Biotecnika Times - 26th March 2019 Edition

March 26th, 2019.

Vol. 03

NO 71

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CAREER ADVICE

Top 15 Ways To Avoid Rejection of Your Research Paper By Journals Page 2

Quality Research vs Publication in High Impact Journal!

What’s Important?

Page 4

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PhD vs MPhil Degree After Masters?

What to Choose!

Page 6

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CAREER ADVICE

March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

Top 15 Ways To Avoid Rejection of Your Research Paper By Journals Scientific research and subsequent publishing is an iterative process. First manuscripts are designed and written, then they are revised and edited several times.

AUTHORS GATHER INPUT FROM VARIOUS COLLABORATORS, COLLEAGUES, FELLOW AUTHORS, AND PEER REVIEWERS.

By Rashmi Sanyal

In a perfect world, this carefully designed product would be immediately ready to publish. Yet, evidence suggests that 21% of papers are rejected without review, at first glance, and approximately 40% of papers are rejected after peer review.

Every day, many individuals approach various journals to get their work published. Publishing one’s scientific work in a renowned journal provides authenticity and gives credit to the author. Some get accepted at the first go, many require multiple iterations, while a lot many face rejections. There is Nobel worthy literature that has not yet found space in the printed world. There are many reasons why a paper may not be accepted, data plagiarism is just one of the common concerns. There are no shortcuts to success. To prepare a noteworthy paper one must put in a lot of effort initially behind the work itself and then behind the paper writing process.

There are multiple criteria checked by individual journals, a few of which have been discussed below. #1 – Journal scope does not include the concerned work.

It is essential to approach a journal which publishes your line of work.

For example, if you have worked on an antibiotic characterization and have approached an Ecology based journal, the chances are high that it gets rejected at the first screening itself. It is very important that the subject line of your work matches the ideology of the journal. #2 – Insufficient problem statement.

Once you have chosen the appropriate journal, they will check whether you have chosen a strong problem statement. For example, if you have

established a new protein, it is essential for you to provide the structure, characteristics, interaction data, and signaling junctions. Again, rejections may happen, if you have just chosen to provide the name of the protein and have not given any details on what role it has to play in cell signaling or what function it may have in the body. These are weak literature with not much depth in them.

draw conclusions based on arbitrary or variable data. Inconsistency in your work and assumption can lead to rejection. #4 – Clarity of images and optimized techniques

You may have taken time to understand the problem statement, decipher it and analyze it, but your presentation must be simple for helping others understand. Since maximum journals accept the English language for their content, proofread your manuscript to avoid confusion due to grammatical errors. Always remember the journal targets a broad range audience, hence frame your work accordingly.

If you provide a western blot, make sure the wells, bands are clearly visible. Never edit any real-time image taken as that can be considered plaThe objective of your research must giarism. If the image has a lot of dirt #7 – Data is biased be clearly identifiable in the abstract or fragments or huge smears visible, itself and must be clearly concluded it may indicate that your method had Journal reviewers and editors can in your work. Partially done experi- a lot of manual errors or your sample identify if your results or assumptions ments with no conclusive proof may used during the process was not pure seem manipulated or forcefully denot be accepted. and stable. rived. Hence, do not include any data bias. Have sufficient data to establish #3 – Data insufficiency.

Make sure you have well optimized and support each statement that you your instruments before you begin claim in the paper. In case you obtain Any experiments listed must be your work and all these optimizations any data contradicting your work, try reproducible and must be proved and controls used must be clearly list- to provide the reasons or possibilities by multiple trials. The experiments ed in your methodology. for the same. In case there are too which have been concluded by more many contradictions, reconsider your than one technique offering the same #5 – Use of obsolete methods methodology or optimize your techresult will have more credibility. It is niques better. critical for you to identify how much With modern day technologies addata you want to publish in your vancing, more accurate and error-free Where sampling is involved, make work. You can provide details under a techniques are developed. Conduct- sure that there are sufficient test samseparate header of Methods or Exper- ing research using them is far more ples and a large basket of data. If the iments in your article. Your research beneficial as a criterion for article data size is small, there is a chance of and its conclusion must be backed acceptance. In some cases, if there bias in the results and that often leads with scientific experiments and can- are far better and accurate techniques to rejections. not be concluded based on hypothesis available, a journal may reject your or rough estimations. research as an outdated technique.

In case of statistical analysis have been done, they must be validated #6 – Writing ability to the most appropriate values using statistical techniques like chi-square If you have chosen a very complicatetc. Ensure you use the correct sta- ed aim and are not able to convey the tistical method for analysis and that steps in a simplified legible manner, the method is listed in details. Never it may lead to rejection of your work.

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

#8 – Data mismatch or defective submitted or quoted in other journals. tabulation Often these papers are seen to have contents that are a small extension of If your experimental data, images, work from another paper, possibly the tabulations, and graphs do not tal- author’s own. ly with one another or with the theory you support, then there is a high Journals accept review papers as chance your work will not be accept- well, in which case current findings ed. It is crucial to cross check each of must be present or accounted for in these and make sure the data is easy the article. In case the literature is soto understand and deduce. This will licited from any author, the cover lethelp the reviewer undergo fewer iter- ter must clearly state the details and ations before publishing your work. purpose.

Do not edit the data that does not support your theory. This is considered #12 – Research is unethical or tampering and plagiarism. dangerous to society #9 – Conclusion stated cannot be drawn or cannot be generalized After all the effort of having proper experimentation and collecting sufficient data, if your conclusion speaks about something distantly related, the work will not be accepted. Conclusions can be generalized only when there is sufficient sampling done. If there is a small amount of sample, then there is a chance that the same results may not be applicable at a larger scale. So, carefully scrutinize your work and take sufficient expert opinions before submitting the same for publishing.

Any arguments made must be logically driven and must remain valid at least for the next 5 years. Data that can change instantaneously or cannot be reproduced, must not be used or submitted and neither should be relied upon for research.

If the work that has been done, or the experimental systems or procedures used are unethical, legal action may be initiated along with rejection.

While executing any work, make sure everything aligns as per the ethical standards of the society and accreditation boards. If the research quality standards do not meet the norms of scientific society and the laws governing us, the research may be deemed dangerous and the member may be barred. #13 – Reference to special cases or examples

If the work depends upon claims made only for special cases or samples and not on ones that are generalized, then such work may not be accepted by a journal. The published work must be applicable to all scenarios. In other cases if it refers to special cases, it must be explicitly mentioned #10 – Research claim is incomplete that the aim of the work is applicable only to certain scenarios and the upThe work that has been done shows per limit must be clearly mentioned. multiple observations and has a lot of results, but may not be recognized as #14 – Improper Citations a full study. The work may be considered too preliminary and the experi- It may seem strange but even reusments may not have a high level of ing your own work from previous confidence. If the work does not add labs or degrees can be committing any significant value to the existing self-plagiarism. It is very important to literature or is an average work that cite the articles you have referred or cannot be used any further, it may not your work may be rejected on copyqualify as a complete study. Just as a right claims. Be honest with your subresearcher searched for a high impact mission as copyright and plagiarism journal, the researchers work must are offenses that can be criminally also add impact to the journal. Poor charged !! conceptualization leads to rejection.

Journals have a criteria where only 10-20% of your citations may be #11 – Repeated or Not an original from your or your co-author’s work. study The rest must necessarily be from external authors. In case this ratio is Bringing out the novelty is impor- not maintained, the work may not be tant. Research does not mean mod- considered as free from bias and may ifying the contents or beautifying be rejected. what has already been stated before, it means adding more to an existing While providing citations for fellow claim, either in support or in contra- authors, make sure to use recent litdiction. The reviewer may reject your erature. Outdated literature may supwork if similar proceedings are found port wrong conclusions or may have

a lot of contradictory literature’s. Try not to exclude studies that are negating your hypothesis, you may choose to discuss them with proof, to add more authenticity and conviction to your work. Insufficient citations may also be a cause for rejection. #15 – Manuscript will have limited interest to international audience

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to a high technical standard and should be described in sufficient detail.

Conclusions should be presented in an appropriate fashion and must be supported by the data.

The article should be presented in an intelligible fashion and must be written in standard English.

The research should meet all applicable standards for the ethics of experimentation as well as research integrity.

The article must adhere to appropriate reporting guidelines as well as community standards for data availability.

If your work does not attract viewers, the journal may not encourage it further. A manuscript must have a catchy aim and a novel technique or • a topic of mass interest. That will attract viewers and citations and will be beneficial to both the author and the publisher. Again, if the audience is limited to a particular region within In case your work has been explica country, that too may not be enter- itly rejected without any iterations, tained further. there is a high chance that even modifications may not lead to acceptance.

Journal’s overall criteria for ac- This suggests that the reviewers may ceptance not support your line of work or the journal scope may be different. In Each journal may have stated their such cases, do not be disheartened, it acceptability criteria before hand. It is always good to try looking for other should be carefully looked through to journals to publish your work. Every avoid rejections. Most common crite- researchers data, though and concept ria’s are – is valuable no matter how simple it is.

It must be published. Use the rejec• The study must present the re- tions as a learning to better your litsults of the primary scientific erary work, refine your approach and research. stay focused till you succeed.

• Results that have been reported must not be published elsewhere.

• Experiments, statistics, and other analyses must be performed

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CAREER ADVICE

March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

Quality Research vs Publication in High Impact Journal! What’s Important?

Research & Development has been scaled up to a commendable level since last decade. In fact, a country’s strength is now measured on the scale of how efficient its R&D is!

RESEARCH HAS CURRENTLY BEEN INCULCATED INTO EACH & EVERY FIELD BE IT SCIENCE OR ARTS.

By Dr. Preeti Saini

Research & development in the life science area alone has witnessed a steep rise. This has helped in eradicating life-threatening diseases like polio and pox and treating morbid disorders & numerous cancers. No doubt, it has led to betterment for humanity associated with health and quality of life.

But research must be conducted beneath the umbrella of ethics and consistent with the pre-determined, acceptable rules developed by the community of scientists. Once the results are obtained, publishing them is the responsibility of every scientist, in order to spread across the word globally. This will aid different researchers to analyze further on the obtained results and facilitate clinicians to relinquish additional care to the sick.

Writing analysis isn’t solely a science but also a tough art. It needs honesty, hard work, patience, and perseverance. Increased competition in the field of good research has made it even difficult for the researchers to get their manuscript published in a highly reputed journal. Best of the journals look forward to those manuscripts which have the best quality research supported by ethical guidelines on scientific backgrounds. To each researcher, his own data/ manuscript/ finding is most important and relevant to the current world scenario.

However, all of those manuscripts do not pave their ways into leading journals. Rejection obviously discourages the author/researcher. But does that mean that his research is not good quality, or is not up to the standards that are laid down internationally? We will try to find an answer to this particular question while going through views of leading researchers.

that represents the average number of citations which every article in that journal has received over the last few years. The higher the impact factor of the journal the higher the reputation among those scientists. Its calculation is based on the number of times items published in that journal in previous years were cited by indexed publications in the succeeding years.

This term is also governed by other factors like H-index, self-citations, citations per document, etc. Although there are numerous available impact factors and scientific ratings, the most acceptable is one by Thomson Reuters. Leading scientific journals like Nature, science, CA has a rating of more than 30.

Impact factor (IF) calculation has several advantages, being:

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extremely passionate about the number of references per article within the analysis field Language barriers for journals that aren’t in English Selective journal self – citation Expensive costs for access to databases Citations of papers in journals aren’t in correlation with the standard of the journal and Even less with the scientific quality of the paper Journals that are less obtainable to readers can almost ne’er come through the next impact issue regardless of the standard of papers it publishes Leading to a reduction in the popularity of newly established and local journals with lesser impact factors

The use of journal IF to live the • The most vital and up to date standard and impact of individual pa• The calculation of impact issue pers is invalid from a statistical point is well understood of view. The high Impact Factor of • It provides a tool for managing selective journals results from their library journal collections ability to draw in many papers that • Gives a gross approximation of are terribly cited. However, the publithe prestige of journals (this is cation venue could be a poor predictor done in conjunction with of the number of times that an article • Alternative considerations like is going to be cited. Thus, for many peer review, productivity, and authors, the advantages of publication subject specialty citation rates in high-IF journals result in a lot of from their association with different There are also certain disadvan- papers within the same journal that tages associated with Impact Fac- happens to be extremely cited than Now, anyone, who is from the refrom their own extraordinary content. search background knows that the tor: In different words, publication in a quality of a journal is determined by • The journal’s impact issue isn’t very high-Impact Factor journal is its Impact Factor. The impact factor is essentially representative of the also easier than manufacturing exthe measure of the impact of certain individual journal articles it’s tremely cited work. journals in the scientific community

The journal Impact Factor exerts an amazing influence on the conduct of scientists. The obsession with IF has been compared to a medical condition, typically mentioned as “IF mania” or “impactitis.”

Arturo Casadevall and Ferric C. Fang advise 5 measures to fight this “IF-Mania” malady: (i) to diversify journal club selections, (ii) not to judge science on the publication venue, (iii) to reduce the reliance on journal citation metrics for employment and advancement, (iv) to discuss the misuse of the IF in ethics courses, and (v) to cite the foremost acceptable sources.

A news in 2013 grabbed the attention of masses, when Randy Schekman, a US biologist who won the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine of that year stated that his lab would not send research papers to the highest-impact journals, Nature, Cell and Science. Schekman said pressure to publish in “luxury” journals inspired researchers to chop corners and pursue fashionable fields of science rather than doing a lot of necessary work.

According to him, the matter is further worsened, by editors who weren’t active scientists but professionals

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

who favored studies that were doubt- terested in citation count and h-index than impact factor. Citation indexes less to form a splash. were originally designed for data reThe prestige of appearing in the ma- trieval, they’re progressively used for jor journals has caused the Chinese bibliometrics and alternative studies Academy of Sciences to pay sure- involving research analysis. Citation fire authors the equivalent of $30,000 information is additionally the idea of (£18,000). Some researchers created the favored journal impact issue. The 1/2 their financial gain through such impact issue (IF) of a journal may be alive reflective of the average range “bribes”, Schekman said. of citations to recent articles pubSchekman, who himself is the editor lished in the journal. It is often used of eLife, an online journal, accused as a proxy for the relative importance Nature, Cell, and Science for imitat- of a journal in its field, with journals ing fashion designers who create lim- with higher impact factors deemed to ited-edition handbags, by restricting be additionally vital than those with lower ones. The h-index is an assothe number of papers they accept. ciated index that makes an attempt Not only the Nobel Laureates but to measure both the productivity listening to the views of the overall and impact of the research work of a scientific community, one will realize scholar. The index relies on the set of that young researchers are more in- the scientist’s most cited papers and

CAREER ADVICE also the range of citations that they have received in alternative publications. The index can even be applied to the productivity and impact of a bunch of scientists, like a department or university or country, as well as a scholarly journal.

The citation count will automatically increase if the research paper follows ethical guidelines and contains all the relevant information. It will draw the attention of researchers, even if it is not a part of a high impact journal.

Try improving the quality of your manuscript by: • Being focussed on the topic • Giving a detailed analysis of the research work in hand • Including novel available methods (you can even design a new

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method and get it patented) Giving detailed research protocol for reference by others Providing support data (pictures, diagrams, flow charts, tables) Relating wisely with an already existing problem and suggesting a valid solution to that Take requisite time to complete your work in an elaborate manner

Ultimately the whole and sole of research are to give some piece of information which can be used by others to develop something which is going to bear fruits. There is no use of such ground-breaking research that wins the Nobel Prize and gets published in Cell, Nature, Science, without any societal significance.

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CAREER ADVICE

March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

PhD vs MPhil Degree After Masters?

What to Choose!

When most of the students are professionally willing to focus more on honing their practical skills in order to be placed in the right concern, there are some whose affinity grows more towards the theoretical aspects of the study.

AND WHY IT SHOULDN’T BE? MOST OF THE ACADEMICIANS ACROSS THE WORLD ARE MASTERS IN THEIR FIELD ONLY THROUGH A MICRO- LEVEL STUDY IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS.

By Priyanjana Ghosh

But most importantly the lookout should be for the type of research degrees that an aspirant can aspire.

While PhD is by far the most popular research degree across the world, students can also nurture other research degrees like MPhil, Dsc and so on. Candidates are often confused whether they should opt for an MPhil degree, which is a 1-2 years research-based programme or they should go for a PhD degree after their masters. In many cases, M.Phill degree is seen to be the first step towards a PhD Still, the question remains the same Whether to go for an M.Phill degree or a PhD degree (PhD vs MPhil) after Masters/ post graduation. n this article, the basics of both MPhil and PhD degrees in terms of structure, value, duration, eligibility criteria have been explained. Difference between an M.Phill & PhD degree is also enlisted which may help you take a decision if you are stuck on the career path with two diversions named MPhill & PhD degree.

What is a PhD? The PhD or Doctor of Philosophy is one of the highest and premium degree that a student can achieve in his/her academic credentials. A PhD is attained through detailed research on a specific subject or discipline following which the researcher is required to submit a thesis describing the result of her research. Generally, a PhD can be taken up after Masters and MPhil. However, in certain cases, a research career can be pursued even after Bachelors as is relevant in the USA. As the name suggests, a PhD is a doctorate degree and is mainly pursued by those who take a keen interest in a career in academics & research.

There is no specific time frame for a PhD but generally, the average tenure is 5 years but it might take even less

than 3 years to complete research. A PhD is usually undertaken under any skilled Scientist, Researchers, Academician, working under a university or any recognized Research Institute, who is known to have enough research experience to guide the PhD candidate.

What is an MPhil Degree?

The Master of Philosophy is a structured research degree that a lot of students take up research-oriented studies for 1 or 2 years. It is an intermediate degree between a Masters and PhD and sometimes considered as the first step towards a Doctorate.

In MPhil, students learn about the fundamentals of research work and may actually investigate the research of others rather than taking up their own research. An MPhil degree is more relevant in the field of Arts and Humanities, with many universities offering it as a replacement for PhD. Again, an MPhil degree is not necessarily a research degree and in cases like that of Cambridge University, MPhil replaces the one year Masters’ degree and include more coursework content. However, in other cases, the MPhil structure is intimated more towards research or the study of it.

The Master of Philosophy (MPhil or Ph.M.) is a post-graduate research degree, that can opt after the completion of a bachelor’s degree. Most MPhil degrees are a two-year course, but can also be a three-year course in some countries and involves thesis work only.

Any aspirant may achieve an MPhil after a few years of original research but before giving a dissertation. The degree may also work as a prerequisite for getting enrolled for a PhD. The MPhil has a comparatively lesser weightage compared to PhD.

While the inclination of both the PhD and MPhil is towards research, both are far from being similar degrees.

Two of the main differences between these two achievements are, definitely, their lengths and content structure.

The table enlisted below conceptualizes some of the differences between PhD vs MPhil – What are the ma- the MPhil and PhD degrees. jor differences?

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

• A PhD degree has definitely got a high edge over an MPhil degree. MPhil is mostly used as training in advanced research work. The research work in the dissertation need not be compulsorily original but can imitate a research work that has already been done.

• PhD is a Doctorate degree awarded by Universities. The education level compulsory to pursue PhD course depends largely on the country, institution and time period as well. A student who achieves a PhD degree, he/she known to be tagged with “Doctor” title before his or her name and that definitely stands out to be highly prestigious. The term “Doctorate of Philosophy” does not only relates to the ‘Philosophical dimensions’ but is used in a wider spectrum.

What after the Masters/ Post Graduation – PhD vs MPhil ?

Speaking in general, pursuing Masters or PhD entirely depends on the interest of an individual. Both are research-oriented programmes but lead to different qualifications and estab-

lishments. Since an MPhil is prior to PhD, many students pursue it as a preparation for PhD. It has been observed that MPhil degrees are mostly offered in the field of Arts and Humanities while STEM-related fields focus more on PhD and moreover MPhil courses are rare and not all universities offer this degree and especially research-intensive ones, provide research opportunities in only some of the subjects or fields.

How to apply?

For PhD • For PhD, the best way to get into a PhD program is by writing the CSIR NET / GATE / GPAT National Level competitive Exams conducted everywhere, wherein CSIR NET exam is conducted twice a year & GATE / DBT / GPAT once in a year. After qualifying the above exams you can get into a PhD course of your choice with fellowships.

• Candidates willing to pursue PhD degree can join into integearted Msc-PhD Course after completion of their bachelors dgeree.

• Entrance exams are also conducted by various private universities for PhD admission but it can burn your pockets, also in maximum cases, no fellowship is provided.

• You can also get into a PhD course by searching research opportunities in the specific departments and write to them asking for opportunities and also every willing candidate should prepare a strong SOP of their choice. which will add an extra feat to their biodata while applying.

• While post-graduation is a must for many universities but many even accept Bachelors students, provided the student can show credentials that are impressive and worth enough for the faculty members.

• Ph.D. aspirants are required to submit a research proposal and their doctorate depends on whether the research proposal or SOP is accepted and an academician at a university is willing to take the student under her.

For MPhil For MPhil, the requirements proce-

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dure vary along with the universities.

Since an MPhil degree does not demand dissertation work, the students are not required to submit any research proposal for the same. In fact, the process of applying for an MPhil degree is more often the same as for post-graduation. However, the university will look into one’s research interest during screening. Also, as in PhD, it helps to have majored in the same subject as one wishes to pursue MPhil.

By now you must have got some idea about the difference between a Mphil and PhD degree. Which one to go for is totally your call. Keep in mind that career prospects after both degrees are entirely different. A PhD degree carries value both nationally & internationally, thus you need to be focused on your prime goal to make the choice – that is where do you see yourself after 5-10 years from now.

Over to you all now, Make the best choice for yourself!

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

NEWS

March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

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High Traces of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Found In Ganga Antibiotic resistance is a global threat elevating at an alarming rate. It has been a hot topic of research for the Scientists community.

AS PER A NEW STUDY, HUGE TRACES OF BACTERIA RESISTANT TO LOADS OF COMMONLY USED ANTIBIOTICS HAVE BEEN LOCATED IN RIVER GANGA.

By Swarna Khushbu

It is being speculated that residues of antibiotics through waste discharged from households, drug manufacturing units, hospitals and poultry industry where antibiotics are used is reaching the water body, in huge amount.

These antibiotics in water lead to the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which have evolved in number and have spread through the environment.

This emerging alarming situation can be lethal to human health, as an infection with this kind of resistant bacteria could become untreatable.

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) researchers in their study found the presence of antibiotic as well as metal resistant bacteria in river Ganga. The DNA was extracted by the Researchers from these samples and exposed to a high throughput technique to sequence DNA of bacteria within the samples.

A comparison of the information with existing sequences of metal and antibiotic resistance genes revealed that bacteria resistant to antibiotics

like beta-lactam, multidrug/efflux, and elfamycin are highly abundant in the Ganga river water. At the exact same time, bacteria resilient to a selection of commonly used antibiotics were also present in water samples.

In the case of metals, bacteria had genes resistant to ions of silver, iron, aluminum, chromium, arsenic, and zinc. “This study suggests that metals and antibiotics will be the driving force for the development of resistance genes, and their subsequent propagation and accumulation in the environmental germs,” researchers have pointed out.

Dr. Suresh Kumar Dubey professor

in Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Center of Advanced Study in Botany at BHU explained that Varanasi region receives over 309.8 million gallons of treated and untreated domestic waste daily by various point and nonpoint sources, which might be leading to accumulation of resistant gene in the environment.

The results of the study, he said, will be useful to regulatory agencies such as state and central pollution control boards in creating policy change to enforce pollution control regulation to prevent additional input of antibiotics and toxic metals from the river via domestic, hospital and industrial wastewater.

Dr. Bhaskar Reddy and Dr. S. K Dubey with assistance from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Science and Engineering Board (SERB) performed the analysis. The study results have been published in the journal Environmental Pollution.

BHU Research team. Image Courtesy – India Science Wire

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

21 New Genes Discovered That Regulate Photosynthesis Princeton University researchers by utilizing a public library they created to help the research community search & identify genes and their functions – have identified 303 genes related to photosynthesis including 21 newly discovered genes with high capability to provide fresh insights into the life-sustaining biological process.

THE RESEARCH WAS PUBLISHED THIS WEEK IN NATURE GENETICS.

By Preety Suman

“The region of the plant in charge of photosynthesis is similar to an intricate machine made up of several components, and we want to understand what each part does,” said Martin Jonikas, assistant professor of molecular chemistry at Princeton.

“This library we expect will be one of the foundations that people will assemble on to make the next generation of discoveries” Unlocking the role of each gene could allow investigators to engineer plants to grow more quickly, possibly meeting future world food needs.

Plants may also possibly be altered to absorb more carbon dioxide, helping to deal with climate challenges.

Each “book” in the library is really a breed of Chlamy using a single mutation.

Libraries of a similar kind have been developed in other unicellular organisms like yeast, but this approach remains one of its kind for any single-celled photosynthetic organism.

Unicellular organisms because of their rapid growth capability are excellent research tools.

conducted by Paul Lefebvre, a professor of plant and microbial biology at the University of Minnesota.

The capacity to watch a Chlamy mobile with only one defective gene among all the other working genes allows researchers to determine what that gene does. As an instance, if the mobile has trouble transferring, then the faulty gene’s function mostly probably entails regulating motion.

Jonikas compared the Chlamy mutant library to a library containing many copies of a guide for constructing a vehicle, with each copy of this book missing a different section. No matter which manual was used, the subsequent car would be missing a “Because this algal species is fre- part, making it unable to function as quently utilized as a model to un- anticipated. derstand a wider array of biological processes, this library is going to “The horn might not work, or the be a significant resource,” said Ka- steering wheel may not turn,” Jonren Cone, a program manager in the ikas stated. “Then you would know National Science Foundation, which that the missing segment included the was the key funder for this research. directions for that part of the automobile.”

The project took two long years to finish. Throughout the project, researchers used robots to maintain generations of cells living by altering the nutrient-rich liquid media where the cells live.

Back in 2010, the project was initiated. Jonas and his team were in Carnegie Institution for Science on the Stanford University campus and was completed at Princeton where the Jonikas laboratory moved in 2016.

The library enables investigators to test multiple mutant Chlamy breeds at once because each mutation is tagged with a distinctive “DNA barcode.”

For the current study, investigators placed tens of thousands of Chlamy strains in a single flask and exposed them to light. Strains that failed to grow were prone to contain a gene involved in photosynthesis.

The project was run in coordination with a senior staff scientist at Carnegie – Arthur Grossman & with the Chlamydomonas Resource Center

One of the recently identified genes is CPL3, which is considered to play a role in amassing the protein “components” of the photosynthetic machinery. The group is now exploring

whether the gene aids the algae to adapt their photosynthetic activity to changes in sunlight amounts.

The mutant library may empower studies in different areas of plant biology, such as intracellular communication and Chlamy’s capability to paddle about its surroundings using a tail-like cilium.

Xiaobo Li, the study’s first author, was a postdoctoral researcher in Princeton when the team finished the library. “It is our expectation that the Chlamydomonas mutant library along with the genes identified will result in numerous basic discoveries in photosynthesis, cell motility and lots of different procedures,” Li explained.

Weronika Patena, a senior bioinformatics analyst at the Jonikas laboratory, wrote computer programs to ex-

amine large amounts of information to identify genes likely to be involved in photosynthesis. “I believe the success of the project will greatly accelerate research into photosynthesis and other processes for which Chlamy is a good model and supply a great deal of value to the scientific community,” she said. This project was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (MCB-1146621), the National Institutes of Health (DP2GM-119137), the Simons Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (55108535), the European Molecular Biology Organization (ALTF 1450-2014 and ALTF 563-2013), the Swiss National Science Foundation, along with Westlake University in China.

Press Release By Princeton

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

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Genetic Switch For Organ Regeneration Discovered By Scientists Organ regeneration is a fascinating process which has enticed scientists for ages to research in the same field.

KINGDOM ANIMALIA HAS SPECIES THAT ARE CAPABLE OF REGENERATION, THE LEG OF A SALAMANDER IF CUT WILL GROW BACK, WHEN THREATENED, SOME GECKOS SHED THEIR TAILS AS A DISTRACTION AND REGROW THEM LATTER.

By Swarna Khushbu

As per the study published on March 15 in Science Journal, A team of Researcher Under Supervision of Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Mansi Srivastava is shedding new light on how creatures pull off the feat and uncovered a number of DNA switches that appear to control genes for whole- Srivastava stated that the biggest part body regeneration. of this study was released the genome of the species which is important beUsing three-banded panther worms cause it is the first from this phylum. to test the process, Postdoctoral fel- And it is also noteworthy, she exlow Srivastava and Andrew Gehrke plained, because the three-banded working in their lab found that a sec- panther worm represents a new model tion of non-coding DNA controls the system for studying regeneration. activation of a “master control gene” called early growth response, or EGR. She stated- Previous work on other Once active, EGR controls a number species helped us understand several of other processes by switching other things about regeneration, but there genes on or off are some reasons to work with these Gehrke stated that – What they found was a one master gene comes on…and that’s activating genes that are turning on during regeneration.

Basically, the non-coding regions are telling the coding regions to turn on or off, so to say in a more precise way they are working as switches.

Gehrke further stated that For that process to work, a change has to be made in the DNA worms’ cells, which is normally tightly folded and compacted making new areas available for activation.

new worms, one of which is they’re in an important phylogenetic position, so the way that they’re related to other animals allows us to make statements about development.

She continued further stating that another reason is they are really fantastic lab rats. She collected them in the area in Bermuda a few years ago during her post-doc, and since is was brought them to the lab they’re amenable to a lot more tools than a few other systems.

And while these tools can demonstrate the dynamic nature of the geHe also said a lot of those very tight- nome during regeneration, 18,000 rely packed portions of the genome ac- gions were identified by Gehrke that tually physically become more open, changed because there are regulatory switches in there that have to turn genes on or The results, she said, show that EGR off. One of the major findings in this acts as a power switch for regenerapaper is that the genome is very dy- tion–once it is turned on, other procenamic and really changes during re- dures can occur, but without it, nothgeneration as different parts are open- ing happens. ing and closing.

But before understanding the dy- Srivastava stated they were able to namic nature of the worm’s genome reduce the activity of this gene and Gehrke and Srivastava had to assem- they found that if you don’t have ble its sequence–no easy feat in itself.

EGR, nothing happens the animals just can not regenerate.

On one hand, the study reveals new details regarding how the method works in worms and on the other hand it also can help explain why it does not work in humans.

Gehrke stated that- It turns out that the master gene is EGR, and the other genes which are being turned off and on downstream are present in different species, including humans.

Post Doc Srivastava stated that- The reason they called this gene in the worm’s EGR is when you look at its sequence, it is very similar to a gene that has already been studied in humans and other animals.

Raising an interesting question Srivastava stated further If individuals can turn on Egr and not just turn it on but do it when our cells are injured, why can’t we regenerate? The answer could be that if EGR is the power switch, we believe the wiring differs. So they would figure out what those connections are, and then apply that to other animals, including vertebrates that could only do more restricted regeneration.

Moving forward, Srivastava and Gehrke stated that they are looking forward to investigating whether the genetic switches activated during regeneration are the same as those used during development and to continue working to better understand the dynamic nature of the genome.

Srivastava stated that- Now that they have understood what switches are for regeneration, they are looking at the switches involved in evolution, and if they are the same.

The group is also working on understanding the precise way that EGR and other genes trigger the regeneration process, both for three-banded panther worms, also for other species also.

At last together Srivastava and Gehrke stated that the analysis highlights the value not only in understanding the genome but understanding each of the genomes which include the non-coding as well as the coding portions.

Gehrke stated that Only about two percent of the genome makes proteins. They wanted to know about the role of other 98 percent of the genome doing during whole-body regeneration. People have known for some time that many DNA changes that cause disease are in non-coding areas but it’s been underappreciated for a procedure like whole-body regeneration.

He continued stating that they have only just scratched the surface. They have looked at a number of these switches, but there is a whole other part of how the genome is interacting

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with a larger scale, not just how bits open and shut, and all of that is essential for turning genes on and off, so I presume there are numerous layers of this regulatory nature.

natural question to look at the natural world and think if a gecko can do this why can’t they. He also said that there are many species that can regenerate and many can not but it turns out in case you compare genomes across all Srivastava stated that – It’s a very animals, the majority of the genes that

we have are also in the three-banded the noncoding portion of the genome. panther worm.so they thought that some of those answers are probably not likely to come from whether or not certain genes exist, but from how they’re wired or networked together, and that answer can only come from

Novel Technology For Detection of Tiny Tumors

By MIT Researchers Various kinds of cancer could be more easily treated when they had been detected at an earlier stage.

MIT RESEARCHERS HAVE NOW DEVELOPED AN IMAGING PROGRAM, CALLED “DOLPHIN,” WHICH COULD ENABLE THEM TO LOCATE MINIATURE TUMORS, AS SMALL AS A FEW CELLS, DEEP INSIDE THE BODY.

By Preety Suman

In a new study, the investigators used their imaging program, which is based on near-infrared light, to track a 0.1-millimeter fluorescent probe through the digestive tract of a living mouse. They also revealed that they can detect a signal to a tissue depth of 8 centimeters, much deeper than any present biomedical optical imaging procedure.

The researchers hope to accommodate their imaging technology for early diagnosis of ovarian and other cancers that are presently difficult to discover until later phases.

Lead authors of this research study are – Xiangnan Dang, a former MIT postdoc, also Neelkanth Bardhan, a Mazumdar-Shaw International Oncology Fellow. Jifa Qi and Ngozi Eze, former postdoc Li Gu, postdoc ChingWei Lin, graduate student Swati Kataria, along with Paula Hammond, the David H. Koch Professor of Engineering, head of MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering, and a part of the Koch Institute were also a part of the team.

Current techniques for imaging have limitations that prevent them from being useful for early cancer diagnosis.

Most have a tradeoff between depth and resolution of imaging, and not one of the optical imaging methods can picture deeper compared to about 3 centimeters to tissue.

Belcher’s laboratory set out to develop new optical methods for cancer imaging several decades back when they joined the Koch Institute. They wanted to create technology that

could image very tiny collections of cells deep inside tissue and do this with no kind of radioactive labeling.

Near-infrared mild, which has wavelengths from 900 to 1700 nanometers, is well-suited to tissue imaging since light with longer wavelengths does not scatter up to when it strikes objects, which allows the light to penetrate deeper into the tissue. To make the most of this, the researchers used an approach known as hyperspectral imaging, which allows simultaneous imaging in multiple wavelengths of light.

The researchers tested their system with an assortment of near-infrared fluorescent light-emitting probes, chiefly sodium yttrium fluoride nanoparticles which have rare earth elements such as erbium, holmium, or praseodymium inserted through a process called doping. Based upon the option of the doping element, each of those particles elicits near-infrared fluorescent light of different wavelengths.

Using algorithms that they created, the researchers can analyze the data in the hyperspectral scanning to identify the sources of fluorescent light of various wavelengths, which permits

them to ascertain the location of a particular probe. Researchers also determined the depth at which a probe is situated, by further analyzing light from narrower wavelength bands inside the entire near-IR spectrum. The researchers call their method “DOLPHIN”, which stands for “Detection of Optically Luminescent Probes with Hyperspectral and diffuse Imaging at Near-infrared.”

To illustrate the potential usefulness of the system, the researchers tracked a 0.1-millimeter-sized bunch of fluorescent nanoparticles which was swallowed and then traveled via the digestive tract of a mouse. All these probes could be altered so that they aim and fluorescently label-specific cancer cells.

“In relation to technical applications, this technique would allow us to non-invasively track a 0.1-mm-sized fluorescently-labeled tumor, which is a cluster of about a few hundred cells.

To our knowledge, nobody has managed to do this previously using optical imaging techniques,” Bardhan says.

The researchers also demonstrated they could inject Atomic particles

into the body of a mouse or a rat and then image during the entire animal, which requires imaging to a depth of approximately 4 centimeters, to determine in which the particles stopped up. And in tests with human tissue-mimics and animal tissue, they could locate the probes to a thickness of around 2 centimeters, depending on the type of tissue.

Guosong Hong, an assistant professor of materials science and technology at Stanford University, explained the new method as “game-changing.”

“This is really amazing work,” says Hong, who was not involved in the research. “For the first time, fluorescent imaging has approached the penetration depth of CT and MRI, while maintaining its naturally high resolution, which makes it appropriate to scan the entire body.”

This kind of system could be employed with almost any fluorescent probe that emits light in the near-infrared spectrum, including some that

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are already FDA-approved, the investigators say. The researchers are also working on adapting the imaging system so it could show intrinsic differences in tissue comparison, including signatures of tumor cells, without any kind of fluorescent tag.

to attempt and detect ovarian tumors at an early stage. Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed very late because there’s absolutely no simple method to detect it when the tumors remain tiny.

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Belcher says. “We need the means to aging to detect different kinds of canfollow signals of these microbes, and cer such as pancreatic cancer, brain a means to discover and follow early cancer, and melanoma. tumors when they first return the road MIT Press Release to cancer or metastasis. This is one of the first steps on the way in terms of developing this technology”

“Ovarian cancer is a deadly disIn continuing work, they are using a ease, and it gets diagnosed so late be- The researchers also have started related version of this imaging system cause the signs are so nondescript,” working on adapting this type of im-

Pathway That Helps Us Make Antibodies Explained By Scientists Our bodies are continuously concocting specific antibodies to thwart invaders such as a virus or even pollen. “ SCIENTISTS HAVE NEW INFORMATION REGARDING HOW THE CRUCIAL PRODUCTION GETS FIRED UP AND KEEPS UP. ”

By Preety Suman

Dr. Nagendra Singh an immunologist in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University said: “It’s a key protective mechanism which the scientists want to better comprehend with the long-term goal of manipulating it to help keep us well”.

He also added that they are attempting to design small molecules that can either block or activate this pathway.

The pathway is basically known as ufmylation in which a polypeptide call Ufm1 is known to target other proteins, connect with them, and alter their function. One of those proteins is Ufbp1, and researchers have learned that the Ufbp1 that emerges is vital to both immune cells called naïve B cells getting antibody-producing plasma cells and to plasma cells stepping up production of protective antibodies.

Mr. Singh stated that: Better understanding of how this natural protective mechanism works could ultimately help design better vaccines, the investigators write. In fact, current vaccines assist prime B cells to have memories of certain invaders so they can more quickly react.

Selective increases in this Ufbp1 or ufmylation pathway, by way of example, might one day yield a much more concentrated attack on the flu virus.

It could be dangerous to allergy sufferers if selective intervention stops the production of antibodies against

tree and weed pollens which are already producing itchy, watery eyes and noses this year.

It may enable a reduction in antibodies the body inexplicably makes against itself in autoimmune diseases like lupus and arthritis. In fact, the scientists already are looking at making the alteration in a mouse model of lupus.

They found that Ufbp1 inhibits the enzyme PERK to help B cells differentiate. Proteins have to be correctly folded for any cell or body function to occur and PERK is part of the body’s natural “unfolded protein response,” to try to fix problems with badly folded ones that don’t function correctly and may instead become toxic to cells.

When newly made proteins fold PERK becomes activated which stops new protein production and reduces the misfolded protein pileup. But at this point of time, the scientists have discovered that Ufbp1 suppresses PERK to ensure ample production of plasma cells. So when there was a deficiency of Ufbp1 in B cells, B cells survived and the evolution of plasma

cells was impaired.

They discovered that Inside plasma cells Ufbp1 gets upregulated so the endoplasmic reticulum, basically, the manufacturing plant for a cell can enlarge and protein folding capacity can expand with it. Conversely, they showed Ufbp1 deficiency in the plasma cells interrupts the growth of the endoplasmic reticulum and antibody production.

Mr. Singh stated that they were aware that the proteins were folded in the endoplasmic reticulum and that an expanded endoplasmic reticulum is the hallmark of secretory cells like plasma cells being made, but exactly what components were involved that was unknown.

He stated that What they have discovered is that the ufmylation pathway is quite important in cells which secrete plenty of proteins, such as plasma cells.

Dr. Singh notices that Antibodies work like long-lived missiles Singh and plasma cells usually shoot them in the bone marrow. B cells also are created in and from the bone marrow but circulate also looking for invad-

ers. Plasma cells then proceed back to the bone marrow and typically take aim from that point.

It can be very dangerous if the survival and maintenance of plasma cells are a continuous and delicate balance goes wrong. The plasma cells can grow out of control Without this balance and may become cancerous instead of protective and result in multiple myeloma.

Mr. Singh stated that there are people born with some vital ufmylation pathway elements missing and, while not a lot is known about the impact, it may lead to a disease that damages your brain called encephalopathy as well as blood disorders.

Singh stated that misfolding likely happens in most of us, but at low, harmless levels.

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Offline “On the Spot” Genome Analysis Method Developed The ability to read the genome–all the DNA of an organism–has a vast capacity to understand human health and disease. A novel method to take genome analysis ‘offline’ has been published by the Researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and UNSW Sydney.

THE STUDY STATS THAT GENOME ANALYSIS CAN BE TAKEN OFFLINE BY ADAPTING A COMPUTER ALGORITHM THAT CAN PERFORM ACCURATE ANALYSIS–WITH MUCH LESS COMPUTER MEMORY THAN CURRENT PROGRAMS.

By Swarna Khushbu

The algorithm developed by the scientist may make it feasible to identify infectious diseases in remote locations, or in the hospital bedside, using the computational memory of devices as small as a smartphone.

Already Devices that can accommodate entire genomes, such as the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION sequencers been used to track the Ebola virus in New Guinea and the Zika virus in Brazil and these devices are small enough to clip onto a smartphone.

Such devices have the ability to create over a terabyte of data in 48 hours, but their use has been limited, because comparing or ‘aligning’ the DNA from an unknown sample to a reference database of known genomes is computationally intensive. Until now, this process was only possible with high-performance computer workstations or an internet connection.

Currently a computational method have been published by Dr. Martin Smith, Team Leader of Genomic Technologies in the Garvan Institute‘s Kinghorn Center for Clinical Genomics, and his staff on how to reduce the amount of memory necessary to align genomic sequences from 16GB to 2GB, making it possible for analysis to be done on-the-spot, using the

memory available in a typical smartphone.

Dr. Smith stated that they are focused on making genomic technology more accessible to enhance human health. They’re becoming smaller but still need to function in remote places, so they created a method on a mobile device that can analyze genomic data.

The Minimap2 program was adopted by the team, which aligns DNA sequencing ‘reads’ to a reference library of known genomes. The reference library is usually sorted or indexed, which helps in mapping the sequencing reads to their corresponding positions quickly in a reference genome.

Dr. Smith explains that the challenge which we are facing now is too much computer memory is being acquired by reference index. An approach of dividing the reference library up into

smaller segments was taken by the team, against which they mapped the DNA reads. Once they finished mapping into the smaller sections, the results were pooled together and tease out the sound, much like creating a panorama by stitching together smaller photos Dr. Smith stated that- a lot of spurious and duplicate mappings were produced after splitting up the reference data by other algorithms just like overlapping photos in the panorama. What they did in this study was fine-tune parameters and choose the best mappings across several smallish indexes. This strategy gave them similar precision as present standard genomic analyses, which previously required the memory available in high-performance computers,” Dr. Smith’s team compared the pre-

cision of their algorithm to standard genomics workflows. Not only did their outcomes replicate 99.98percent of the alignments, but by using the smaller index segments the group could map an extra 1% of sequencing reads.

The findings of the study were published in Scientific Reports: “Featherweight long read alignment using partitioned reference indexes”.

Being optimistic about his technology Dr. Smith stated that- The potential of lightweight, portable genomic analysis is vast–we expect that this technology will one day be implemented in the context of point-of-care microbial infections in remote regions, or in doctors hands in the hospital bedside.

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New Cloning Technique

By University of Bayreuth Researchers DNA – the hereditary information carrier in an organism, consists of long chains of nucleotides. To be able to study the purposes depending on the arrangement of these building blocks, DNA molecules have to be inserted into carrier atoms (plasmid-vectors) to be multiplied.

THE UNIVERSITY OF BAYREUTH RESEARCHERS HAVE DEVELOPED A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, FAST AND INEXPENSIVE CLONING METHOD THAT’S FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO BE DEPLOYED IN ALL AREAS OF BIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY.

By Preety Suman

Most of the molecular cloning techniques that have one thing in common – is the DNA fragments of interest are first incorporated into bigger carrier atoms, the plasmid-vectors. Bacteria are subsequently made to take these vectors bearing the DNA fragments.

Up to now, but these methods have had one significant drawback: Considering the insertion of DNA fragments into the carrier molecule doesn’t necessarily move as smoothly and perfectly as required, just a few, but by no means all, colonies come to have the vectors with the DNA fragments to be reproduced. In order to identify these “success stories, “time-consuming and costly screening has been unavoidable up to now.

when, in turn, this plasmid is taken up by an E. coli-bacterium, its toxic effect sets in, as it interferes with the bacterium’s cell division and consequently its ability to build colonies.

This way, it may be ensured right from the start that only those E. coli-bacteria that do, in fact, contain the DNA fragments will create colonies.

They won’t subsequently have to be painstakingly selected.

The Bayreuth researchers led by Prof.

Dr. Stefan Schuster have succeeded in making this screening redundant. The vector they used is a plasmid that includes a toxic gene. DNA fragments are subsequently integrated to the plasma in such ways as to replace this gene. When it does not succeed, the plaid retains its toxic potential. And

Dr. David Richter, a lead author of the research said, “The reason why our brand new cloning process is so efficient is that the selection of the bacteria equipped with all the cloned DNA occurs reliably and all by itself.”

In addition, the method introduced in Scientific Reports simplifies the cloning process in another aspect: The scientists also optimized an extract (SLiCE) de-

rived from the cells of E. coli-bacteria to ensure it is particularly suitable as a “paste” to chain together several DNA fragments. Consequently, it’s currently possible to insert all sorts of mixes of DNA fragments into the plasmid — which much more quickly than with previous methods.

Building on the study results they have published, the scientists plan to equip their cloning vectors with added functions in the future to make it more useful. Specifically, they intend to further maximize the vector to be able to simplify the transformation of particular organisms or cell lines.

Because this type of transfer is also a “ZeBRα”; an acronym deriving in rare occasion, it’s advantageous if the the scientific conditions for two deci- vector also transports DNA sequencsive factors in their job – is the name es that result in the formation of fluocoined by the Bayreuth research team rescent proteins to track the practice for their new cloning system. This of transformation. These proteins can implies: Bacteria that don’t comprise then indicate the effective uptake of the DNA fragments to be duplicated these plasmid-bearing DNA fragdon’t form inconvenient colonies at ments into the organisms or cells. the background. “Redα-Exonuclease” is a component of the E. coli infusion, Press release by with which different DNA fragments University of could be strung together and integratBayreuth Researchers ed into the vector.

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CleanDeepSeq – Software To Minimize Error in Next-Gen Sequencing A Software has been developed by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital researchers to minimize the error rate in next-generation sequencing data by as much as 100fold, which would likely speed early detection of relapse and other threats.

NEXT-GENERATION DNA SEQUENCING DATASETS FROM ST. JUDE AND FOUR OTHER INSTITUTIONS WERE EXAMINED BY THE RESEARCHERS TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPRESS ORDINARY SOURCES OF SEQUENCING ERRORS.

By Diluxi Arya

Researchers reported that Using the new procedure the error rate for DNA base substitution declined from 0.1 percent (1 in 1,000) to between 0.01 (1 in 10,000) and 0.001 percent (1 in 100,000).

The Researchers hope to provide patients a head start on cures by making it easier to distinguish with greater accuracy the signal from noise, in this case, a true mutation from a sequencing error, “Early detection of cancer or cancer relapse really is like finding a needle in a haystack because the amount of cancer cells is dependent upon the number of normal cells at an early stage,” said co-first and corresponding author Xiaotu Ma, Ph.D., an assistant member of the St. Jude Department of Computational Biology. ” Further added by Xiaotu that this method, which we have named CleanDeepSeq, will help in removing the hay to make it easier to find the needle.”

Sequencing the human genome involves determining the specific order of the 3 billion chemical bases or letters that make up the genome.

Interest in reducing errors and enhancing data quality has grown as next-generation sequencing costs have fallen. the Cancer-driving genes can be sequenced thousands or hundreds of thousands of times in order to find indications of cancer cells found before the overt disease.

Corresponding and senior writer Jinghui Zhang, Ph.D., St. Jude Computational Biology chair stated that – Sequencing errors are a roadblock for discovering the low-frequency genetic variables that are important for cancer molecular diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance utilizing deep next-generation sequencing. Later he also added that with this study we will

get the first complete analysis of the origin of such sequencing mistakes and offers new strategies for improving the accuracy.

This study focused on identifying the selection and source of substitution errors in next-generation sequencing information and developing a mathematical error-suppression strategy. Variety of techniques were used by the investigators to ascertain the lowest frequency where a genuine mutation could be distinguished from a sequencing error. Analyzing datasets in St. Jude, HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, the Broad Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, and WuXiNextCODE, in China was also involved in the Research.

The analysis revealed several sources of errors, including handling and storage of the patient samples like the enzymes used to amplify patient samples and the sequencing, which leads to profiling led Ma and his colleagues to home in on recognition and suppression of errors related to poor sequencing quality or difficulty re-assembling (mapping) the sequences or aligning the patient genome with a reference genome.

Researchers are working to bring CleanDeepSeq to the practice for observation relapse and possibly early diagnosis, particularly in high-risk patients. Ma further stated that this method may also help scientists studying infectious diseases like influenza and HIV or wherever drug-resistance is a concern.

The results of the above study were published in the BMC Journal with Press release by St. Jude Children’s Title “Analysis of error profiles in Research Hospital deep next-generation sequencing data”.

Corresponding author Xiaotu Ma, Ph.D., (left) with corresponding Jinghui Zhang, Ph.D., illustrates the significantly decreased error rate using CleanDeepSeq.

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Mega Flu Blocker that Fights Multiple Strains Shows Promising Results The influenza season is at its peak, with newer virus strains discovered in different regions globally. Seasonal influenza vaccines do not always provide complete protection, because sudden flu strains appear unannounced.

AS PER REPORTS, A GROUP OF SCIENTISTS HAS DEVELOPED AN EXPERIMENTAL ORAL MEDICATION THAT ENABLES MICE TO FIGHT OFF A WIDE RANGE OF FLU VIRUSES.

By Preety Suman

If it works in humans too, it might lead to some other pill to combat deadliest of infections humanity faces till date.

Antibodies target an individual strain of flu, in general. However, in 2008, researchers discovered a category of so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) in humans that can bind to disable multiple flu strains at once. This section of the protein is almost identical in several flu strains and is essential for allowing the virus to fuse with the membranes of all cells that it infects.

Close-up images of CR6261 jumped to the HA stem shown the antibody binds by holding to five tiny indentations from the stem, so much as a rock climber employs minute finger and toe holds to hang onto an otherwise absolute granite cliff face.

As reported in Science mag, In 2011 and 2012, researchers headed by Wilson and David Baker at the University of Washington at Seattle utilized computer design methods to make a much smaller protein known as HB80.4 that binds to HA’s stem employing the same blocks and holds viral fusion.

But fats typically do not work as oral medicines because digestive enzymes break down them in the stomach.

Currently, Wilson, Maria van Dongen, a drug-discovery expert at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson in Leiden, The Netherlands, and their colleagues have used the preceding discovery of HB80.4 to assist them to find modest molecules that do the identical thing.

Van Dongen and her staff created a laboratory test in which they bound HB80.4 to the influenza virus HA stem. They then screened 500,000 little molecules from the organization’s proprietary library to find out whether any bound to the same website so closely they essentially pushed

HB80.4 from their way.

They initially got some 9000 hits, they whittled down to a top binder.

They further tweaked this chemical to create JNJ4796, a molecule containing six rings in a line, which not just works better than HB80.4 to the HA stem cells indentations but has enhanced properties for acting as medication, for example, increased solubility in blood.

of influenza infections this season.

However, it does not block two other classes–flu A group 2 or influenza B viruses–that account for the rest of this year’s illnesses.

“tasteful” screening approach Van Dongen’s team utilized to identify the initial HA binder could help locate drug leads which contrasts the other viral courses. The identical strategy could even work for discovering novBut Florian Krammer, a virolo- el drugs to block other viral diseases, gist in the Icahn School of Medicine such as Ebola, he states. “That is only at Mount Sinai in NYC, states the the start.”

Van Dongen’s team showed the would-be drug blocks a group of influenza viruses from infecting human and mouse cells in a petri dish.

And research in mice given the drug showed it prevents creatures from becoming sick after being exposed to lethal doses of numerous strains of influenza, the researchers report today in Science.

If the drug proves safe and effective in humans, it might combine two approved oral medications–Tamiflu and Xofluza–that can help combat the flu. JNJ4796 – blocks viruses from entering cells whereas the newly developed drug blocks viruses from spreading once they’ve already infected cells. But viruses have already shown signs of developing resistance to the recent drugs. “It’s important to have drugs against different goals,” Kawaoka says.

That said, JNJ4796 doesn’t work against all influenza viruses. The compound blocks flu A group 1 viruses, which comprises the H1N1 virus, which accounts for almost half

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Merck, GenScript Join Hands To Accelerate Cell & Gene Therapy in China 19 MAR 2019 | DARMSTADT, GERMANY: In an announcement made by Merck, it has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with GenScript a China-based biotech company with an aim to accelerate Cell and Gene Therapy Industrialization in China.

THE PACT PRIMARILY FOCUSES ON THE PLASMID AND VIRAL VECTOR MANUFACTURING.

By Preety Suman

Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science said, “As we’re one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of viral vectors, this collaboration provides GenScript accessibility to our leading experience of almost 3 years in cell and gene therapy production.”

“We’re excited about the planned collaboration with Merck to serve our local and international clients with cGMP manufacturing facilities and to quicken the drug commercialization process,” stated Daniel Wang Dongliang, vice president of Operations,” Biologics Department, in GenScript.

The parties picture an alliance that will accelerate the industrialization and commercialization of cell and gene therapy in China. GenScript, a major biotech firm headquartered in Nanjing, China, aims to create a global-standard platform of plasmid and virus production service in the country. Merck intends to give GenScript with comprehensive products, training and consulting solutions covering

process design, center concept layout, and quality management platform setup from laboratory development to large-scale GMP manufacturing.

Merck is among only a few manufacturers that have an undercover procedure to make viral vectors. To create personalized therapy products, genes have been delivered into resistant cells with viral vectors, such as the ones which Merck produces. The business offers a unique combination as a contract manufacturing organization and as a bioprocess manufacturing equipment maker.

A confluence of demand, growth and a subsequent requirement to scale the cell and gene therapy market in China is an important driver for Merck to deliver its expertise to the area. According to clinicaltrials.gov, China is the world leader in terms of where gene-modified cell therapy clinical trials are conducted. Today, more than 130 companies in China are growing cell and gene therapies ranging from chimeric antigen receptor T cell treatment (CAR-T) / T-cell receptor therapy (TCR-T) and also adeno-associated virus (AAV) into oncolytic virus1. Moreover, 28 cells and gene treatment Investigational New Drug

applications2 were submitted in China between Dec. 2017 — Dec. 2018 with over a third already approved for clinical trials.

Merck intends to provide a whole set of process goods, services, and personnel training to support GenScript in developing a world-class plasmid and viral vector production platform to accelerate the industrialization of their cell and gene therapy in China.

Press Release by Merck

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Scheme for Young Scientists and Technologists (SYST) 2019 The official notification for the DST Ministry of Science & Technology, Scheme for Young Scientists and Technologists (SYST) 2019 has been released.

INTERESTED AND ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES CAN CHECK OUT ALL OF THE DETAILS ON THE SAME BELOW:

By Diluxi Arya

Engaging Young Researchers towards Socio-economic Development To encourage young scientists and technologists towards providing technology-based/led solutions for socio-economic challenges, Department of Science and Technology (DST) launched Scheme for Young Scientists and Technologists (SYST) in the year 1991. Innovative technological ideas in the form of a proposal from young passionate researchers are thus invited under following identified themes aimed at addressing socio-economic challenges of the nation: a. Artificial Intelligence and loT for Societal Application in • Agriculture • Rural Development • Disaster Management • Health b. Hybrid Solar PV Technologies with Wind Generators c. Robotics for Societal Application d. Agricultural Tools and Agriculture Produce e. Nutritional Supplements and Value-Added Food Products for Human and Animals f. Plant-Based Health Products g. Scientific Validation and Upscaling of Traditional Knowledge Systems h. Cost Effective Health and Hygiene Aids i. Effective Indigenous Methods of Disease Identifications and Monitoring j. Natural Resource-Based Livelihood Systems k. Income Augmenting Agricultural Practices I. Captive Cultivation & Breeding m. Environment Sustainability n. Additive Manufacturing ELIGIBILITY 1. The applicant should possess at least a Master’s degree in any S&T stream. Those having PhD will be

given preference.

2. The candidate should be less than 35 years of age on the last date of submission of the application to DST. However, age relaxation of 5 years would be given to Women and Differently-abled (Divyangjan) applicants and those belonging to SC/ST /OBC category.

3. The applicant not in a regular position should align himself or herself with an Academic Institution of repute, S& T based agencies including reputed Voluntary Organization with minimum 5 years in existence for implementation of S& T based projects.

These organizations must agree to facilitate the smooth execution of the project and provide necessary infrastructure/ facilities for this purpose.

The mentor should be at Permanent/ Regular position. Co-Pl should be below 45 years of Age. APPLICATION PROCESS Applicants are required to submit three copies of the full proposal in the prescribed format at the address given below (mentioning the TPN No), along with a soft copy uploaded to http://onlinedst.gov.in before or on 20 April 2019. Project tenure proposed should not be more than three years. Formats for the application can be downloaded from the DST website www.dst.gov.in and www.scienceandsociety-dst.org Officer-in-charge may be contacted for any questions/queries relating to

submission of a proposal under this Call. A Screening Committee constituted by DST will screen the proposals received and only the selected candidates may be called for presentation before an Expert Committee.

Officer-in-Charge: Dr Rashmi Sharma Scientist ‘E’ Science for Equity, Empowerment & Development (SEED) Division, Department of Science & Technology, Technology Bhavan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi-110016 (E-mail: syst.dst@gmail.com & Phone: +9111-26590541) NOTE: • Organizations/Principal

Inves-

tigator whose project proposal was not recommended by DST under the previous calls under SYST need not submit the same proposal again.

• DST will not entertain Basic Research Proposal and incomplete applications.

• Candidates are requested to submit a single proposal only.

• Organizations/Institutions/Universities are requested not to submit more than 3 proposals under the Call. They may evaluate the proposals internally and send the best proposal(s) to DST. DST will consider only the first three proposals and the rest may be rejected.

Deadline: before or on 20th April 2019

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

Google PhD Fellowship Program In Computational Neuroscience | Rs 35 Lakh Fellowship Google PhD Fellowships directly support graduate students as they pursue their PhD, as well as connect them to a Google Research Mentor.

NURTURING AND MAINTAINING STRONG RELATIONS WITH THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY IS A TOP PRIORITY AT GOOGLE.

By Preety Suman

The Google PhD Fellowship Program was created to recognize outstanding graduate students doing exceptional work in computer science and related research areas. We currently offer Fellowships in Australia, China and East Asia, Europe, Africa, India, the United States and Canada.

This highly competitive program will award up to four named fellowships. The fellowship recipient will be supported for a maximum period of four years with a monthly fellowship, a contingency grant for expenses like books, stationery etc and a travel grant for attending conferences. Please note that this year we will be supporting one fellowship (out of the four) exclusively for researchers working in the use of AI/ML for Good.

Each fellowship recipient will be assigned a Google Sponsor who will mentor the PhD fellow over the research period. Engagement with the Google Sponsor will include discussions on research direction, research progress updates etc.

Internship opportunities are frequently available at Google. Based on mutual interest between the fellowship recipient and Google Sponsor, the fellowship recipient can do an internship at Google after successfully clearing the internship interview process. Please note that awarding of the fellowship does not guarantee a Google internship.

The best and the brightest Google PhD Fellowship students are a select group recognized by Google researchers and their institutions as some of the most promising young academics in the world. The Fellowships are awarded to students who represent the future of research in the following fields: • Algorithms, Optimizations and

• • • • • • • • • • •

Markets Computational Neuroscience Human-Computer Interaction Machine Learning Machine Perception, Speech Technology and Computer Vision Mobile Computing Natural Language Processing (including Information Retrieval and Extraction) Privacy and Security Programming Languages and Software Engineering Quantum Computing Structured Data and Database Management Systems and Networking

Eligibility Criteria: For current PhD Students • Applicants must have been enrolled at an Indian University, in a full-time PhD program, on or after 1-Jan-2018. For any questions about this criterion, please email research-in@google.com.

• Students must remain enrolled in the PhD program for the duration of the Fellowship or forfeit the award.

• Applicants must be pursuing a PhD in Computer Science or related areas.

• Google employees and family members of Google employees are not eligible • Students who are already receiving another corporate fellowship are not eligible.

For current Undergraduate/Mas-

ters students and Professionals

versity to be distributed to cover the student’s expenses and stipend as appropriate. The funds are given as an unrestricted gift, and it is Google’s policy not to pay for overhead on unrestricted gifts. In addition, the student will be matched with a Google Research Mentor who we hope will become a valuable resource to the student. There is no employee relationship between the student and Google as a result of receiving the fellowship.

Fellowship recipients are not subject to intellectual property restrictions unless they complete an internship at Google. Fellowship recipients serving an internship are subject to the same intellectual property and other contractual obligations as any other Google intern. If a Fellowship student is interested, an internship at Google is encouraged, but not guaranteed or required.

• Student applicants must be fulltime Undergraduate or Masters students enrolled at an Indian university. Professionals must be employed/affiliated with an organization registered in India.

• The Google Fellowship award shall be contingent on the awardee registering for the full-time PhD program at an Indian university, in Computer Science or related areas, within the calendar year 2019, or the award shall be forfeited.

• Grant of the Google Fellowship does not mean admission to the PhD program of a university.

The awardee must also complete the PhD admission process of the respective institute/university where he/she wishes to register for PhD. • Grant of the Google Fellow- India ship will be subject to the rules and guidelines applicable in the • Up to 4-year Fellowship institute/university where the • US $50K to cover stipend and awardee registers for the PhD other research-related activities, program. travel expenses including over• Google employees and family seas travel members of Google employees • Google Research Mentor are not eligible.

• Students who are already receiv- Is my university eligible for the ing another corporate fellowship PhD Fellowship Program? are not eligible.

In India and Africa, applications are What does the Google PhD Fel- open to students in Computer Science lowship include? and related areas from any Indian or Students receive named Fellowships which include a monetary award. The funds are given directly to the uni-

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

African university, respectively.

What are the eligibility requirements for students?

Direct applicant students in Africa and India • Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time PhD program at a university in Africa or India. Applicants who are currently in their first year of a part-time PhD program and transferring to fulltime positions are also welcome to apply.

• If you are in a PhD program already, you should be an early-stage PhD student when submitting your application, i.e., you have completed one year or less of your PhD. • Students must remain enrolled in the PhD program for the duration of the Fellowship or forfeit the award.

• Current undergraduate, master students and professionals may apply. The Google Fellowship award shall be contingent on the awardee registering for a fulltime PhD program of an African or Indian university in Computer Science or related areas within the calendar year of the fellowship, or the award shall be forfeited.

• Applicants enrolled in an undergraduate or masters program must be current, full-time students at an African or Indian university.

• Professionals must be employed/ affiliated with an organization registered in Africa or India, and receipt of the award is contingent on them joining a full-time PhD program at an African or Indian university within the calendar year of the award.

• Grant of the Google Fellowship does not mean admission to the PhD program of a university.

The awardee must also complete the PhD admission process of the respective institute/university where he/she wishes to regis-

ter for a PhD. • Grant of the Google Fellowship will be subject to the rules and guidelines applicable in the institute/university where the awardee registers for the PhD program.

• Google employees, and their spouses, children, and members of their household are not eligible.

• Students that are already supported by a comparable industry award are not eligible.

from a university.

21

Yes, Fellowship recipients are eligiWho should submit the applica- ble for these scholarships. For more tions? information, please see the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship or In India and Africa, students may the Google Europe Scholarship for apply directly during the application Students with Disabilities. window.

After award notification, when do What language should the appli- the Google PhD Fellowships begin? cation be in?

After Google PhD Fellowship recipAll documents should be submitted ients are notified, the Fellowship is in English. effective starting the following school year.

What should be included in an ap- Can students apply directly for a plication?

Fellowship?

What are the application time periods in each region?

India Students must be nominated by an eligible university in order to be con- India You’ll need the following documents sidered, except in India and Africa in order to complete an application: where students may apply directly.

Fellowship applications are received February-May each year. Awardees • Applicant’s resume with links to How are Google PhD Fellowships are notified by July and publicly anpublications (if available) given? nounced in August.

• Available transcripts (mark sheets) starting from first year/ Any monetary awards will be paid How can I ask additional quessemester of Bachelors degree till directly to the Fellow’s university for tions? date distribution. No overhead should be • Research statement of purpose assessed against them.

If your question has not been an(maximum of two pages) swered by a FAQ, email phdfellow• Three letters of recommenda- What are the intellectual property ship@google.com tion from those familiar with the implications of a Google PhD Felapplicant’s work (at least one lowship?

How to Apply: coming from the thesis adviser in case of current PhD students). The funds are given as an unrestrict- Africa and India If the recommendation writers ed gift. Fellowship recipients are not want to send the letter separate- subject to intellectual property re- In India and Africa, students may ly, they can mail it directly to re- strictions unless they complete an in- apply directly during the application search-in@google.com with the ternship at Google. If that is the case, period, which opens each February in subject “Recommendation for they are subject to the same intellec- India and each November in Africa. [applicant-name]” tual property restrictions as any other Applications are open to students in Google intern.

Computer Science and related areas How do I apply for the PhD Felfrom any Indian or African universilowship Program?

Will the Fellowship recipients be- ty. Please see our FAQ for more income employees of Google? formation.

In India and Africa, students may apply directly during the application No, there will not be any employ- The Google India PhD Fellowship period, which opens each February in ee relationship (except as an intern) program application window for India and November in Africa. between Fellowship recipients and 2019 is now open until Friday, 12th Google.

April 2019 at 11:59:59 PM IST. How many students may each university nominate?

Can Fellowship recipients also be considered for the Google Anita In India and Africa, applications are Borg Memorial Scholarship or the open and we do not have a limit to Google Scholarship for Students the number of students that can apply with Disabilities?

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

SERB 2019 Fellowship / Scholarships / Research Award Schedule The schedule for the call for proposals offered by the Science And Engineering Research Board in the year 2019 has been released

CANDIDATES CAN KEEP TRACK OF THE VARIOUS FELLOWSHIPS, RESEARCH PROPOSALS, AWARDS AND MORE BELOW:

By Diluxi Arya

SERB International Travel Support (ITS) Scheme The official notification for the SERB International Travel Support (ITS) Scheme has been released and applications are being accepted for the same.

INTERESTED CANDIDATES WHO FULFIL ALL OF THE REQUISITES CAN CHECK OUT MORE DETAILS BELOW AND APPLY FOR THE SAME:

By Diluxi Arya

Today on 19 March 2019, the Applications are accepted only for the events whose start date is between 18 May 2019 and 17 June 2019 including both these dates.

International Travel Support (ITS) Scheme provides financial assistance to Indian researchers for presenting a research paper in an international scientific event (conference, seminar, workshop etc.) held abroad. In addition, support is also provided to young scientists (age limit below 35 years as on date of start of the event) for attending training programmes, Short-term schools and Workshops.

Economy class air-fare by the shortest route from Air India, airport-tax and visa fees are provided under the scheme. Registration Fee is provided to a young scientist in addition to the above support. Applications can be

submitted within the window of 6090 days in advance from the date of start of the event. The system will not accept early or late submission of applications.

Scope: The ITS scheme is to provide financial assistance for presenting an original research paper or chairing a ses-

sion or delivering a keynote address in an international scientific event held abroad (conference/seminar/ symposium etc.). This scheme also provides support to young researchers (Age<35 years on the date of start of the event) for attending a workshop, short term training programmes and schools being organized outside India.

Eligibility: â&#x20AC;˘ Applicant should be an active Indian researcher engaged in R&D work in recognized academic institutions or research laboratories in India. â&#x20AC;˘ The applicant should have an in-

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

vitation for presenting an original scientific paper. A similar invitation is required in the case of young scientists attending training programmes such as short term courses, summer/winter schools, workshop etc.

• The applicant should not have availed financial assistance under this Scheme during the last three years.

• The scientific event should be of an international character. Invitation of personal nature such as for carrying out post-doctoral work, informal training programmes/courses, internship, observer-ship etc. will not be eligible for support.

• Applicant must have obtained a Master’s degree in Science or Bachelor’s degree in professional courses from a recognized University by the time of submission of application.

Nature of Support: This scheme provides to & fro economic class airfare by the shortest route, airport tax and visa fees for attending the specific event. Registration fees are also provided to young scientists (Age<35 on the date of start of the event) in addition to the above support. The support is provided on a reimbursement basis as per actual expenditure incurred by the applicant within the guidelines of the scheme.

However, Taxi fare will not be reimbursed.

Documents Required: • An endorsement letter duly signed and stamped by competent authority of the institute.

• A copy of the letter of acceptance of the presenting paper (oral/poster) by the organizers.

• A copy of the abstract of the paper to be presented. Please be sure to include the name of all the authors, authors’ affiliated institutions with full address and title of the abstract.

• Biodata with a complete list of Scientific / Technical publications and Patents, if any.

Application Stage:

• • • •

Event Details Date of Birth Certificate Event Benefits Financial Support from Other Sources

Claim Reimbursement Stage: • • • • • • • • •

Claim Form Bank Account Air/Rail/Bus/Others tickets Cash Receipt of Air Ticket Boarding Passes Visa Charges Registration Receipt Participation Certificate Certificate(s) for the amount received from other sources • Civil Aviation Permission Letter • Any other(Miscellaneous Upload) Terms & Conditions of ITS grant: • Travel grant should be used only for attending the scientific event for which the SERB accorded its approval.

• The Institute/Applicant should submit the claim bills and other necessary documents within 90 days from the last day of the event.

• The host institute/Applicant shall ensure that the fund released is used exclusively and appropriately for which it has been sanctioned.

• If the applicant to whom the travel grant has been awarded leaves the institution, the Institute and the applicant should inform SERB immediately, and the grant released, if any, should be refunded back by the Institute to SERB immediately by means of DD drawn in favour of “Fund for Science and Engineering Research”.

• If the results of research are to be legally protected, the results should not be presented in international fora without action being taken to secure legal protection for the research results.

• If any candidate found to have furnished incorrect/misleading information at any stage, his/her candidature will be cancelled and no reimbursement will be made. The candidate will also be debarred for the next three years for availing support under this scheme.

• Applicant(s) should first register into the online website click here to register • After log-in, kindly go to Menu –> Proposal Submission –> Form Submission –> Select scheme and start filling the form online.

• The researchers are required to apply online through the portal between 60-90 days in advance prior to the start date of the event. The system will not accept early or late submission of applications.

• Application submitted through any other mode will not be considered.

Contact Person:

23

find the cost of travel by Air India is much higher than Private Airlines.

Can I travel by Private Airlines as the cost is cheaper?

A3: No. You should travel by Air India only.

Q4: I have availed travel support earlier under this scheme and three year period has not been completed (one month is left) yet. I want to apply for another conference now. Am I eligible?

A4: No. You should have completed three years. The duration of three years will be counted from the date of the start of the last conference to the date of the start of the conference which you intend to apply now.

The contact details of Programme Officers are given below:

Q5: What are the criteria for awarding travel support?

Dr T Thangaradjou, Scientist ‘E’ 5 & 5A, Lower Ground Floor, Vasant Square Mall, Sector-B, Pocket-5, Vasant Kunj New Delhi-110070 Telephone: 40000355 / 01140000305 / 40000321

A5: The Board receives a large number of applications. The selection is made based on many parameters.

Most important of them is the track record of the applicant as evidenced by the list of publications in SCI journals during the last 5 years and also the importance of the conference. The Committee tries to accommodate candidates from different institutions and different categories (young researchers, women and senior researchers) within the available resources.

Email: ms.its@serb.gov.in Frequently Asked Questions: Q1: I was awarded Travel Support to attend an International Conference held in Washington. But, I could not attend the conference due to delay in getting Visa. Can I use the above support to attend another conference to be held in July 2017?

A1: No. The support given to one event cannot be used to attend another. The Applicant should apply afresh to seek support for another event.

Q2: I have been given travel support to attend an International Conference in Guangzhou, China.

Air India does not operate directly to the destination. Can I go by Private Airlines which has a direct connection from Delhi?

A2: No. If Air India does not have a direct flight, you should go to the nearest hub (in this case Hong Kong)

by Air India and beyond that, you can avail the service of private airlines (preferably services offered by Air India partner airlines). If you travel only by private airlines, no travel claim will be reimbursed.

• Endorsement by the Head of the Institution Certificate by the Applicant including Event Benefits • Bio-data of the Applicant How to apply online: • Acceptance Letter from the Organizer For successful online submission of • Abstract(s) of the paper(s) to be the application the following points Q3: I have been recommended presented may be noted: support to attend an International • Event Details Conference to be held in Paris. I

Q6: I have been invited by a Professor at MIT, USA to undergo training in his laboratory for 2 months to learn modern techniques.

Such facilities are not available in our country, and this training will help immensely in furthering my research skills. Can I avail support to undergo this training?

A6: No. The scientific event should have an international character. Invitation of personal nature such as carrying out post-doctoral work, informal training programmes/courses, internship, observer-ship etc. will not be eligible for support.

Q7: I have been awarded travel support to attend an international conference in London. I have a plan to spend 2 months in the laboratory of a Professor at Cambridge University immediately after the conference is over. Can I use travel support to further my research at Cambridge University?

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A7: You can use travel support to hone your research skill at Cambridge University. But you should indicate the plan while seeking the support and should return and settle the travel bill within 90 days from the last date of the event. SERB will reimburse economy class airfare to London and back home only.

Q8: I have been recommended support to attend a conference in Chicago, the USA from 20-25 May 2017. I have also been invited to attend a 4- day training program in New York prior to the event in Chicago. Can I also attend the training program in New York and then go to Chicago. Will SERB reimburse the airfare from New York to Chicago?

A8: No. SERB will not reimburse the airfare from Chicago â&#x20AC;&#x201C; New York.

SERB will only reimburse the economy class airfare by the shortest route to Chicago and back.

Q9: I have been recommended travel support to attend a conference in Sydney (Australia) from 2025 June 2017. After the conference is over, a five- day short- term school is scheduled at the same venue. The organizers are charging a separate registration fee for the school. Will SERB provide registration fees for both the events?

A9: No. You will be provided registration fee for that event only which has been recommended by SERB. Q10: My conference is in Toron-

to, Canada from 15-18 May 2017. I am already in Vancouver (Canada).

I plan to travel from Vancouver to Toronto and then I will come back to India. Will my airfare be reimbursed?

A10: No

March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

tickets only after the issuance of visa and keeping the validity dates of visa to avoid deboarding at the airport due to visa validity issue. Visa should be valid on the date when you are boarding the flight. Please make sure that you should have a transit visa or other valid documents while booking the tickets.

fare, agent fee, and excess baggage charges?

A17: No. SERB does not reimburse taxi fare and excess baggage charges.

In case of agent fee, SERB reimburses government recognized travel agents fees and VFS charges as applicable.

Q18: As a young researcher, can Q11: My conference starts on June I get the entire registration fee in5, 2017, and I have booked my tick- Q14: Can I submit my travel claim cluding abstract submission/dinets accordingly. Now I want to re- for reimbursement anytime? ner, tour, accommodation etc.? schedule my journey and Airlines is asking for additional charges for A14: No. You should submit travel A18: No. The primary registration rescheduling the tickets. Will SERB claim (through an online portal and fee (excluding group meetings fee, provide additional charges? hard copies of original bills, board- abstract submission fee, gala/receping passes) within 90 days from the tion dinner, accommodation, tour A11: No. SERB will not provide any last date of the event. Otherwise, your etc.) will only be reimbursed. kind of additional charges paid by you travel claim will not be reimbursed. for cancellation or rescheduling. Also, Q19: Does SERB provide support additional baggage charges collected Q15: Can I submit my application to researchers to attend conferencby the airlines will not be considered for travel support and further my es within India? for reimbursement. It is advised to travel claim offline. book the tickets in advance to avoid A19: No, as self-explanatory, this an escalation in the cost of airfare.

A15: No. SERB accepts the appli- scheme is to provide support to attend cation for travel support and travel conferences and workshops outside Q12: What, if I have provided any claim through an online portal only. India and anywhere in the world. incorrect/misleading information? Additionally, SERB requires hard copies of original boarding passes, A12: Application will be cancelled visa fee receipt and other bills along and given support will be withdrawn with a print out of your online travel at any stage and no reimbursement claim sheet.

Today on 19 March 2019, the Apwill be made. The candidate will plications are accepted only for the also be debarred for the next three Q16: I have been recommended events whose start date is between years for availing support under this travel support to attend a confer- 18 May 2019 and 17 June 2019 inscheme. No correspondence will be ence abroad but due to some rea- cluding both these dates. entertained in this matter. SERB has son, I could not attend the conferall the rights to take any action in con- ence. Will SERB reimburse my visa sultation with the applicantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parent fee. organization/university/institute etc.

A16: No. Reimbursement of visa Q13: What precautions should I fees is subjected to attending the contake while booking the tickets? ference.

A13: It is advised to book the air

Q17: Does SERB reimburse taxi

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March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

25

Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine (CSMM) Scholarship 2019-2020 An amazing opportunity for Indian nationals to apply for the Master’s and PhD Programs 2019-2020 at The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine Scholarships.

ALL CANDIDATES WHO ARE INTERESTED CAN CHECK OUT ALL OF THE DETAILS ON THE PROGRAM, ELIGIBILITY, APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND MORE BELOW:

By Diluxi Arya

The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine offers accredited MSc Postgraduate Programs. The Programs are given in Full-Time (13 months and two years) and Part-Time (two and three years) modes of research.

MSc in Molecular Medicine | MSc in Medical Genetics | MSc in Neuroscience (13 months Full-Time/ two years Part-Time) A minimum number of 50 ECTS from the taught classes (such as tutorial sessions) of this program along with also a minimal number of 40 ECTS from the research or library project has to be completed while enrolled in the MSc program.

MSC POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMS MSc in Medical Genetics (accredited) The Medical Genetics MSc programme is targeted at clinicians and scientists who want to gain an in-depth understanding of Medical Genetics as well as the many applications within the broader field of Biomedical Sciences.

The course MG101 is designed to help comprehend the gene and its function, DNA structure, mechanisms of translation and transcription, gene expression, cell division, patterns of inheritance, pedigree analysis and genetic counselling. MG102 covers all the issues of human cytogenetics and genomics and targets that the behaviour of both small and large size genetic changes as well as their pathology aiming at the comprehension of medical genomics with a special emphasis on the investigation of the human genome in medical research and practice. MG103 teaches the fantastic majority of methods which can be applied in Medical Genetics with applicable application examples aiming to assist the student to compre-

hend, interpret and critically assess laboratory diagnostic and research results. MG104 concentrates on the biochemical facets of hereditary diseases. Each of the above courses pays special attention to examples from the clinically relevant activities of these CING Departments that is the advantage of this programme as compared to those taught at purely academic associations. Last, the pupils need to have a study module that may be a library project, however, the advantage of CSMM is that it enables students to have a laboratory project and work together with the many activities of the CING departments.

Students will have the ability to get an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of Medical Genetics. Clinicians will have the ability to use this knowledge for better management of their future patients with an inherited disease and targeting requests for diagnostic genetic testing. Scientists will have the ability to efficiently work in a diagnostic or research lab addressing the multiple aspects of Medical Genetics.

Additionally, the programme will enable graduates to play a major role in future research programmes on Medical Genetics and Translational Medicine, both cutting edge research topics.

For detailed program information please refer to pages 10-15 of this CSMM Prospectus MSc in Molecular Medicine (accredited)

The program promotes excellence and educates students on the substantial issues in Molecular Medicine.

The challenging curriculum consists of compulsory taught courses which cover the main facets of Molecular Medicine and a number of elective courses enabling students to expand their understanding of other areas of Molecular Medicine. The MSc Research or Library Projects on various aspects of Molecular Medicine have been conducted at the state-of-the-art Departments and Clinics of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING). As an International Centre of Excellence, CING carries out pioneering research in Medical Genetics and consequently provides MSc students with the knowledge and tools to complete a competitive Research or Library Project. MSc Students have the opportunity to attend courses in advanced fields Including Molecular Basis of Monogenic Diseases, Molecular Basis of Complex Diseases, Neurosciences & Neurogenetics and Gene & Cell Therapy.

For detailed program information please refer to pages 10-15 of this CSMM Prospectus

knowledge of additional relevant fields. The MSc Research or Library Projects on different aspects of Neuroscience are run at the advanced Departments and Clinics of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING). As an International Centre of Excellence, CING carries out pioneering research in Neuroscience and consequently provides MSc students with the knowledge and resources to complete a competitive Research or Library Project. MSc Students have the opportunity to attend classes in advanced fields Including Brain and Behaviour, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Neurosciences and Neurogenetics, Cytogenetics and Genomics, Molecular Genetics, Molecular Basis of Monogenic Diseases, Molecular Virology and Immunology and Molecular Basis of Complex Diseases.

Entry Requirements: To be admitted to the MSc Programs, a student should fulfil at least the minimal requirements listed below:

1. A Bachelor’s degree from a recognized accredited institution, at a related discipline MSc in Neuroscience (accredited) 2. English Language Certificate or other approved International StandThe program promotes excellence ard if graduated from a school where and educates students on the signif- English isn’t the language of instrucicant issues in Neuroscience. The tion. challenging curriculum consists of compulsory taught classes which cover the key aspects of Neuroscience and a number of elective courses enabling students to expand their Next Page>>>>

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Application Procedure: The available positions for new students are announced on the CSMM website and in the press during the last week of January, before the start of the academic year.

Required Documents: • A Completed Online Application Form • 2 Academic References • Academic Transcripts • English Language Certification (if not graduated from an English speaking University)

March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

Postgraduate Programs. The Programs are offered in Full-Time mode (4 years) of study only. Each postgraduate program contains five taught classes; four courses are core coursTuition Fees and Payment Periods: es and one is elective that is offered during the 1st year of studies. PhD Education is an investment in your Postgraduate Programs also have a future and the CSMM is dedicated to research project (years 2-4). offering an accessible education to all A minimum of 50 ECTS from the successful applicants. taught courses (such as tutorial sesStudents will be informed by the Ed- sions for each course on a weekly ucation Office regarding the specific basis) of this program and 190 ECTS from the research part of this program payment deadlines each semester. has to be completed while registered in the doctoral program.

• • • •

High School Certificate Curriculum Vitae ID/PASSPORT Recent passport photograph

PhD in Medical Genetics (accredited) The program promotes excellence and teaches students on the significant issues in Medical Genetics. The challenging curriculum consists of compulsory taught courses which cover the key facets of Medical Genetics and numerous elective courses enabling students to expand their understanding of other fields of Medical Genetics. The PhD Research Projects on different Facets of Medical Genetics are conducted in the advanced Departments and Clinics of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING). As a Global Centre of Excellence, CING carries out pioneering research in Medical Genetics and conNotes: sequently provides PhD students with the knowledge and tools to complete a (1) Health Insurance coverage is recommended for all students.

(2) International students are required to have health insurance for themselves competitive Research or Library Project. PhD Students have the chance to as well as for their spouse and children.

(3) The total cost for the PhD Programs (Euros 20,750) is divided over the du- attend courses (during their 1st year ration of 4 years. The cost for the 1st year of studies amounts to Euros 5,450. of research ) in advanced fields including Cytogenetics and Genomics, Molecular Genetics, Methodologies and Technologies Applied in Medical Genetics and Biochemical Basis of Genetic Diseases.

For detailed program information please refer to pages 11 and 16-18 of the CSMM Prospectus Scholarships & Grants Education is an investment in your future and the CSMM is dedicated to supplying an accessible education to all successful applicants.

Publicly-Funded Grants Cypriot Students of the CSMM have the right to make an application for a publicly-funded grant dependent on the Government’s assessment criteria.

CSMM Scholarships A number of partial and full scholarships to cover tuition fees are award-

ed to MSc and PhD students according to academic criteria.

As well as the above, various types of scholarships are offered especially for PhD students, for years 2, 3 and 4 that may cover costs of consumables and/or a yearly allowance.

PhD in Molecular Medicine (accredited)

The program promotes excellence and teaches students on the substantial issues in Molecular Medicine.

The challenging curriculum consists of compulsory taught courses which The precise amount and number of cover the key facets of Molecular scholarships which are available are Medicine and numerous elective always subject to the annual budget courses enabling students to broaden of the School. their understanding of other areas of PHD POSTGRADUATE PRO- Molecular Medicine. The PhD Research Projects on different Facets of GRAMS Molecular Medicine have been conThe Cyprus School of Molecular ducted at the advanced Departments Medicine provides accredited PhD and Clinics of the Cyprus Institute

of Neurology and Genetics (CING).

As a Global Centre of Excellence, CING carries out pioneering research in Medical Genetics and consequently provides PhD students with the knowledge and tools to complete a competitive Research or Library Project. PhD Students have the chance to attend courses during their 1st year of studies) in innovative fields including Molecular Basis of Monogenic Diseases, Molecular Basis of Complex Diseases, Neurosciences & Neurogenetics and Gene & Cell Therapy.

For detailed Program information please refer to pages 11 and 16-18 of that CSMM Prospectus Additional to approval from the Ministry of Education & Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, the CSMM has proceeded to add another PhD program: PhD in Neuroscience (new) The program promotes excellence and educates students on the substantial problems in Neuroscience.

The challenging curriculum consists of compulsory taught courses which cover the main facets of Medical Genetics and numerous elective courses enabling students to expand their understanding of other fields of Neuroscience. The PhD Research Projects on different facets of Neuroscience are conducted at the advanced Departments and Clinics of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING). As an International Centre of Excellence, CING carries out pioneering research in Neuroscience and consequently provides PhD students with the knowledge and tools to complete a competitive Research or Library Project. PhD Students have the opportunity to attend courses (during their 1st year of studies) in advanced fields which include Brain and Behaviour, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Neurosciences and Neurogenetics, Cytogenetics and Genomics, Molecular Genetics, Molecular Basis of Monogenic Diseases, Molecular Virology and Immunology and Molecular Basis of Complex Diseases.

Entry Requirements: To be admitted to the PhD Programs, a student should meet at least the minimal requirements listed under: A Bachelor’s degree from a recognized accredited institution, in a relat-

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SCHOLARSHIP

March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

ed field English Language Certificate or other accepted International Standard if graduated from a school where English isn’t the language of instruction.

Notes:

(1) Health Insurance coverage is recommended for all students.

Application Process: (2) International students are required to have health insurance for The available positions for new pupils are announced on the CSMM site and themselves as well as for their spouse in the press during the past week of January, before the beginning of the aca- and children. demic year.

(3) The total cost for the PhD Programs (Euros 20,750) is divided over Required Documents: the duration of 4 years. The cost for the 1st year of studies amounts to Eu• A Completed Online Application Form ros 5,450.

• 2 Academic References • Academic Transcripts Scholarships & Grants: • English Language Certification (if not graduated from an English speaking University) Education is an investment in your • High School Certificate future and the CSMM is committed • Curriculum Vitae to offering an accessible education to • ID/PASSPORT all successful applicants.

• Recent passport photograph Publicly-Funded Grants Tuition Fees and Payment Periods: Cypriot Students of the CSMM have Education is an investment in your future and the CSMM is dedicated to of- the right to apply for a publicly-fundfering an accessible education to all successful applicants.

Students will be informed by the Education Office regarding the specific payment deadlines each semester.

Notes: (1) Health Insurance coverage is recommended for all students.

(2) International students are required to have health insurance for themselves as well as for their spouse and children.

(3) The total cost for the PhD Programs (Euros 20,750) is divided over the duration of 4 years. The cost for the 1st year of studies amounts to Euros 5,450.

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ed grant dependent on the Government’s examination criteria.

CSMM Scholarships A number of partial and full scholarships to cover tuition fees are given to MSc and PhD students according to academic standards.

Along with the above, various kinds of scholarships are available especially for PhD students, for years 2, 3 and 4 that may cover costs of consumables and/or a monthly allowance.

The exact amount and number of scholarships which are offered will be always subject to the annual budget of the School.

Deadline: 15th May 2019

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ADS

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SCHOLARSHIP

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Novartis Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship 2019 The notification for the Novartis Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship 2019 has been released.

CANDIDATES WHO ARE INTERESTED TO APPLY FOR THE SAME CAN CHECK OUT ALL OF THE DETAILS ON THE PROGRAM, HIGHLIGHTS, ELIGIBILITY, APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND MORE ALL BELOW:

By Diluxi Arya

About the Program: At Novartis, we’re committed to training the next generation of scientific leaders. The Novartis Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship provides aspiring drug hunters a exceptional opportunity to combine our teams at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), the innovation engine of Novartis. Mentored by NIBR scientific leaders, Innovation Fellows will acquire firsthand experience in the design and development of breakthrough therapies and advanced technologies. We’re on the lookout for Innovation Fellows that will bring their scientific creativity and natural curiosity to handle significant therapeutic challenges. Join us as we imagine medicine together.

Program Highlights: • Program length: 2-3 years • Boot Camp: Innovation Fellows will attend a completely immersive boot camp covering the essentials of drug discovery and development • Mentorship & accessibility to technologies: Innovation Fellows will have access to NIBR

advanced technology platforms and be mentored by selected NIBR scientific leaders • Rotations: Innovation Fellows will benefit from a tailored rotation schedule in both scientific and business-related disciplines • Fireside chats with local leaders in academia and industry • Community: Innovation Fellows will join Discovery Fellows in our vibrant postdoctoral community with dedicated events, such as our annual Research Day Symposium Who will be the Innovation Fellows?

• Early-career scientists, within 3 years of receiving their MD and/ or PhD (students in their last 4 months of graduation are eligi-

•

• • •

ble to apply) All technical and scientific disciplines welcome (e.g. biology, biophysics, chemical biology, chemistry, computational and data sciences, engineering, and more) Strong publication track record or other scientific accomplishments Entrepreneurial mindset and boundless curiosity Dedicated to translating scientific discoveries into medications that enhance human health

How to Apply: • please submit your CV and cover letter by May 1, 2019, for consideration. Include a potential area of unmet medical need in which you believe you can make

an impact.

• All applications will be assessed by a review team comprised of discipline experts and medication hunters from NIBR. • Candidates chosen as finalists will be invited to our Cambridge, MA campus for an all-day interview in June 2019. New Innovation Fellows will start in September 2019 at our Cambridge website.

Apply: In case you have any queries, please contact us at nibr.postdoc@novartis. com.

Deadline: 01st May 2019

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VOICE OF BIOTECNIKA

March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

Exercise Isn’t The Best Way To Lose Weight !

Agree or Disagree?

WEEKLY PODCAST

Episode 23 Hold On! My new year resolution is to lose weight, I have already paid the fees for my gym, and now you are saying that exercise isn’t the best way to lose weight? – This is what most of you must be thinking now!

Surprising! Yet this is true. The best way to lose weight is not exercising.

Welcome to another episode of Voice of Biotecnika! In this episode, our speaker will unravel certain misconceptions revolving around the strategies to lose weight. She will basically highlight why and how irrespective to the huge myriad of benefits that we incur from exercise, it still doesn’t help us to lose weight. There is another major factor influencing weight loss and that is what we eat that has a bigger impact on your waistline.

While most of you must have read or heard about this topic, we would urge you to listen to the podcast below – which will definitely make you rethink about this topic all over again and might fasten the process your weight loss regime.

Voice of Biotecnika by Kajol Patel

March 26th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 71

BIOTECNIKA TIMES

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