaves. After all the processing The present Tea Board is functionthe tea is packed and sent to the aucing as a non-constitutional body of tion center where the tea tasters have the Central Government under the a very important role to play. They Ministry of Commerce. The Board is taste the tea and checks the quality of constituted of 31 members (including the brand. In the end, the tea is packed Chairman) drawn from Members of and sent to the market.

Parliament, representatives of Governments tea producers, tea traders, Frequent Job Opportunities One Can

find at Tea Board of India has been listed below with the qualification & Salary details: 1.Project Assistant Tea Board of India Hires for Project Assistant post on a frequent basis. It’s a high research-oriented post. One can get the opportunity to work in research projects like – Development of Microbial Inoculations to Improve Growth of Tea Plants, Development of bio-pesticide against fungal diseases of tea and much more. This job is ideal for freshers.

Qualification Required: MSc & BSc candidates with backgrounds in Life Sciences / Botany / Microbiology can apply for these vacancies.

Average Starting Salary Offered: Rs 20,000/- pm 2. Project Scientist

Average Starting Salary Offered: Non-PhD: Rs 25,000/- pm PhD candidates: Rs 35,000/- pm 3. Microbiologist Career At Tea Board of India as a Microbiologist is one of the highly paid jobs. Microbiologists are assigned with work such as – Daily Sample analysis for quality assurance of bioproducts, Sample preparation, analysis, calculation of results, reporting, etc. Nature of duty also includes – Analysis of Tea Samples & maintaining the instrumentation facility.

Qualification Required: Junior Microbiologist: B.sc / MSc Microbiology Microbiologist: Msc / Ph.D.(Microbiology/ Food Technology/ Life Science/ Agriculture) MSc: 1st class in Microbiology/Food Technology/Life Science

Project Scientist post comes next to Average Starting Salary Offered: project assistant post. One gets the opportunity to work under govt sanc- Junior Microbiologist: Rs 20,000/tioned research projects. Develop- pm ment of clones for effective breeding Microbiologist: Rs 40,000/- pm to increase productivity, Quality & stress tolerance assessment, develop- 4. Research Fellow: ment & testing of bio-pesticides and For Research Fellow post candimuch more. dates with a NET qualification are Qualification Required: Candi- preferred. Research Fellows get the dates with MSc degree in Genetics and Plant Breeding/Plant Physiology, Agriculture / M.Sc in Plant Biotechnology, M.Sc. in Botany or in any Next Page>>>> other relevant subject are preferred.

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

opportunity to work under Major projects handled at Tea Board of India like – Tea Genome Sequencing Project.

Qualification Required: M.Sc. in Life Science/ Agriculture/ Biotechnology/ Plant Breeding/any other relevant subject with NET Qualification.

Average Starting Salary Offered: As per CSIR NET Norms NB: Job vacancies from Tea Board of India are frequently posted by Biotecnika. Keep a check on our job section for Recruitment / Job opening notifications by the Tea Board of India.

Additional Job Openings Related to Tea Research: 1. TASTER A taster is a person who is specialized in determining the quality of the tea. This helps in maintaining the flavor of a particular brand of tea. This helps to brand the variety according to the quality. A tea taster is hired by

the manufacturing companies, buyer and brokers. In the manufacturing company, the taster detects the defects in the process of manufacture.

By looking at the color and size of the processed leaves one is able to determine whether they have been dried under fire or fermented and sends them back to the factory to modulate it if required. They also need to coordinate the various works in the garden and tell the researcher of the commercial needs. In the broker’s office, the taster tells the manufacturer about the market requirements. In the buyer’s end, they have to be aware of what is happening both at both ends.

the desired quality required. They are the ones responsible for developing high yielding, disease-resistant variety of tea plants, and also strains that produce leaves that are natural blends of various teas. One can start their Career at Tea Board of India as a Researcher easily by qualifying the CSIR NET Exam.

3. TEA BROKERS

They are the intermediaries between the buyers and planter-producers and must-have updates on the market trends and the price. A broker should have knowledge about the tea industry and the tasting. They taste the tea People who become a taster are high- coming from different plants and then ly specialized and have developed market it. skills to differentiate between the different aroma and taste of the tea. This 4. CONSULTANTS is one of the most highly paid posts.

Experienced tea planters can work 2. RESEARCHER as a consultant, giving advice on the variety of the tea to be planted, new An integral part of this industry is re- varieties and their source, recruiting search. Botanist, biotechnologist and and training of personals and looking other scientists involved in this tea after the labor demands. research have developed a connection with the tasters who tells them about 5. MANAGERS

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They are the ones under whom the assistant managers work. They can be either factory manager or plantation manager. Their job is to supervise and look after the entire process and make important decisions. They supervise the seasonal handling of tea. Very experienced and capable people are only recruited in this post. The Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore, has a training program oriented according to the Indian market.

Tea Industry is a very promising industry which will always make a profit. One can enroll in whichever field you find suitable. Initially, one can be taken in the Assistant post but with time they will be promoted higher-level posts as well. There are universities which offer Tea management course. Those who are interested in research can find a chance to explore and manipulate the genome of a variety of tea. All in all, those who are looking for an exciting and secure job can think about working with the Tea Board of India – Career at Tea Board of India.

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

Banana Might Go Extinct Due To Deadly A Fungus – CRISPR The Only Hope?

Scientists are using a mix of approaches to save the banana from the deadly fungus- Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4).

A TEAM IN AUSTRALIA HAS INSERTED A GENE FROM WILD BANANAS INTO THE TOP COMMERCIAL VARIETY KNOWN AS THE CAVENDISH. THEY ARE CURRENTLY TESTING THESE MODIFIED BANANAS IN FIELD TRIALS.

By Rahul Mishra

Breeding TR4 resistance into the Cavendish using conventional methods isn’t possible because the variety is sterile and propagated by cloning.

Randy Ploetz, a plant pathologist at the University of Florida, said the only way to save the Cavendish is through CRISPR Gene Editing. The variety accounts for 99% of global for up to 30 years. The strain began destroying banana crops in the 1990s banana shipments. in Asia before invading Australia and James Dale, a biotechnologist at the countries in the Middle East and AfQueensland University of Technolo- rica. gy, started getting inquiries about his genetically modified (GM) bananas in July, as the first rumors surfaced that TR4 had reached Colombia. In panic Columbia had declared a national emergency.

CRISPR For Banana’s FungusCRISPR The Only Alternative?

This isn’t the first time that a commercial banana variety has faced extinction.

In the first half of the 1900s, another strain of the Fusarium fungus called TR1 nearly wiped out the era’s top banana, the Gros Michel. But farmers had a backup- the Cavendish, which was resistant to TR1. By the 1960s, big banana growers such as Chiquita were switching to the Cavendish.

There’s no natural alternative this time.

Rodomiro Ortiz, a plant geneticist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, says that none of the naturally occurring banana species has the qualities that have made the Cavendish so popular and the ability to resist TR4.

Now the deadly fungus is in the Americas and scientists say that the Cavendish could become virtually extinct in the next several decades unless they can modify it to resist the fungus through the CRISPR technique.

Dale’s team has focused on altering Cavendish plants by inserting a gene from the wild banana Musa acuminate malaccensis that confers resistance to TR4. Dale and his colleagues have planted transgenic Cavendish on half a hectare of land infested with TR4 in northern Australia. According to Dale, the transgenic plants are not yet infected with the fungus while about a third of the regular bananas that he planted for comparison are infected with the fungus.

He plans to apply to Australian regulators for approval to market a transgenic Cavendish banana after the study ends in 2021. Even if Dale’s transgenic banana wins approval, selling them could be a problem. GM crops have long faced public pushback around the world, especially in Europe.

CRISPR For Banana’s FungusThe fungus Fusarium wilt tropical How is the CRISPR Technique race 4 (TR4) cannot be killed with used? fungicides, and it can linger in the soil In an attempt to make biotech ba-

nanas more palatable to regulators, Dale is also editing the Cavendish’s genome with CRISPR to boost its resilience to TR4, in contrast of inserting foreign genes.

CRISPR to boost the Cavendish’s immune system. The biotech company is using CRISPR to edit RNA strands in the Cavendish so that they silence genes in TR4.

Dave is trying to turn on a dormant Though it remains unclear how reggene in the Cavendish that confers re- ulators around the world will react to gene-edited bananas, in 2016, the US sistance to TR4.

Department of Agriculture decided Other researchers are using CRISPR not to regulate a mushroom whose to boost the Cavendish’s defenses in genome was edited using CRISPR. Researchers are afraid that they might different ways. similarly treat CRISPR edited bananLeena Tripathi, a molecular biolo- as. gist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nairobi, Ken- Experts suggest that seeing CRISya, is using the CRISPR to suppress PR as the only hope to save bananas Cavendish genes that seem to render would eventually lead to a futile efthe plant vulnerable to TR4. fort. There are more than a thousand other types of bananas aside from the Tropic Biosciences a Biotech Start- Cavendish with different taste and up in Norwich, UK, is trying to use qualities.

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Cell Reparing Tissues Discovered

By Oxford University Researchers A newly discovered group of cells by Oxford University researchers can help repair tissues in the body.

IN THE OPINION OF THE RESEARCHERS ARE ABUNDANT IN OUR BODIES. THEY COULD BE HARNESSED TO HELP HEAL TISSUES AND TREAT DISEASES SUCH AS INFECTIONS OF THE LUNG, THE BOWEL OR THE SKIN

By Rahul Mishra

Two research team from Oxford University were investigating a kind of white blood cell called the Mucosal Associated Invariant T cells, or MAIT cells. These cells were identified a few years ago.

Cells That Repair Tissue- The New Discovery of the Function of MAIT Cells Dr. Timothy Hinks from the Experimental Medicine Division led one of two research groups studying these cells. He believes that MAIT cells are remarkable. They are found throughout the different tissues of our bodies.

They are also ancient in evolutionary terms. MAIT cells have been found in animals as distantly related as humans, mice, and Tasmanian devils.

Cells That Repair Tissue Credits: Cell.com Dr. Timothy noted that the cells haven’t changed during evolution, suggesting that the MAIT cells play an essential role in health. In spite of having considerable knowledge about their morphology and evolutionary trends, scientists are yet to identify their crucial role in the human body.

It was first believed that the MAIT cells protect us against bacterial infections. Working in collaboration with at the University of Melbourne, the Oxford researchers have shown that MAIT cells can also protect us against viral infections like influenza.

Professor Paul Klenerman added that now the scientists have also discovered a third and potentially critical role for the MAIT cells, in repairing damaged tissue. Professor Klenerman is from the Nuffield Department of Medicine. He led the second research group.

Cells That Repair Tissue- How Do They Function?

explanation for why MAIT cells have The researchers added that potenproved so crucial to animals and hu- tially these cells could be used to acmans in the past. celerate healing of wounds such as Professor Klenerman explained chronic skin ulcers or damaged gut that when these cells sense bacteria The discovery opens up the possibil- in inflammatory bowel disorders, inand are activated, they turn on genes ity that these cells could be used in cluding Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerawhich can drive the damaged tissue to the future in new clinical therapies. tive Colitis. heal itself. This may be the potential

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

AI Trained To Read Scientific Papers Could Predict Future Discoveries Can machines think? once asked Alan Turing, the famous mathematician, code breaker and computer scientist. Today, some experts have no doubt that Artificial Intelligence will soon be able to develop the kind of general intelligence that humans have.

BUT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARGUE THAT MACHINES WILL NEVER MEASURE UP. ALTHOUGH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN ALREADY OUTPERFORM HUMANS IN CERTAIN TASKS JUST LIKE CALCULATORS, THEY CAN’T BE TAUGHT HUMAN CREATIVITY.

By Ria Roy

Just by using the language in millions of old scientific papers, a machine learning algorithm was successfully able to make completely new scientific discoveries.

In a research study published in Nature on July 3, scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory used an algorithm called Word2Vec. The algorithm sifts through scientific papers for connections humans had missed and helps A. I predict future discoveries. it then spits out predictions for possible thermoelectric materials, that convert heat to energy and are used in many heating and cooling applications.

and control light and “photovoltaic applications”. Many thermoelectric materials share such properties, and Artificial Intelligence was quick to show that.

This Word2Vec algorithm didn’t know the definition of thermoelectric, though. It received no training in materials science. Using only these word associations, the algorithm was able to provide candidates for future thermoelectric materials, where some The researchers created a system of them may be better than those we that could accurately identify and currently use. extract information independently. It used sophisticated techniques based A. I can read any paper on materion statistical and geometrical prop- al science, so can make connections erties of data to identify chemical that no researchers could, said the names, concepts, and structures. This researcher Anubhav Jain. He further was based on about 1.5m abstracts of added that sometimes it does what scientific papers on material science. a scientist would do; some times it makes these kinds of cross-discipline A machine learning program then associations. classified words in the data based on specific features such as “elements”, To train the algorithm, the research“energetics” and “binders”. For ex- ers first assessed the language in 3.3 ample, “heat” was classified as part million abstracts related to material of “energetics”, and “gas” as “ele- science with a vocabulary of about ments”. This helped connect certain 500,000 words. Researchers fed the compounds with types of magnetism abstracts to Word2vec, which used and similarity with other materials machine learning to analyze relationamong other things, providing insight ships between words. on how the words were connected with no human intervention required.

The way that these Word2vec algorithm works are that you train a neural This algorithm made the prediction network model to remove each word by connecting the compound with and then predict what the words next words such as “chalcogenide” i.e, the to it will be, Jain said. He added that material containing “chalcogen ele- by training a neural network on a ments” such as sulfur or selenium), word, we get representations of words “optoelectronic” which means the that can actually confer knowledge. electronic devices that source, detect And by using just the words found

in scientific abstracts, the Word2vec algorithm was able to understand the concepts such as the periodic table and even the chemical structures of molecules. The Word2vec algorithm linked words that were found close together and by creating vectors of related words that helped to define concepts. In some cases, some of the words were linked to thermoelectric concepts but had never been written about as thermoelectric in any abstract researchers surveyed. This gap in knowledge is hard to catch with a human eye but it is easy for an algorithm like Word2vec to spot.

ies before they happened. Once again, the Word2vec algorithm worked.

In one experiment, scientists analyzed only papers published before 2009 and were able to predict one of the best modern-day thermoelectric materials 4 years before it was discovered in the year 2012.

This new application of a machine learning algorithm goes beyond materials science. Because it is not trained on a specific scientific dataset, you could easily apply it to other disciplines, retraining it on the literature of whatever subject you wanted. Vahe After showing A. I predict future Tshitoyan who is the lead author on discoveries and the algorithm’s ca- the study, says other researchers have pacity to predict future materials, already reached out, wanting to learn researchers took their work back in more. time, virtually. Researchers scrapped recent data and tested the Word2vec This Word2vec algorithm is unsualgorithm on old scientific papers, see pervised and it builds its own connecif it could predict scientific discover- tions, Tshitoyan added.

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ATP Production Unit For Synthetic Cells Developed By Scientists Researchers at the University of Groningen has constructed synthetic vesicles in which ATP, is produced. ATP is the primary energy carrier in living cells. The vesicles use the ATP to maintain their volume and their ionic strength homeostasis.

BERT POOLMAN, PROFESSOR OF BIOCHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN, SAYS THAT THE ULTIMATE AIM OF THE RESEARCHERS WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SYNTHETIC CELL THAT CAN SUSTAIN ITSELF AND THAT CAN GROW AS WELL AS DIVIDE.

By Rahul Mishra

Professor Poolman received a grant known as the Gravitation Grant in 2017 from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research to realize this ambition.

Professor Poolman received a grant produced as waste by-products that known as the Gravitation Grant in eventually diffused through the mem2017 from the Netherlands Organisa- brane. tion for Scientific Research to realize this ambition.

To create an out-of-equilibrium system, the ATP is used to maintain ionic The study was published in the Jour- strength inside the vesicle. A biologinal Nature Communications. cal sensor measures ionic strength. If this becomes too high, it activates a ATP Production For Synthetic transport protein that imports a subCells- The Challenge stance called glycine betaine. This increases the cell volume as well as lAll living cells produce ATP as an reduces the ionic strength. energy carrier but achieving sustainable production of ATP in-vitro was The system ran for 16 hours in the a challenging task explains Professor most extended experiment that the Poolman. The reactions carried out by scientists have performed. Professor the team reached equilibrium within a Poolman says that eventually, differfew hours that resulted in the decline of ATP Production. Poolman explains that the scientists wanted to eliminate equilibrium, just like in living systems.

It took three Ph.D. students in Poolman’s group and nearly four years to construct such a system that did not attain equilibrium.

Here’s How They Overcame The Challenge:A lipid vesicle was fitted out with a transport protein that could import the substrate called arginine and export the product ornithine. Enzymes were present inside the vesicles that broke down the arginine into ornithine. The free energy that this reaction produced was used to link phosphate to ADP, forming ATP. This resulted in ATP Production For Synthetic Cells.

Ammonium and carbon dioxide were

ent modules will be combined in the Some Scientists are also working on future to create a synthetic cell. This lipid and protein synthesis as well as will function autonomously by syn- cell division. thesizing its proteins from a synthetic genome.

The ideal synthetic cell should contain DNA for all these modules and ATP Production For Synthetic operate them autonomously like a Cells- The Next Step Forward conventional living cell. However, this system maybe a few years away The latest system is based on bio- to become a reality. chemical components. However, a team of researchers at Wageningen Poolman and his team are currently University & Research are collecting studying the ATP Dependent process the genes needed for the production using the new system – ATP Producof enzymes used by the system. They tion For Synthetic Cells– created by are incorporating them into an artifi- them. They hope to advance the field cial chromosome. of membrane transport.

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

Thermis Chikungunya Vaccine Enters Phase III Trials- Major Breakthrough In one of the most extensive Series D Round for Biotech at Australia, Themis Biosciences was successful in raising €40M to fund the Phase III trials for its Chikungunya Vaccine. This round was co-led investors like Farallon Capital and Hadean Ventures, Adjuvant Capital, aws Gründerfonds, Omnes Capital and Wellington Partners Life Sciences.

A RECENT PARTNER OF THEMIS BIOSCIENCES, MERCK SHARP & DOHME(MSD) WAS ALSO PRESENT.

By Ria Roy

The company will now receive funding until the Phase III trials for the chikungunya vaccine is complete.

The clinical studies will begin across European and American countries after successful setup and production of the vaccine at a commercial scale.

As told by Erich Tauber, CEO of Thermis The vaccine program against the Chikungunya virus is one of the most advanced development. This vaccine candidate has the potential to become the first immunization against Chikungunya virus, which has led the FDA and EMA to accelerate the approval process.

of the chikungunya virus. On expo- which was skipped by Valneva. sure to the viral proteins, the immune system will launch the defense mech- Tauber quoted that Themis will be anisms. working with Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) Meanwhile, Valneva, A Biotech once the vaccine for Chikungunya company based in France, is also completes the Phase III trials and hits Themis’s Chikungunya Vaccine can- gearing up to launch Phase III trials the markets. This agreement also endidate is a modified measle virus that for its Chikungunya vaccine. But ables Themis to provide immunizacan carry the genes encoding proteins Themis has the data from its Phase tions in case of an outbreak.

II trials to back its vaccine candidate

The company also plans to expand its hold in treating cancer with the funding received. Their first product to treat Colorectal cancer is expected to enter the clinics this year. Tauber also believes this funding will help in investigating the Measles vector in depth. Which is not only the platform for the Chikungunya vaccine but also has inherent anti-cancer properties.

Super-Resolution Microscope That Helps Visualize Moving Virus Particles In Cell A microscope is an instrument that produces enlarged images of tiny objects. This allows the observer an exceedingly close view of minute structures at a scale convenient for examination and analysis.

GENERALLY, THE MICROSCOPE IS SLOW IN PROCESSING IMAGES INVOLVING EXTENSIVE DATA AND HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES.

By Rahul Mishra

Researchers have developed a way to speed up the process by creating a method which can record data at this microscopic scale in real-time.

The most significant advantage of a faster microscope- The Super-Resolution Microscope is that it can be used to observe the movements of small objects like different structures of cells.

Professor Dr. Thomas Huser, head of

the Biomolecular Physics at Bielefeld University, said that the speed and accuracy of this microscope make it highly useful for applications in biology or medicine. Dr. Huser is the first author of the paper.

He added that the major problem so far was that microscopes offering high resolution could not display information at the corresponding speed.

Principle Behind The Super-Resolution Microscope The super-resolution microscope works by irradiating objects with laser light, so the molecules in the sample are excited and glow at different wavelengths. The microscope then picks up this re-emitted light. Due to this reason, it provides a higher res-

olution image than other methods as well as a quick result.

Andreas Markwirth, the lead author of the study, said that the team of researchers able to produce about 60 frames per second. This is a higher frame rate than the cinema films.

The super-resolution microscope allows real-time recording; therefore, the time between measurement and image is less than 250 milliseconds.

This real-time recording method used by the super-resolution microscope can be used to examine different biological elements, including the less-studied phenomenon such as movements of mitochondria. It can also be used to observe the way that viral particles move through a cell.

Dr. Huser highlighted that the newly discovered method by his team has both high-resolution and fast imaging process. This enables biologists to explore such structures.

Dr. Huser and team are planning to use the new technology for various kinds of research in the area of Cell Biology.

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Revolutionary New Class Of Cancer Drug Approved A new class of cancer drug that can treat a wide range of tumors has been approved for use in Europe. Researchers across the world consider it revolutionary. This approval is a first of its kind, and the doctors termed it as ‘exciting.’

ACCORDING TO THE DOCTORS, TUMOUR-AGNOSTIC DRUGS ARE SPECIFIC IN ITS MODE OF ACTION AS IT TARGETS THE GENETIC ABNORMALITY IN CONTRAST TO CONVENTIONAL CHEMOTHERAPY. THIS NEW CANCER DRUG HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REMOVE SIDE EFFECTS.

By Rahul Mishra

Charlotte Stevenson, a two-year-old from Belfast, was one of the first patients to benefit from the new cancer drug which was approved. She was diagnosed with infantile fibrosarcoma. It is a cancer of the body’s connective tissue. mutations are relatively rare, but othShe has been treated with larotrectiner targeted therapies are in developib as part of a clinical trial at the Royment. They also appear in some brain, al Marsden Sutton, in London. kidney, thyroid, and other cancers.

Esther, Charlotte’s mother, is happy that they decided to give this drug a try as her family had limited options.

According to her mother, the drug had worked well on the tumor, and charlotte is back to a healthy life.

Infantile fibrosarcoma is caused due to a genetic defect abnormality known as an NTRK gene fusion. One part of her DNA merged with another. This led to an alteration in the blueprint of her body, consequently leading to the growth of cancer. NTRK gene fusions are not unique to sarcomas. NTRK

Dr. Julia Chisholm, a children’s cancer consultant at the Royal Marsden Hospital, said that the New Cancer Drug Approved works across a range of cancers.

New Cancer Drug Approved- A Step Towards Precision Medicine The approval of the new drug makes a step forward towards Precision Medicine. This technology takes advantage of the genetic make-up of each patient’s tumor, and as the name suggests, it is quite precise to an indi-

vidual.

Dr. Chisholm says that several biochemical pathways are common in many different tumor types.

The decision by European regulators does not mean it will be instantly available for patients in the UK. NHS England described tumor-agnostic drugs as a “revolutionary” and “exciting breakthrough” in cancer.

According to the officials, preparations are underway to ensure patients were given access to them.

Simon Stevens NHS England chief executive said that the benefits for patients, in particular children, was im-

mense. Being able to treat many different types of cancers with one drug is potentially huge, helping patients to lead healthier and longer lives.

Prof Charles Swanton Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician said NHS would need to ensure the right genomic testing is available across the country.

Dr. Brendon Gray from Bayer said that being the first tumor-agnostic medicine approved in Europe, larotrectinib represents a real shift in cancer treatment. Bayer developed- New Cancer Drug Approved– larotrectinib.

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DNA Reveals First Look Our Mysterious Denisovans Ancestors The modern Eurasians live alongside with Neanderthals and Denisovans 100,000 of years ago. These tribes have long gone extinct, leaving behind bones and tissues for us to study.

EXTENSIVE STUDIES HAVE BEEN MADE ON NEANDERTHALS, BUT DENISOVANS HAVE REMAINED A MYSTERY DUE TO THE HANDFUL OF BONE FRAGMENTS RECOVERED FROM THE ANCIENT GROUP.

By Ria Roy

In a study published in Cell, a group of scientists has predicted the Denisovan anatomical features by studying the DNA from the Denisovan pinky bone discovered in a Siberian cave in the year 2008. Thus giving a general idea of how the Denisovans looked!

David Gokhman, a co-author of the study, said that Denisovans were expected to be similar to the genetically closer Neanderthals, but they found 56 features that differ from Neanderthals and modern humans. Among which 34 were changing in the skull alone. Traits like wide pelvis, short forehead showed similarities with Neanderthals. The significant difference identified was the broader skull and longer jaw.

Based on the anatomical data collected the researchers produced a portrait of a Denisovan girl with dark hair, piercing eyes and faced wider than that of a modern human.

genetic material. Explaining the process Liran Carmel, a computational Biologist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said that In evolution changes in anatomy, morphology and physiology is caused due to the changes in gene activity patterns and not necessarily the changes in the DNA sequence.

The team worked on identifying the differences in gene activity among the human groups and then tried to understand its effects on anatomy. For this, the gene activity patterns were compared among the Denisovans, Neanderthals, and modern humans and the regions with marked differences were picked out.

For the study, the researchers analyzed the gene activity rather than the sequence of the DNA. The gene With modern human anatomy as a activity was identified by the specif- reference, If the change in expression ic chemical markers attached to the level in the human group was found

to be same as that of in modern humans, it was then associated with an anatomical variation.

The trait reconstruction method was tested on Neanderthal and Chimpanzee DNA. By this method, the scientists were able to predict the effect of gene activity on specific anatomical features or morphology with 85% accuracy.

Matt Tocheri, a paleoanthropologist at Lakehead University in Ontario, expressed his concerns on the accuracy of the method. According to him, it is an interesting idea to study genetic data and predict the morphology, but it has to be developed further before trusting it completely.

This study predicted that Denisovans would have had thick fingers similar

to Neanderthals, but a contradicting idea was published in the journal of Science Advances on September 4th.

The paper quoted that Denisovans possessed slender fingertips similar to modern humans.

Acknowledging the same, Gokhman stated that the predictions made aren’t perfect, the Juvenile source(fossil of Denisovan) may have accounted for the inconsistencies during the anatomy predictions. The Pinky finger bone was from a Desinovan Girl estimated to be 13 years.

The researchers believe that the findings will help to understand the ways the Denisovan DNA fragments affected traits and adaptions. Also, we can learn about the way these human groups adapted to their environment

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How Sleepless Night Shifts Scrambles Your Brain & Impacts Gut Health

People who do night shifts or who travel across time zones very frequently are more likely to become overweight. They also suffer from gut inflammations. There has been considerable research study aimed at trying to understand the impacts of night shifts on the gut and also the underlying mechanisms which link the brain’s circadian clock, that acts in response to the daylight cycle, with physiological processes.

THE STUDIES CONDUCTED IN MICE

BY SCIENTISTS AT THE CHAMPALIMAUD CENTRE FOR THE UNKNOWN IN LISBON HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THE FUNCTIONING OF A GROUP OF IMMUNE CELLS KNOWN TO BE A STRONG CONTRIBUTOR TO GUT HEALTH IS DIRECTLY CONTROLLED BY THE BRAIN’S CIRCADIAN CLOCK.

By Ria Roy

This may at least in part explains the link between sleep patterns and gut inflammatory responses. Henrique Veiga-Fernandes, Ph.D., said that the sleep deprivation, or altered sleep habits, will have dramatic health consequences that result in a range of diseases which frequently have an immune component, such as bowel inflammatory conditions. To understand why this happens, the research team started by asking whether immune cells in the gut are influenced by the circadian clock. The team reported their study findings in Nature, in a paper titled, “Light-entrained and brain-tuned circadian circuits regulate ILC3s and gut homeostasis.”

Nearly all our body cells have genetic mechanisms for following the circadian rhythm. The clock genes do act as their informal name suggests. They effectively inform cells of the time of day, which helps organs and body systems keep to the daily rhythm and anticipate a time of day-related events, such as when it’s time to eat or to sleep. The circadian rhythms rely on local and systemic cues to coordinate mammalian physiology. These are genetically encoded by molecular clocks that allow organisms to anticipate and adapt to extrinsic environmental change, the investigators stated.

clocks inside the body so that all systems are in synch. And this is absolutely crucial for our wellbeing.

The Type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are a key type of immune cells in the intestine. These cells can fulfill important functions in the gut: they fight infection, control the integrity of the gut epithelium, and instruct lipid absorption, said Veiga-Fernandes.

These type of immune system cells have also been shown to interact with neuronal cells, hinting at the possibility that Type 3 innate lymphoid cells function may be affected by changes in circadian rhythms. Type 3 innate lymphoid cells have been shown to be part of discrete mucosal neuroimmune cell units, raising the hypothesis that Type 3 innate lymphoid cells may also integrate systemic neuroimmune circuits to regulate tissues integrity and organismic homeostasis.

Research team’s tests in mice showed that Type 3 innate lymphoid cells were particularly susceptible to having their body clock genes disrupted, whereas other types of immune cell in the intestine weren’t greatly affected.

When the team disrupted their clocks, they found that the number of Type 3 innate lymphoid cells in the gut was significantly reduced. These resulted in severe inflammation, breaching of the gut barrier, and also in the increased fat accumulation, he added.

Our cell clocks are autonomous, but these still need to be synchronized to make sure that “everyone is on the same page.” As Veiga-Fernandes explained, the cells inside our body don’t have direct information about external light, which means that individual cell clock can be off. The func- Further studies on this indicated that tion of the brain’s clock, that receives disruption to the brain’s circadian direct information about daylight, is clock influenced the gene expression to synchronize all of these little cell in Type 3 innate lymphoid cells, and

the cells lost what the research team describes as “postcode receptors.”

These tests showed that to be able to localize to the intestine, Type 3 innate lymphoid cells needed to express these cell surface postcode receptors, which acted as tags to instruct the Type 3 innate lymphoid cells—which are transient residents in the gut— where to migrate. Without the brain’s circadian inputs, Type 3 innate lymphoid cells failed to express the tag, which affected their localization.

Researchers found that light cues are major extrinsic entraining cues of Type 3 innate lymphoid cells circadian rhythms, and surgically or genetically induced deregulation of brain rhythmicity resulted in altered Type 3 innate lymphoid cells regulation.

In turn, the Type 3 innate lymphoid cells-intrinsic circadian machinery controlled the gut receptor postcode of Type 3 innate lymphoid cells, shaping enteric Type 3 innate lymphoid cells and host homeostasis.

Veiga-Fernandes said that the study results are particularly exciting because they help in clarifying why gut health might become compromised in people who are routinely active during the night. And this mechanism is a beautiful example of evolutionary adaptation, he added. During the day’s active period, the brain’s circadian clock reduces the activity of Type 3 innate lymphoid cells in order to promote a healthy lipid metabolism. But then, the gut could be damaged during feeding. Then after the feeding period is over, the brain’s circadian clock in-

structs Type 3 innate lymphoid cells to come back into the gut, where they are now needed to fight against invaders and promote regeneration of the epithelium.

Veiga-Fernandes said that people who work at night can suffer from various inflammatory intestinal disorder. It has all to do with the fact that the specific neuroimmune axis is well regulated by the brain’s clock. Any changes in our habits can have an immediate impact on these important, ancient immune cells of the brain.

The regulation of Type 3 innate lymphoid cells activity by systemic circadian circuits may have evolved to maximize metabolic homeostasis, gut defense, as well as an efficient symbiosis with commensal organisms that have been evolutionary partners of mammals. The current data also contributes to a better understanding of how circadian disruptions in our human bodies are associated with metabolic diseases, bowel inflammatory conditions, and also cancer.

The new study results on impacts of night shifts on the gut, add to previous discoveries by the Veiga Fernandes lab linking the immune and nervous systems. The concepts that the nervous system can coordinate the function of the immune system is entirely novel, he added.

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NASA Scientists Create A Smarter Model For Brain Research In Space

Scientists studying neurological diseases faces several daunting challenges. For one thing, these neurological conditions may take several years or even decades to develop. Apart from this, experimenting on the brains of a healthy human being simply is not ethical, and on the other hand, suitable human neurological models have not been readily available currently.

AN INVESTIGATION WHERE THE BRAIN ORGANOIDS SENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION MAY HELP MEET BOTH CHALLENGES FACED IN STUDYING NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES.

By Ria Roy

The Microgravity effect on Human Brain Organoids (Space Tango-Human Brain Organoids) studies how microgravity affects the basic functions of our brain cells, including its survival, migration & metabolism, and also the formation of neural networks. Our human brain consists of many of these nerve cell networks connected together to transmit and Brain organoids model just a fracalso to process the information re- tion of the brain, Muotri explained, ceived from our senses. yet mimics some of the organization of brain tissues. These provide a tool The brain organoids are small living that can access the developmental masses of brain cells that form func- stages of the brain, which is a very tional neural networks and self-or- important stage for setting up the first ganize into three-dimensional struc- wiring of neural cell networks, he tures resembling parts of the human said. brain. Researchers recently have begun using these brain organoids for When these organoids launched into a range of studies on brain function space in July as a part of NASA Space here on Earth. This white, pea-sized Brain research, they were a month structure mimics the early stages of old, a point at which their cells were human brain development and also rapidly proliferating and also differprovide a model for studying the bio- entiating. These cells stayed on the logical processes that are involved in orbiting laboratory for about 27 days neurological disease and aging. before returning to Earth for the analThe space-based investigation of the brain takes advantage of the fact that in microgravity, the human body experiences changes that resemble the accelerated aging. The recent studies show that artery walls become stiffer and also thicker in space just the same as when people grow older on Earth.

Alysson Muotri, principal investigator, head of a research laboratory at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla, said that the late-onset Alzheimer’s, for example, takes around 60 or 70 years to develop in an individual; And now with the organoids in the lab, it might take a similar amount of time. And that’s a long time to keep these brain cells alive. If we could actually speed up the disease development, we could create a model that would help us to see how the problems develop and, perhaps, how to mitigate them, he added.

ysis.

Previous research studies provide evidence for how some cells & tissues in the body ‘age’ more quickly in space. And these are the first human brain organoids to travel to space, so it is not yet clear how microgravity may affect the brain cell developments.

At first glance, it appears that the space-traveling brain organoids maintained their shape and may have grown larger. And further analysis could confirm the same and also helped to identify any changes in their DNA and its gene expression.

Caring for these organoids during studies that cover months and years is very time-consuming. The investigation developed special hardware for growing the brain organoids autonomously, which could greatly simplify their use for research in space as well

as on Earth.

planets.

In addition to advancing the understanding of the development of diseases that affects the brain, this research study is fundamental to protecting human health during space exploration.

The future studies could create new brain organoids from single cells in space, and could keep them on the space station longer in order to study later phases of its development, said Muotri.

The team wants to see whether the brain organoids survive and whether cells replicate and form connections, Muotri said. He added that this has implications for long term space travel and also the colonization of future

For now, this current investigation advances organoid technology, that helps to address challenges involved in learning more about the human brain.

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Facebook Acquires Brain Computing Startup – CTRL Labs On Monday, Facebook agreed to acquire New York-based Brain Computing CTRL Labs which is a startup building a wristband that lets people control digital devices with their mind.

IN A FACEBOOK POST ANNOUNCING THE DEAL, ANDREW “BOZ” BOSWORTH, FACEBOOK’S VICE PRESIDENT OF AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY, SAID THAT THE COMPANY WANTS TO BUILD MIND-READING TECHNOLOGY AT SCALE AND GET IT INTO CONSUMER PRODUCTS.

By Ria Roy

New York-based CTRL Labs founder Patrick Kaifosh was on the ‘Forbes Under 30 list’ for science in 2018. He had told Forbes in March he sees the wristband -technology for people to control computers with their brain- as a “universal controller for all your in- reality projects. teractions with technology.”

CTRL Labs raised around $28 million in a February funding round led Facebook acquired CTRL Labs by paying between $500 million and by GV, formerly Google Ventures. $1 billion for this startup company, The brain computing startup has Bloomberg reported, citing sources raised a total of around $67 million from investors such as the Amazon familiar with the transaction.

Alexa Fund, Matrix Partners, Spark This startup will be part of Facebook Capital, and Lux Capital, according Reality Labs, a division inside Face- to Pitchbook. book focusing virtual and augmented

Boz said the wristband technology detects electrical signals from your spinal cord that tell your hand muscles how to move. The CTRL Labs works to decode those signals and translate them into a digital signal that a device such as a phone or a computer can understand.

It has the capability to capture your intention so you can share a photo with a friend using an imperceptible

movement, he said.

Facebook had announced its plans to build a brain-computer interface in 2017. Since then, the most significant signs of progress came from a Facebook-funded study in July from researchers at the University of California San Francisco. There, researchers were able to detect intended speech from patients with neurological damage in real-time.

Researchers Discovers New Strategy To Kill Pathogens Resistant To Antibiotics Researchers have successfully used the Trojan Horse technique to develop a new strategy to combat Antibiotic resistance. They used artificial haem proteins as a Trojan horse to selectively deliver antimicrobials to target bacteria. This enabled their specific and compelling sterilization.

THE USE OF THIS TECHNIQUE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN KILLING 99.9% OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA, A POTENTIALLY DEADLY, ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIUM PRESENT IN HOSPITALS.

tion, P. aeruginosa is one of the most critical pathogens urgently requiring alternative treatment strategies.

This bacterium is one of many that have evolved a system that allows them to acquire access to iron from

By Rahul Mishra the human body. Iron is essential for bacterial growth and survival. In According to researchers, this strate- humans, most of the iron is held up gy should also work for other harmful within the ‘haem’ complex of hemoglobin. To access the iron, P. aerugpathogens. inosa and other bacteria secrete a Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a dead- protein, called HasA. This helps the ly bacterium that causes infections microorganisms to adhere to haem in in hospital settings and people with the blood. A membrane receptor recweak immunity. It causes blood in- ognizes this complex on the bacterifections and pneumonia, while severe um called HasR. It permits haem eninfections can prove to be lethal. Ac- try into the bacterial cell, while HasA cording to the World Health Organiza- is recycled to pick up more haem.

Killing Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens- The Strategy Adopted By Researchers Osami Shoji, a Bioinorganic chemist of Nagoya University and the team, have found a way to hijack this ‘haem acquisition system.’ They developed a powder consisting of HasA and the pigment gallium phthalocyanine (GaPc), which, when administered to a culture of P. aeruginosa, was consumed by them.

Shoji explains that when the pigment is exposed to near-infrared light, harmful reactive oxygen species are generated inside the bacterial cells.

When tested, over 99.99% of the bacteria were killed post-treatment with one micromolar of HasA with GaPc

and ten minutes of irradiation.

This technique also worked on other bacteria with the HasR receptor on their membranes.

According to the researchers, the heme acquisition system is vital to the bacteria’s survival. Therefore it is it unlikely that the bacteria will develop resistance to this drug strategy.

The researchers said that the Trojan horse technique is used to selectively deliver antimicrobials to target bacteria, enabling their specific and effective sterilization. The latest method- Killing Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens- was successful irrespective of the antibiotic resistance.

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New Algae-based Bioreactor with A.I, Swallow Carbon Emissions 400 Times Faster Than Trees The Bioreactor uses algae and artificial intelligence to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. People are worried about the quantities of CO2 that are being pumped into our atmosphere.

SINCE THE EARLY 1800S, RESEARCHERS HAVE KNOWN THAT GREENHOUSE GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE TRAP HEAT WHICH CAUSES THE EFFECT KNOWN AS GLOBAL WARMING.

By Ria Roy

Carbon dioxide is a particularly big contributor to global warming. carbon dioxide is created as a result of the burning of fuels like oil and natural gas and carbon dioxide makes up the overwhelming majority of greenhouse gas emissions which represents around 72% of the total when compared to 18% methane and 9% nitrous oxide. tilizer and much more. Algae and A.I. was used to create the Eos Bioreactor The quantity of these carbon emis- which is a prototype bioreactor which sions as a result of human activity has can substantially outperform trees by increased by more than 400% since up to four hundred times. the year 1950. Even though the effects of climate change are already Algae is one of nature’s one of the seen worldwide, many experts and most efficient machines for carbon diresearchers around the world contend oxide consumption. It needs 3 key elthat things will get worse as Carbon ements to grow: carbon dioxide, light, dioxide emissions continue to rise. and water. As algae consume carbon Something needs to be done to con- dioxide, it produces biomass; that can trol these carbon emissions. then be processed to create materials which range from fuels, fertilizers, One way to slow down this emission and oils to plastics, cosmetics, and effect is something called the biose- even high-protein food sources. It can questration which refers to the capture not only far exceed the efficiency of and storage of CO2 using certain bi- agricultural crops in terms of carbon ological processes. This process is an sequestration, but algae also don’t extension of photosynthesis, in which compete for the same arable land. plants, such as trees, use energy from This makes it a doubly good solution the sun to turn CO2 into oxygen. An next to space-occupying forests.

A.I. company from Austin thinks that it has come up with a way to make Lamm explained that this device is this process significantly more effi- a controlled closed system model and cient. This involves a combination of every part of the growth process is cutting-edge A.I and algae, the group tightly controlled and are optimized of photosynthetic organisms or a with machine intelligence to maxiplant-like film that covers ponds and mize carbon dioxide consumption. other bodies of water.

Artificial intelligence monitors light, heat, growth, water speed, pH, CarBen Lamm the CEO of Hypergiant bon dioxide, oxygen output and more Industries, told Digital Trends that to ensure optimal growing conditions, they believe one of the biggest chal- he added. lenges of our time is the current crisis of global warming; they wanted Hypergiant isn’t the first time sciento figure out if trees were actually the tists have focused on algae as a potenbest solution for this or if there were tial game-changer for carbon sequesother effective alternatives for this. It tration. This bioreactor promises not turns out that algae are actually much only aims to make these abilities very more effective than trees at reducing smarter, courtesy of machine learning carbon emissions in the atmosphere. technology but also to pack its soluIt can be used to create carbon-nega- tion into a disarmingly small form tive fuels, plastics, textiles, food, fer- factor. This bioreactor fits within a

compact form factor measuring threefoot by three-foot by seven-foot. That is small enough that it could fit within office buildings.

Lamm stressed that this is still early stages for his project. And the company has not yet announced where its solution will initially be deployed.

For now, he says that he has focused on showing that the technology can work as well as hyped. There are some big claims too. But, as people often note about climate changes, it is a big problem that calls for big solutions. Hypergiant has already attracted some major supporters, with the most public being vocal climate science supporter Bill Nye. The Eos algae-based bioreactor sequesters the same amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as an entire acre of trees, Lamm said. He

added that they are a technology company that makes A.I. products and solutions and wants to create products that improve the human condition.

They feel responsible for developing solutions which can help businesses and people make a real difference in their communities.

This remains to be seen whether it turns out to be the solution that people are hoping for. Certainly, it is not an innovative attempt to suck carbon dioxide out of the air that Digital Trends has covered. Here no-one is going to complain about there being too many people trying to solve these issues of global warming and increasing carbon emissions.

For the sake of humanity, let us hope that Hypergiant Industries and the other groups working on similar technologies are onto a winner.

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Controlled Human Infection Model Proposed By Indian Scientists India has a significant burden of infectious disease, especially among young children, and the condition is endemic to the country.

TO STUDY THE PATHOGEN, ITS TRANSMISSION AND ALSO TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE DRUGS, THE SCIENTISTS HAVE PROPOSED CONTROLLED HUMAN INFECTION MODEL (CHIM) STUDIES.

By Rahul Mishra

What is Controlled Human Infection Model?

In CHIM studies, researchers infect healthy participants with a weakened strain of a pathogen in a controlled setting. This is done to learn more about the infection and the disease or to develop new vaccines for that disease.

Dr. Gagandeep Kang, while pointing out the need for CHIM studies in India, said that Rotavirus vaccine was tested in other countries where it showed 90% efficacy while in India it has only 50% efficacy. In another scenario, oral vaccinations like for cholera, polio that was tested in other countries and showed good results but showed low efficacy in India. Dr. Gagandeep is the Executive Director at Transitional Health Science and Technology Institute.

All these questions may be answered with the help of CHIM studies. CHIM is a faster way to develop vaccines as it is studied well in human models.

Recently typhoid strain was developed in India, but it was tested in Oxford University, the UK. This is because India has an ethical obligation where clinical trials cannot be done on humans. Dr. Kang argued that animals and humans have different physiology, and it is helpful if the clinical tests are done on humans.

Dr. Manjulika Vaz from India Volunteer Infection Research Consortium, supporting the CHIM said that the studies should first start with a small group of people. Eventually, it can be escalated to a larger group of people.

Dr. Manjulika agrees that high risk may be involved in the CHIM studies.

She suggests informing the volunteers and family members thoroughly about the risks involved and different aspects of the studies.

Controlled Human Infection Model- The Procedure Involved After injecting attenuated typhoid strain, volunteers would be examined for 4-5 weeks under proper medical supervision. Volunteers will be under medical guidance if in case the person develops side effects. Blood

samples would be taken daily, and volunteers will be monitored for one year. They may also be isolated from the community for a defined period of infectivity of the pathogen, to avoid transmission of the disease to the respective community.

Dr. Vaz highlighted that CHIM stud-

ies are already being undertaken in western countries. She believes it may take some years for India to adopt this study. She added that the regulatory bodies and the Government of India should ensure that poor people are not exploited for the sake of money.

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Can A Diet Be Designed To Suit Your Genetics?

Episode 50

By Ms. Somhrita Pal

Diet As Per DNA Tests – Can A Diet Be Designed To Suit Your Genetics?

Hi everyone? We have a question for all of you- have you heard of the diseases called hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, obesity, Hypertension, thyroidism? Yes? We know, you must be thinking, what a silly question!!

Of course, everyone knows about it.

At least one person in every house is affected by one of them. So what do we do to stay healthy? This is the next very common question. And the most common answer to this is- Eat healthily.

Dietary advice always tends to be based on the theory that there is going to be one diet that will help everyone.

Well, this sounds good! But in the face of the obesity epidemic, it seems like guidelines haven’t been effective. In one study it was found that a diet that makes one individual lean and healthy might have the complete opposite effect on another. For the researchers, it was their goal to find the optimal diet but what they concluded was that it depends very much on the genetics of the individual and there isn’t one diet that is best for everyone.

Now, you must be thinking, what can we do to know which diet will best suit us? Well not to worry- One way to understand what your body needs is through a DNA test.

Are you wondering whether it is true at all? does our DNA tell us anything at all? And even if it can throw light on our requirements how much does it reveal? If we can predict a disease

by DNA analysis, can we predict the needs of our body?

nutrition blueprint within our genes is a delicious concept. Perhaps, this helps explain the growth in personalized nutrition testing and services such as Habit, Profile Precise and Nutrigenomix. If science and genetics have taught us anything, it’s that there is no such thing as a one-sizefits-all diet recommendation. Everyone’s body has unique needs; by focusing on what our body tells us we can work towards better health. And to gather this information we need our DNA. Looking at your nutritional needs, metabolic health factors and matching diet, a DNA test can reveal your genetic diet type, which vitamins you need to optimize, how your diet affects your cholesterol if you’re sensitive to lactose and more.

Surprised, are you? Yes, it’s true we can build our personalized genetic nutrition profile from the tiny molecule called DNA. and why not? I mean all the enzymes or hormones or other proteins which are helping in our metabolisms is being coded by the DNA. So you can make more proactive decisions regarding your diet based on your DNA, including the ratio of carbs, proteins, and fats for your body. Now, let’s look at a few of the diets your DNA may suggest based on your genetic nutrition profile.

Well, friends, in today’s session of the Voice of Biotecnika, we will throw some insight into a topic that has become a hotcake for the lead- A Balanced Diet ing biotech companies all around the world- Genes and Diet. it has often If you’re in good health and free made us think, Can a diet be really from complications like high chodesigned to suit our genetics??? lesterol and high blood pressure, a DNA test may suggest maintaining a The idea that each of us has a unique balanced diet. A balanced diet means

eating an array of food from each major food group, from proteins and carbohydrates to fruits and vegetables.

Make the most of this diet by focusing on more nutrient-dense foods, such as colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, high-quality lean protein, and healthy fats.

fats and saturated fats are unhealthy fats, which can increase harmful LDL cholesterol and increase your chances of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. But polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can do the opposite—decrease harmful cholesterol levels, build cell membranes and the Low Carb Diet covering of nerves and prevent heart disease.

A DNA test can reveal if you have Rather than eliminate fats entirely a higher than average genetic like- from your diet, focus on increasing lihood for elevated blood sugar lev- your intake of healthy essential fats, els. For people who want to monitor such as eating more nuts, fish, and their insulin and blood sugar levels (if avocados, while avoiding fried and they are prediabetic or diabetic), low- greasy foods cooked with trans or sater their risk for heart disease factors, urated fats. fight metabolic syndrome and feel less sluggish, a low-carb diet may be Mediterranean Diet recommended.

Sugar and carbs go hand in hand, Depending on your cholesterol levas starchy foods like white bread and els and other health factors, your potatoes have higher glycemic levels DNA may suggest following the than whole grains and more nutritious Mediterranean diet. A Mediterranean vegetables. For a low carb diet, the diet is essentially a high fat and low goal is to limit the number of carbo- carb diet. It may help improve healthy hydrates consumed and focus on non- cholesterol levels and keep blood sugstarchy colorful vegetables, healthy ar levels in a healthy range. Similar fats, and high-quality lean protein. to a balanced diet, the Mediterranean diet can be beneficial to follow even Low Fat Diet if you’re healthy and not at risk for certain health conditions.

Your cholesterol levels are another factor a DNA test will look at. This When following the Mediterranecan reveal if you have a higher than an diet, focus on eating a balance of average genetic likelihood for elevat- colorful fruits and vegetables, whole ed LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, de- grains, legumes, monounsaturated creased HDL (good) cholesterol lev- and polyunsaturated fats (from nuts, els or elevated triglyceride levels. olive oil, and avocados), high-quality seafood and low-fat dairy products.

If you’re at risk for any of these, a DNA test may suggest a low-fat diet.

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

Avoid sugary and starchy foods, trans fats, added sugars, and excessive red meat intake.

Lactose-Free Diet A DNA test can reveal if you have an increased genetic likelihood for lactose intolerance, which may explain uncomfortable side effects that you might experience from eating lactose. Lactose is the sugar found in milk. Based on your genetic makeup, your body may have trouble properly digesting it. As a result, you may experience bloating, cramps, stomach pain, and other uncomfortable side effects.

If you’re at risk for lactose intolerance, consider replacing milk with lactose-free alternatives, such as almond milk or flaxseed milk. You may also want to try going several weeks without eating dairy to see how you feel. If you notice an improvement, continue limiting or eliminating dairy and lactose from your diet.

So friends just send your saliva sample to one of these companies and they will send your dietary chart in your hands. But doubt still remains. How far accurate result can be provided to you? Are the results always successful in delivering what they promise?

Experts say that when it comes to diet

advice, it’s misleading to say that the blueprint is our genes. According to a new study, a person’s genes don’t actually have an effect on how well certain diets might work, which runs contrary to what some “personalized nutrition” companies may claim.

men and women had their DNA tested before the study to see if they had one of three genes that could predict whether they might achieve better weight-loss results on a diet that was low-fat or low-carb, or whether they lacked these genes.

Researchers at Stanford University found that overweight adults who followed a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet tailored to their genetic predisposition and biological makeup weren’t any more successful at shedding pounds than the groups that followed the same two diets, but without the customization for these predispositions. Lead study author Christopher Gardner, the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, noted that the point of the study wasn’t to compare a low-fat diet to a low-carb one to see which was best for weight loss, as many previous studies have done. Instead, the goal was to explore which factors — genetic patterns and insulin resistance — might predict success for people on the two diets; in other words, “Which diet is best for whom?” In the study, the researchers tracked about 600 overweight adults, ages 18 to 50, who were randomly assigned to follow either a healthy low-fat diet or a healthy low-carbohydrate diet (containing 20 grams of fat or carbs at the beginning of the study) for one year. All of the

Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist

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and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, says, “DNA is important, but it plays a pretty minor role in making personal decisions about food,”.

So far, genes only explain about 5 to 10 percent of the risk linked to diet-related diseases such as obesity When the researchers analyzed the and type-2 diabetes, he says. “For badata, they didn’t find that being as- sic healthy living, it’s not about your signed to a diet that matched that in- genes, it’s about your behavior.’’ dividual’s genetic makeup or insulin resistance could predict weight-loss Well, nowhere is something to think success. Neither genetic predisposi- about. Tests results are not full proof tion nor insulin resistance was helpful and also they are not fully wrong….. in identifying which diet was better so here comes the big question- What for whom, according to the study. In to do?? Should I take the help of DNA a previous study of 100 overweight or stick to the normal chart? What a women, Stanford researchers found tough decision. Well, I’m thinking ! that women who followed a low-fat you think too, and Do let me know or low-carb diet that matched their what you have decided? genotype lost two to three times more weight after one year than did wom- Now before you come to concluen on diets that were a mismatch sions do remember something, the for their genetics. Even though the test results might have closed the door previous study used the same geno- on the possibility that the low-fat gentype patterns that were tested in the otype pattern and the low-carb genonew study, researchers were not able type pattern that was tested might be to confirm the results in the larger useful to predict weight-loss success. study. Besides genetic testing, the But this does not eliminate the posparticipants were also given a test to sibility that there are other genotype measure whether they were “insulin patterns that could be useful to preresistant,” that is, whether or not the dict weight-loss success — but these individual’s body responds properly would have to be discovered, tested to the hormone insulin. and replicated.

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SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

BIRAC SITARE – Rs 15 Lakh Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Grant

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ndian Nationals who are postgraduates or doctoral students are eligible to apply for the (SITARE-GYTI). If you have an innovative project in the area of biotechnology, do consider applying for this grant. Interested applicants can check out all of the details on the scheme, the description, application procedure and more below: SITARE Scheme Students Innovations for Translation & Advancement of Research Explorations (SITARE) Scheme is aimed at supporting innovative student projects in the area of biotechnology. The scheme’s mandate is to promote and encourage young students for embracing translational research (defined under Section 4) to develop innovative products and technologies addressing unmet needs. SITARE-GYTI Award Grant is not a usual research fellowship. The scheme also provides an opportunity for orientation, training and mentoring through residential workshops etc.

The scheme has two components: • SITARE-Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award Grant (SITARE-GYTI): 15 innovative student projects will receive funding support of up to INR 15 lakhs each. SITARE-GYTI encourages postgraduate and doctoral students to undertake projects with commercial potential leading to the creation of biotech startups. The fund recipients are recognized as BIRAC’s SITARE-GYTI beneficiaries.

• SITARE-Appreciation Grant: Residential workshops called as Biotech Innovation Ignition School (BIIS) for undergraduate students are organized to provide hands-on technical training and mentorship for problem identification in 3-4 weeks duration.

Out of 30-40 students per workshop, 10 students are selected and provided grant support of up to INR 1 lakh each to encourage their inquisitiveness and sustained efforts. The recipients are recognized as BIRAC’s SITARE-Appreciation beneficiaries. In a year, 3 such workshops are conducted.

Applications

for

SITARE-GYTI

Award Grants and BIIS workshop participants are invited at the national level. Processes and terms relevant to both have been distinctly provided below.

2. Processes and Terms related to SITARE-GYTI Award Grant: 2.1 Eligibility: An Indian Student (Refer definition under Section 4) pursuing Ph.D/Masters* in any discipline is eligible to apply for this awarded grant. The student should have a valid ID issued by the Institu- The funding is provided for a perition/University. A No objection Cer- od of up to 24 months. The project tificate (NoC), as per prescribed for- is implemented in a milestone-based mat needs to be submitted along with manner. the application.

In case the grant award duration ex*Exceptions for exceptional talent: tends beyond degree programme, the Meritorious candidature outside the grantee is encouraged to incubate in above eligibility any of the bio incubators for completcriteria may be considered for SI- ing SITARE-GYTI award grant manTARE with approval of BIRAC’s date. competent authority.

Extension: Extension of grant award 2.2 Nature of Proposals support- duration is discouraged. Request for ed: extension of milestone/project can be considered (without any additional fi• Translational research (Refer nancial implications) only in selected definition under Section 4) pro- cases based on the recommendation posals to develop innovative of the SITARE-GYTI Review Comproducts and technologies with a mittee conducted by SITARE Partpotential to address unmet needs ner/BIRAC. However, such request • The work supported through with proper justification must reach SITARE-GYTI Award Grant is SITARE Partner/BIRAC well before expected to lead to creation to the scheduled date of completion of biotech startups. Hence, only the grant award period. proposals with the potential to commercialize innovative prod- 2.5 Application Process ucts and technologies will be considered for support.

Proposals shall be submitted online only during an active Call for Propos2.3 Areas covered als.

Frequency of Call: Once a year SITARE-GYTI award grant propos- The month of announcement: Auals can be submitted in any domain gust/September including Healthcare, Lifesciences, Call Duration: The call is typically Diagnostics, Medical Devices, Drugs, open for 45-60 days Vaccines, Drug Formulations and delivery systems, Industrial Biotech- Process for submitting the proposals nology, Bioinformatics, Agriculture, online is detailed below: Secondary agriculture, Waste Management, Sanitation, Clean Energy • Log on to the BIRAC website and Artificial Intelligence/IoT with www.birac.nic.in application in any of these areas.

• If you are a registered user, login using the credentials, else you BIRAC encourages interdisciplineed to register nary proposals from any stream that • yourself as an individual by can help the conversion of innovaclicking on New User Registrative ideas into biotech products and tion. technologies in any of the above • In case of new user registration, fields. a computer-generated password would be sent to the email-id 2.4 Duration of the project

• • • •

provided at the time of registration. The password can be changed later.

Once you login, you would be navigated to the page displaying SITARE link.

Click on the SITARE-GYTI link under Programmes and the active call would be highlighted.

Click on the active call against which you wish to submit the proposal.

Further details on How to submit a proposal would be available in the SITARE User Guide available on the website.

2.6 Selection Process The applications received will be subjected to basic eligibility check.

Stage wise screening of applications will be done by relevant Committees with domain experts. a) Initial Stage: At this stage, proposals will be examined for preliminary technical strength and suitability of translational research mandate b) Short listing Stage: This stage will have review of applications by a team of experts based on online review comments and specific project/work plan. c) Recommendation Stage: At this stage, final shortlisted candidates# will be called for presentation before an Expert Panel # Class II Rail fare can be reimbursed to the invited outstation students.

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

2.7 Evaluation Criteria The evaluation of proposals received will include the following criteria at each step of selection: • • • • •

Novelty Technical Rigor Competence of Student Societal/Commercial Value Frugality

2.8 Support provided to beneficiaries under the scheme • The funding support under SITARE is in the form of grant-inaid.

• Extent of funding is up to INR 15 lakhs • The fund allocation is milestone based and released in installments of up to INR 5 lakhs each based on review of the milestone achieved.

• Guidance related to planning and utilization of funds is provided in Section 2.9 below.

• SITARE Partner and BIRAC provide continuous mentoring support to the fund recipients, including but not limited to the following: o Technical Mentoring o IP Support o Legal Support o Networking and Outreach o Trainings o Regulatory Advice o Business Mentoring o Fund raising 2.9 Utilization of Grant Money • Development of Prototype (including outsourcing activity)-Up to 30% • Travel: Up to 15% • Incubator Rentals: Up to 15% • Manpower: Up to 15% (may be drawn as salary by the Project Investigator (SITAREGYTI Fund recipient) during incubation or may be paid to another team member for technical assistance anytime during the project) • o The fund recipient shall not be eligible to draw any manpower cost while pursuing degree programme • Consumables: Up to 20% • Training and conferences: Up to 10% • Contingency: 5% 2.10 Signing of Agreement and Fund Disbursement • Agreement of funding • On the announcement of finally selected students, a Grant Award

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS Letter Agreement (GALA) no further disbursement shall be needs to be signed by the Fund made by SITARE Partner/BIRecipient and SITARE Partner.

RAC. Format of GALA is available on the website of SITARE Partner/ 2.14 Other Terms and Conditions BIRAC. • Other Requisites for Funds Dis- A student can receive SITARE-GYbursement .In addition to the TI Award Grant only once. signing of GALA, the fund recipient needs to open up a No- 2.15 Expected Deliverable: Lien Account with a scheduled/ nationalized Bank before release The scheme’s mandate is to proof first instalment. mote and encourage young students to embracing translational research 2.11 Mentoring, Monitoring and to develop innovative products and Review technologies addressing unmet needs.

The work supported through SI• SITARE Partner along with BI- TARE-GYTI is expected to lead to RAC support shall provide men- the generation of Intellectual property toring and monitor the progress and creation to biotech startups. of grant recipients periodically.

• SITARE Partner shall organize 2.16 Acknowledgement of BIRAC and conduct: support o Induction Programme for Award Grant Recipients The fund recipient is obliged to aco Biannual review of projects by SI- knowledge the assistance of BIRAC TARE Review Committee while publishing, marketing the re• Final Review will be done by sultant Product or presenting in any BIRAC towards completion of manner the details of the Project, its the project progress or its success along with a “Disclaimer” that reference therein 2.12 Transfer of Award Grant: to any specific commercial product, process, views or service by trade The awarded grant is non-transfera- name, trademark, manufacturer, or ble. otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, rec2.13 Foreclosure and Termination ommendation, or assuming liability of any sort by the BIRAC. Use of • In case, during the Project Dura- BIRAC logo is not permitted without tion, if it is found that the Pro- written approval from BIRAC. ject or any Project component is not likely to lead to successful 2.17 Results of SITARE-GYTI: completion, SITARE Partner/ BIRAC may decide to foreclose Intellectual Property, technology the Project or a specific Project know-how generated during the SIcomponent as warranted. The TARE-GYTI projects will generally decision of BIRAC shall be final follow institutional norms. BIRAC in all respects. If the Fund Re- encourages to assign ownership and cipient likes to continue the Pro- inventorship to BIRAC SITARE ject at its own cost, it would be award grantee. able to do so without restrictions from SITARE Partner/ BIRAC 2.18 Data Sharing with SITARE after complying with these pro- Partner: visions.

• The Fund Recipient may, before Information submitted by the applithe completion of the Project, cants as part of SITARE-GYTI appliterminate the project by giving cation will be shared with SITARE one month’s notice in writing partner. SITARE Partner will be an to SITARE Partner/BIRAC. SI- integral part of SITARE-GYTI ImTARE Partner/BIRAC may also terminate the Grant Award Letter Agreement (GALA) by written notice in the event of “the Fund Recipient” committing breach of any term of ALA and either not rectifying it to the satisfaction of SITARE Partner/BIRAC or not satisfying SITARE Partner/ BIRAC about its inevitability within a specified period. In the event of termination of the ALA,

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plementation.

SITARE Partner will execute a Confidentiality Agreement and No-Conflict-of-Interest document with reviewers before sharing any information provided in the SITARE-GYTI application.

2.19 Scope of activities undertaken by SITARE Partner for SITARE-GYTI Implementation: • View and process online applications received for SITARE-GYTI • Screen applications for eligibility and suitability for the scheme • Carry out online Technical Review of eligible applications through Subject Experts (Reviewers) • Shortlist proposals for F2F/ skype/telephonic interview by an Expert Panel • Communicate decision to applicants at each step of selection • Seek BIRAC approval on final selection of grantees • Sign an Grant Award Letter Agreement (GALA) with Grantees on behalf of BIRAC • Organize an induction programme for every batch of Grantees • Disburse funds and monitor the targeted milestones • Organize periodic review meetings • Provide mentorship and handholding for domain expertise and activities including but not limited to IP management, mobilizing resources and other business development related activities • Provide platforms/opportunities for interaction with experts.

• Facilitate transition of graduating SITARE-GYTI Award Grantees to incubator settings during Award duration.

• Provide periodic updates and reports on SITARE-GYTI Award Grantees to BIRAC • Any other required activity for effective implementation of SITARE-GYTI on mutual consent with BIRAC.

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SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

INSA Medal For Young Scientist 2020

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he official notification for the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Medal For Young Scientist 2020 has been released. INSA Medal For Young Scientist 2020 for Indian Nationals. 30 Awards are up for grabs.

Cash Prize of Rs. 50,000 is also part of the Award. Check out all of the details on the same below: SCOPE: INSA Medal for Young Scientists instituted in 1974 by the Indian National Science Academy and given yearly are meant to honour gifted young Indian scientists in recognition of the outstanding contributions in any branch of science or technology coming within the purview of the Academy. The research carried out in India by the nominees will be taken into consideration for the award.

NUMBER OF AWARDS: The number of awards to be made in any year will be limited to 30.

AGE LIMIT: Any citizen of India who hasn’t at-

tained age 35 years on December 31, of the year preceding the year of the award, will be eligible for the award.

Just those born on or after 1 January 1985 are eligible for consideration in the year 2020.

SELECTION PROCEDURE: Candidates recommended by the Sectional Committees will be invited to present their research work for consideration of this Committee which will meet in May 2020. The candidates thus called for the presentation will be paid travelling expenses to or research institutions. are entitled to II AC return rail fare cover the actual II AC rail fare and local conveyance as applicable.

A nomination will remain valid for and local conveyance as applicable. consideration for 3 years or the eligiCASH PRIZE AND RESEARCH bility age whichever expires earlier. A The evaluation and recommendation nomination shall be made in the preof the Sectional Committees are con- GRANT: scribed format (Annexure-I) and all sidered by the Council of the AcadeEach awardee will be presented a supporting documents. The soft copy my which makes the final selection.

Medal, a certification, and cash prize of the nomination in MS-Word/ pdf only (through email at ytinsa@gmail.

PRESENTATION OF THE MED- of Rs. 50,000/-. com), must reach the academy latest ALS: NOMINATION PROCEDURE:

by October 31, 2019. Nominations, which Aren’t complete or received The presentation of Medals to selected awardees will be made by the Candidates could be nominated by after the Due date, shall not be conPresident, INSA during the Anniver- Fellows of the Indian National Sci- sidered. sary General Meeting of the Acade- ence Academy, Previous recipients of my in December 2020. To receive the INSA Medal for Young Scientists, na- Deadline: latest by October 31 award, the awardees (together with tional scientific societies, University 2019 spouse or one accompanying person) faculties, post-graduate departments

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2020-2021

H

ong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2020-2021 has been announced. HKPFS 20202021 notification. Interested and eligible candidates can check out all of the details on the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 20202021 given below: Background: Established by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong in 2009, the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) aims at bringing the Very Best and brightest students in the world to pursue their PhD research in Hong Kong’s universities.

Qualification: Candidates that are seeking admission as new full-time PhD students in the subsequent eight universities, no matter the country of origin, previous work experience and ethnic back-

ground, ought to be qualified to apply.

• • • • • • • •

City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Baptist University Lingnan University The Chinese University of Hong Kong The Education University of Hong Kong The Hong Kong Polytechnic University The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The University of Hong Kong

HK$12,900 (roughly US$1,700) annually for each awardee for a period up to 3 years. 250 PhD Fellowships will be granted in the 2020/21 academic year*. For awardees who want over three years to finish the PhD degree, further support could be offered Fellowship Award: by the chosen universities. For information, please contact the universiThe Fellowship provides a year- ties concerned directly. ly stipend of HK$309,600 (roughly US$39,700) plus a conference and * Universities in Hong Kong generresearch-related travel allowance of ally begin their academic year in SepApplicants must demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research capacity/potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership skills.

tember.

Selection Panel: Shortlisted applications, subject to their areas of studies, will be reviewed by one of the following two Selection Panels comprising experts in the applicable board areas:

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

• Science, Medicine, Engineering and Technology • Humanities, Social Science and Business Studies

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

For information about the Hong stant answers to the most often asked please consult with individual univerKong PhD Fellowship Scheme, questions below. sities for advice. please contact us by email at HKPF@ As regards admission and applicaugc.edu.hk. You might also obtain in- tion requirements for PhD studies,

Selection Criteria: While applicants’ academic excellence is of primary concern, the Selection Panels will Take into Consideration variables as follows: • Academic excellence; • Research potential and ability; • Communication and interpersonal skills; and • Leadership abilities.

How to Apply: Eligible candidates should first make an Initial Application online via the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme Electronic System (HKPFSES) to acquire an HKPFS Reference Number by 2 December 2019 at Hong Kong Time 12:00:00 before submitting applications for PhD admission to their desired universities.

Applicants can choose up to 2 programmes/departments at one or two universities for PhD research under HKPFS 2020/21. They ought to comply with the admission requirements of the chosen programmes and universities.

Since the deadlines for applications to some of the universities can immediately comply with that of the Initial Application, applicants should submit initial applications as soon as possible to make sure they have enough time to submit applications to universities.

Step 1: Submit Initial Application to Research Grants Council Open for applications: 1 September 2019 in 12:00 noon Hong Kong Time Step 2: Submit Full Applications to Proposed Universities After completing an initial application, applicants must submit complete applications for their chosen PhD programmes to the proposed universities quoting their HKPFS Reference Number prior to the universities’ individual deadlines. As regards program info, demands for PhD admission, application procedures, regulations and policy of individual universities, please consult with individual universities and PhD programs for information.

Enquiry:

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stores.biotecnika.org

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PHD ADMISSIONS

October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

AcSIR PhD Admission 2020 January Session – Apply Online

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he official notification for the PhD Science Admissions 2019 at AcSIR. Admissions AcSIR for Biological Sciences area 2019. Interested and eligible candidates can apply for AcSIR Admissions PhD 2019. Check out all of the details on the admission process given below: Invites Applications for PhD Programme of Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) January 2020 Session WHY STUDY AT AcSIR? The aim of AcSIR is the pursuit of excellence in addition to doing something applicable. We promote the culture of being singularly dynamic and innovative. The Academy was established by a Resolution of the Parliament in 2010 and received recognition as an”Institution of National Importance” by the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) Act 2011. The Academy intends to maximize the number of qualified professionals and researchers of high-quality in the domain of science and engineering; and also to equip them with the skills to innovate and conduct seamless interdisciplinary research.

ABOUT PROGRAMS: The programs equip students to undertake interdisciplinary research by providing a broad-based practical training at the best in the class national laboratories of CSIR. The Programs are structured around academic coursework (according to program requirement) and compulsory courses viz. One Project Proposal & one Review Article writing; and Societal Program; and research in frontier areas of Science, Technology and Engineering leading to a PhD degree.

The Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), a premier research institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), invites applications for PhD Programme under Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) from eligible candidates.

Eligibility: PhD (Science): A Master’s degree in Science having a valid National

level fellowship (JRF/SRF of various Financing agencies, e.g. CSIR, UGC, DBT, DST etc.), INSPIRE or other equal fellowships.

Note: CSIR Scientists recruited 2009 onwards/ Existing Research Fellows/ Projects Assistants (working at CSIR-CLRI for no less than two years) who fulfil the credentials are also eligible to apply.

Eligibility Criteria for PhD (Sciences) and Sponsored PhD (Sciences) PhD (Sciences): Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/ Technology, Medicine or Master’s degree in Science are eligible to apply. The candidate should be having a valid National level fellowship (JRF/ SRF of various funding agencies, e.g. CSIR, UGC, DBT, DST etc.) or any other equivalent fellowship like INSPIRE, RGNF etc.

Project Assistants, Senior Research Fellows, Group-IV Scientists and Group-III Technical Staff of CSIR are also eligible to apply (as per relevant AcSIR rules).

Sponsored PhD (Sciences): Master’s degree in Science with endorsement from Industry, Academic or Research Institutes for required academic leave and financial support during program.

Applicants qualifying their degree in percentage shall use the formula, CGPA=(Percentage + 5) /10. Applicants with percentage ≥ 95%, shall fill 10 CGPA in the Online Application Form.

(c) Meeting all the conditions for award of the INSPIRE fellowship (typically awarded to students ranked first in the University) (d) Meeting all the conditions stipulated by AcSIR for Project Assistants to register for a PhD (e) Meeting all the conditions stipulated by AcSIR for industry-sponsored* students. (i) A 4-year undergraduate degree in Engineering or Science (such as BE/BTech/BS), or a five year degree in Science (such as MSc), or equivalent.

AND (ii) At least one of the following (a) Awarded a national-level fellowship (such as NET JRF) tenable at CSIR institutes (b) Meeting all the conditions required for eligibility for the CSIRGATE-JRF (c) Meeting all the conditions for award of the INSPIRE fellowship (typically awarded to students ranked first in the University) (d) Meeting all the conditions stipulated by AcSIR for Project Assistants to register for a PhD (e) Meeting all the conditions stipulated by AcSIR for industry-sponsored* students.

i) A Master’s degree in Engineering or Technology following a four- * with endorsement from Industry, year engineering/technology or 4/5 Academic or Research Institutes for year science degree; or an integrated required academic leave and financial minimum-5-year M Tech degree; or support during program. equivalent.

These are only minimum quality AND yardsticks of eligibility for consideration for admission and bear no rela(ii) At least one of the following tionship with financial assistance or (a) Awarded a national-level fel- scholarship. Any stipend, scholarship lowship (such as NET JRF) tenable at or financial source for study would be CSIR institutes the sole responsibility of the student. (b) Meeting all the conditions re- AcSIR itself does not provide any quired for eligibility for the CSIR- such scholarship or have any rule in SRF these matters.

How to Apply: Interested candidates that fulfil the eligibility criteria can apply on line from September 20, 2019 at AcSIR Online-Admission Portal. The online application will close on October 24, 2019. For more details about Application and admission procedures, candidates are asked to visit the site http://acsir.res.in To know more about AcSIR and CLRI please visit http://acsir.res.in and www.clri.org respectively.

For the Admission Process, you need to follow two phases: • Sign-Up phase: In Sign-Up phase, once you successfully Sign-Up on AcSIR Online Admission Portal, you will be receiving auto email on your email-id with login credentials and link to be re-directed for further complete admission form fill-up process.

• Online Application Form Phase: On completion of AcSIR Online Application form, AcSIR Application Number (AAN) will be generated e.g. AcSIR12345.

This AAN shall be used in future correspondence between applicant and AcSIR. • Print Acknowledgement of Admission Receipt with AcSIR Application Number (AAN).

(Please note: Candidates who are choosing CSIR-IGIB as one of the preferred Labs must fill up this online form only after reading the instructions on the CSIR-IGIB application portal on the institute website (www. igib.res.in), available with effect from

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PHD ADMISSIONS

October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

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27 September 2019 at IGIB website.

• Important dates of admission process and any other update or information will be flashed on Portal-Please check regularly.

• For each program of study, only one application is allowed for an applicant. If at any time, it is found that more than one application is filled by a candidate then the candidature will be summarily rejected.

• Short-listed candidates will be intimated electronically and they will be required to appear for Test and/or Interview at the designated centres on the dates announced, based on which final selection would be made.

• The number of seats available in each program at each Institute may vary.

CSIR-IMTECH PhD Admissions 2020 January Session

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hD Program Admission 2020 notification at CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh.

CSIR-IMTECH, Chandigarh has officially announced the notification for PhD Program Admission 2020. MSc Biotech candidates can apply for the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh PhD Admissions 2020, as per the details given below: Director, Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), invites highly motivated candidates for pursuing doctoral research at IMTECH under the aegis of the PhD degree program is jointly run by IMTECH and Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi.

Kindly note that those candidates that are awaiting MSc results might also appear for the interview but their joining is subject to clearing all of the eligibility criteria.

IMTECH is a multidisciplinary institute with excellent study facilities, state of the art computational and library facilities, and faculty with interests in several different regions of modern biology and biotechnology (please see our site https://www.imtech.res.in for information on unique areas and faculty activities). The significant thrust areas of the institute are Antibiotic drug discovery, Virology, Microbiome and Bio-therapeutics.

This intake, openings can be found in

the areas which entail the following: (a) Molecular Biology: Molecular biology of pathogens, antimicrobial research, gene silencing, stress tolerance, signal transduction, gene expression, genome-wide analysis, diagnostics and clinical markers using Nanotechnology, molecular glycobiology (b) Cell Biology & Immunology: Host-pathogen interactions, protein trafficking, molecular immunology, animal biotechnology ogy (c) Protein Science & Engineering: Structure-function relationships, Protein design, folding, engineering, stability, expression, structure determination of proteins and structure-based drug designing etc.. ) (d) Applied & Environmental Microbiology: Genetic engineering of microbes, Microbial diversity and their metabolites (e) Bioinformatics: Computer-aided drug development, genome annotations, protein structure prediction, molecular simulations, data analytics, system biology (f) Medicinal Chemistry: Design and synthesis of small molecules and analogues, natural products synthesis and their designed analogues, natural product discovery, the discovery of new synthetic strategies and technol-

be eligible. The minimum aggregate of marks in the event of SC/ST/Differently-abled applicants is 50 percent.

(g) Biochemical Engineering: Fermentation & downstream processing, Biotherapeutics and vaccine, process optimization and development, scale Candidates also have to have some of the valid research fellowships up. like CSIR/UGC NET or DBT JRF Eligibility: examination (‘A’ Category) or DST INSPIRE Fellowship or ICMR JRF Candidates with Master’s Degree evaluation or alternative equal fel(M.Sc. /M.Tech/M.Pharm) with mini- lowship. Please be aware that valid mal aggregate of 55% marks or equiv- proofs, of Fellowship examinations, alent in CGPA in almost any branch and Masters’/ Bachelor’s degree or of Life sciences / Biotechnology or those awaiting for their final results, allied subject with particular interest are compulsory for appearing in the in Biology OR B.Tech (in Informa- interview. Those coming for the intertion Technology/Computer Sciences/ view must be prepared to be present Biological Sciences or other branches in Chandigarh for 2 days, that is the with particular interest in Biology) / approximate time necessary to finalB.Pharm / B.E. / MBBS applicants ize the admission. No TA/DA or any with at least 55 percent (or equal in CGPA) may apply. B.Tech/B.Pharm/ BE students who meet the condition for GATE-JRF fellowship (http:// csirhrdg.res.in/jrfgate.pdf) will also Next Page>>>>

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PHD ADMISSIONS

other expenses will be compensated for appearing in the interview. Candidates should also state their present occupation, if any, prior to the interview; any concealment may result in cancellation of admission at any stage.

Selection:

date’s comprehension, critical analysis, logical reasoning and aptitude for scientific research. The result of the chosen candidates will be announced on the AcSIR website. The fee for the PhD program is according to the AcSIR fee arrangement. Presently, per semester fee is Rs. 7,000/- and – thesis submission fees are Rs. 5,000/-.

The qualified candidates will be How to apply: called for interview at IMTECH, Chandigarh. The interview is going The application ought to be submitto be targeted at assessing the candi- ted online at http://acsir.res.in. The fi-

October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

nal date for submitting the application is 24th October 2019.

Important to Note: in the event of selection, admission of candidates will be provisional subject to the condition that they shall acquire fellowship for a period of five years from a financing agency. In the event, candidates don’t receive fellowship, admission stands cancelled.

Residential Accommodation:

• Separate hostel accommodation for girls and boys in the campus might be provided to the admitted candidates on request and according to availability.

• Any queries pertaining to admission may be enquired at phd@ imtech.res.in • The decision of the Director, IMTECH, regarding selection/ admission of those candidates will be final.

Deadline: by 24th October 2019

IISER Bhopal PhD Programme Admissions January 2020

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epartment of Biological Sciences IISER Bhopal PhD Programme Admissions January 2020 has been announced. Interested candidates can check out all of the details on the eligibility, selection procedure, age limit, reservation and application procedure and such below: Applications are invited for admission to PhD programme in Biological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Economic Sciences, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Mathematics and Physics for the semester Beginning from January 2020.

Research Areas: Department of Biological Sciences offers research in the areas of Biochemistry, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Cancer Biology, Epigenetics, Chemical Biology, Virology, Behavioral Biology, Plant Cell and Developmental Biology, Metagenomics, Systems Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Molecular Systematics.

Eligibility: Minimum Qualification 1. M.Sc. /M.Tech. Or equivalent degree in the relevant discipline with a minimum of 60% marks or CGPA/CPI of 7.0 on a 10 point scale (total percentage/ CGPA/CPI; not just in the majoring subject). Students with M.Sc. /M.Tech. Or equivalent degree in a branch of Physics, Chemistry, or Mathematics may also apply provided they have an aptitude for research in Bio-

logical SciencesIf the transcript/ grade sheet issued from the Institute/University reports: A. Only marks: percentage will be considered B. Only grades: CGPA/CPI will be contemplated. If CGPA/CPI is reported on any scale other than 10 (eg. ) 4 point/ 8 point scale), an equal CGPA/ CPI will be calculated according to the following formula: CGPA/CPI in a 10 point scale = (CGPA/CPI Obtained×10)/PS PS = Point scale used by the Institute/University.

C. Both marks and CGPA/CPI: Per- called for the interview. centage equivalent of CGPA/CPI, as indicated on the transcript/grade Please Note: sheet, will be considered. The conversion factor has to be available in the • All communication with applitranscript/grade sheet. cants is going to be by e-mail only. No telephone calls will be 2. Exceptionally brilliant applicants entertained. with B.Tech. /MBBS/MCA may also • Constantly check the website for apply for the PhD program in Biologperiodic updates. ical Sciences.

• In the event of any application-related questions, your ap3. In addition, a National level exam plication number has to be cited like GATE / CSIR-UGC-JRF / DBTin the subject line.

JRF (category I only) / ICMR-JRF • Candidates that are appearing (category A only) / CSIR-UGC-LS or are about to appear for final / Provisional letter of INSPIRE-JRF assessments of the qualifying for PhD / Rajiv Gandhi National Feldegree program are eligible to lowship or some other recognized apply for the PhD program. But score is mandatory. The certificate/ if chosen, admission to the PhD fellowship has to be valid at the time program would be conditional of admission. Please be aware that upon their finishing the qualifythe National level examination criteing degree together with all the ria isn’t compulsory for the students defined marks standards, in the who have finished their BS-MS detime of joining. gree with CPI 8.0 and over from any • Selection will be determined by of the IISER (Berhampur, Bhopal, interviews of those shortlisted Kolkata, Mohali, Pune, Thiruvacandidates, which will be connanthapuram, Tirupati). ducted at the Institute premises only.

A relaxation of 5% of marks will be • Relaxation of eligibility standpermitted for applicants belonging to ards for SC/ST and PD appliSC/ST/PD categories. cants are according to Government of India norms. Candidates Merely fulfilling the eligibility critebelonging to reserved category rion doesn’t entitle a candidate to be might need to submit pertinent

certificates if chosen.

• Applying and fulfilling the minimum eligibility standards doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a candidate will be shortlisted for interview. The Department of Biological Sciences will use additional standards (according to academic performance and/or performance in the national level tests) so as to shortlist applicants for interviews based on the number of applications received.

• Candidates in the time of interview must bring together at least a letter of recommendation in a sealed envelope. The recommendation letter could be directly sent by the referee(s) to admission.biophd@iiserb.ac.in prior to the interview date.

Selection Procedure: The selection process for admission to the PhD programme will be based on the performance of the candidate in the interviews that will be conducted in 2 rounds (Rounds I and II).

Candidates shortlisted from Round I, could have the option to interact with faculty members in the department

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

after which Round II of the interviews will likely be conducted to the last selection. Throughout the interviews, the candidate will be assessed for their conceptual knowledge and the research aptitude in the field of Biological Sciences.

Application Procedure: • To submit the Online PhD Application for Biological Sciences please Click here.

• To submit the Online PhD Application for Chemistry please Click here.

• To submit the Online PhD Application for Earth and Environmental Sciences please Click here.

• To submit the Online PhD Application for Physics please Click

PHD ADMISSIONS here. view, if shortlisted and called for • To submit the Online PhD Appliinterview. cation for Chemical Engineering a. Signed hard-copy of PDF of the please Click here. online application form with recent • To submit the Online PhD Ap- color photograph affixed on it. plication for Electrical Engineer- b. Self-attested relevant certificates ing & Computer Science please (listed in the PDF copy of online apClick here. plication form).

• To submit the Online PhD Ap- • 9. After the last date, all applicaplication for Humanities and Sotions will be screened and candicial Sciences please Click here. dates selected for interviews will • To submit the Online PhD Apbe intimated by email only. plication for Economic Sciences • 10. To download the format of please Click here.

Recommendation Letter, (if ap• The last date for submission of plicable) please Click here. online application is October 20, 2019 (Sunday).

Age Limit: • Please retain a print out of the PDF of the online application Preferably not more than 28 years. form submitted by you.

Age relaxation of 3 years will be giv• The following documents must en for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) and be brought on the day of inter- 5 years for SC/ST/PD/Female appli-

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cants.

Upper age limit shall be determined as on the last date of online submission of applications. Date of Birth as recorded in the Matriculation/ Secondary Examination Certificate/ Aadhar Card only will be accepted by the IISER Bhopal for determining the age.

Reservation: According to the Government of India norms.

Fellowship: All selected candidates will be eligible to receive JRF fellowship as per the funding agency norms, in vogue.

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LEARNING COURSES

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

CSIR NET Quick NET Revisor 2020 (QNR 2020)

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was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.

Marie Curie BioTecNika Introduces Quick NET Revisor for the Smart and Quick CSIR Preparation.

This time we bring something new and different for you for the easy and precise preparation of CSIR NET 2019.

Focused multiple revisions, the extensive practice of topics already learned and solving numerous practice questions were the strategies followed by Gurpreet Kaur, Biotecnikan, CSIR NET JRF AIR 7.

And we completely agree with her winning strategy! With less than 3 months remaining, the count down for CSIR NET December 2019 has already begun. This valuable time should be spent on revising the concepts, solving different kinds of questions, self-assessments and of course relaxing before the exam! Now ask yourself-Are you there yet?

To Support, Assist and Supervise

your revision in the last 3 months, BioTecNika has come up with its Latest offering CSIR NET Intensive Revision Self Learning Course What is “Quick Net Revisor”?

Biotecnika’s QNR consists of : • Video Lectures of Toughest Question Discussions of CSIR NET Exam + • Personalized revision schedules and tips from experts + • 24x7 Doubt solving facility to clear your doubts then and there.

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• This is a Revision Supervision Course

SAVE 96% • Video Lectures of Toughest Question Discussions of CSIR NET Exam • You can log in to the Intensive Revision Portal and self -Revise by watching the Video Lectures for all Important topics (only) of CSIR NET Exam • You will get Personalised Time Table and Time Scheduling Tips • 3 Online Full Syllabus Practice Tests for CSIR NET Life Sciences.

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Artificial Intelligence in Biology Certificate Course

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rtificial Intelligence has revolutionized Biotech and Healthcare tech and thus to educate you all and help you network with like-minded individuals who wish to make a successful career in Life Sciences with the help of Artificial Intelligence, Biotecnika is proudly presenting you all Artificial Intelligence in Biology Certificate Course The goal of the course – to enhance the knowledge of students with the help of AI experts to apply Artificial Intelligence in Biology.

Enthusiastic participants can join and learn on how AI can be used in the Biotech & healthcare industry.

This course intends – of making the participants the most competitive and dynamic knowledge partners in this Artificial intelligence revolution. Its

2019 and Biotech is finally changing with the help of AI. why stay behind?

Course Curriculum: Certification Course On - Artificial Intelligence In Biology • Artificial Intelligence – Introduction: Drug Hunting / Healthcare - PART 1 • Artificial Intelligence – Introduction: Drug Hunting / Healthcare - PART 2 • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Agriculture PART 1 • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Agriculture PART 2 • AI in Next-Generation Sequencing - PART 1 • AI in Next-Generation Sequencing - PART 2

SAVE 92% • Artificial Intelligence in Phylogeny - PART 1 • Artificial Intelligence in Phylogeny - PART 2 • The Promise and Fallacy of AI/

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Rs.699.00 ML for R&D and its Future Prospects - PART 1 • The Promise and Fallacy of AI/ Next Page>>>>

LEARNING COURSES

October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

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ML for R&D And its Future Prospects - PART 2 PowerPoint Presentations Recent Advancement In Healthcare Via Artificial Intelligence Top 5 Synthetic Biology Companies Using Artificial Intelligence List Of 100+ Companies In Healthcare Sector Using Artificial Intelligence

Benefits of Attending this Course : • Learn how Artificial Intelligence is being used in various Biotech & health tech companies globally • Understand how New Companies are being built by combining Biotech & Artificial Intelligence

• Experience LIVE how Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing health care Who must Attend AIBTHT 2018 : • A student in their B.Sc, B.Tech, M.Sc, M.Tech, M.Phil, Ph.D.; • Teacher, Lecturer, Professor, Scientist, Research Student, En-

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trepreneurs & Biotech Enthusiasts.

• All are welcome. If you aspire to work on cutting-edge research technologies of the FUTURE, you must attend this conference.

Thesis Writing, Research paper Writing, Research Methodology & Scientific Writing Course

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vidence suggests that 21% of papers are rejected without review, and approximately 40% of papers are rejected after peer review.

Many of the researches end up completing their work after several years of continuous efforts.

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A research methodology is a process used to collect information and data for the purpose of making research decisions. The methodology may include publication research, interviews, surveys, and other research techniques, and could include both present and historical information.

To help the researcher plan his research and execute it within the best time possible, Biotecnika offers a 7 days Online workshop on Research methodology & Scientific Writing

• Self Learning Course • Duration: 7 Days • Time: Can be attended any time as per your convenience How it can help you?

• To know more about the scope and significance of research methodology • Tips on reviewing an article, conducting research in the lab • Do’s and Don’t you should know before you plan your research career • Tips on reviewing a research article and to write an article to avoid rejection

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Who is eligible?

• The courses are designed to suit Life Science graduates, postgraduates, teaching and industry professionals along with research enthusiasts. All individual streams can apply.

• A basic level of knowledge about various concepts involved in life science is required.

• Good internet speed for live streaming is required.

Course Benefits: • The content of the courses has

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been designed to match the industry standards.

The course content will be available offline for reference after the scheduled date and duration.

Interactive sessions with on spot doubt clearing by the present faculties and industry experts, from the comfort of your home.

Understand the applications of these courses in the industry and how to use the same for strengthening your job applications.

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October 1st, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 98

CRISPR Technology Basics Certification Course

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ver Heard of CRISPR ?

The technology which has the potential to change the world we live in! This technology is the biggest boom Biotech has ever seen.

What is it? And why is the scientific community so much interested in its potential uses? Starting with its basics, we explain how this new technology harnesses an ancient defense system — and how it will impact the world around us today.

What will be covered in this course?

• • • • •

What is CRISPR? Applications Limitations Controversies Future of CRISPR

• Career Opportunities in CRISPR Technologies Duration: 7 Days Course ( 1.5 Hour Per day ) Mode of Workshop: ONLINE Self Certification Course Instructors: Senior BioTecNika Experts: Dr Prabhakaran Ravichandran, Dr Rashmi Sanyal, Dr Priyanjana Ghosh, Dr Preeti Saini Who must attend: Students in their B.Sc / B.Tech / M.Sc / M.Tech who aspire to work on cutting-edge research technologies of the FUTURE Certification: All participants who attend this workshop will get Course Participation Certificate Hard copy

SAVE 90% CRISPR Advanced Course: All the participants who attend the Basics course will be eligible to apply

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Rs. 699.00 for CRISPR Advanced Courses by BioTecNika & Rasayanika

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