It
has been over a year since Biotech News was re-launched
with a new face and periodicity. During this period,
we have tried to highlight the varied facets of Indian
biotechnology. That you have liked our efforts is evident
from your mails and telephone calls. We are very grateful
to you for your support.
As
you will notice, the current issue of Biotech News includes
a special 12-page supplement as a curtain raiser to
the Bio International Convention to be held at Boston,
MA, USA during 6-9 May 2007. Considered by many to be
the 'biggest biotech show of the world', the Boston
Bio is expected to attract more than 18,000 participants
and feature 60 pavilions, 1700 exhibitors, 1000 speakers
and 190 sessions. In partnership with the Confederation
of Indian Industry, DBT is sending a Mission to the
Convention. India, with its vast resources of scientific
talent, has made notable progress in biotechnology over
the last few years and the special supplement attempts
to showcase the achievements and potential of Indian
biotechnology in HRD, agriculture, health, energy and
industry and related areas, and point out gaps that
need urgent attention.
All the contributors to this issue responded to our
calls for write ups at short notice and we are grateful
to all of them, I do hope you will enjoy reading this
issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. As
always, I urge you to send your views and suggestions
to us.
Finally,
let me inform the readers that we are trying to increase
our print run so as to include more of you on our mailing
list. However, please note that you can subscribe to
the e-version of Biotech News at http://www.biotechnews.gov.in
free of cost.
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I
find Biotech News a very useful read as it exposes me
to the varied developments are taking place in India
in the fast emerging biotech sector. With our vast pool
of scientific talent, wide domestic demand base for
biotechnological innovations and our entrepreneurial
spirit, we can indeed play a useful and leadership role
in the field of biotechnology. The articles highlighting
potential of biotechnology in enhancing food security
as well as those focusing on medical applications of
biotechnology were indeed very informative. International
collaborations and tie-ups are going to be very important
for not only developing new applications and testing
their efficacy prior to commercialisation but also to
continually enhance the skills of Indian scientists.
Biotech news should have wider circulation. It could
perhaps be sent to Indian missions abroad such that
achievements of India in biotechnology could be disseminated
to a greater extent.
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Since
the setting up of the Department of Biotechnology with
Dr. S. Ramachandran as its founder secretary in the
early 1980s, the government has provided enormous support
and created facilities in the form of several national
research laboratories and university departments. The
fruits of this endeavor have started manifesting in
several sectors such as health/diseases, agriculture,
industry, etc. since the mid-90s.
Biotech News has a crucial role to play in the dissemination
of the exciting happenings in the field of biotechnology
as it is one major source of authentic information on
this frontier science. I suggest that the newsletter
also provides its readers a short summary of the major
international research findings and news items apart
from the Newsdesk which reports mainly on India-related
events.
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