Author: Biotech Express

NATURE OF SUPPORT (i) The scheme provides a consolidated monthly remuneration of Rs. 75,000/- p.m. (ii) MKB-YRFP fellows in addition will receive a research/contingency grant of Rs. 20.00 lakh per year for hiring manpower, purchase of consumables, minor equipment, domestic travel and other contingent expenditure to be incurred for the implementation of research proposal selected for the fellowship. (iii) Can engage one manpower (JRF/SRF/Project Assistant/Project Associate) under him/her. Capital equipment will be procured in the name of the institute where the fellow proposes towork and value of the whole set of the equipment should not exceed Rs.10.00 lakh. (iv)…

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 900 crore stimulus towards research and development of the Covid-19 vaccine. The funds for research have been allocated to the Department of Biotechnology as part of the stimulus package announced by the finance minister. “India is waiting for an effective vaccine to come – one or many more. We are spending on research and development apart from what we will give when the vaccine is ready to be bought and distributed. We are also keeping abreast of the developments around the vaccine,” Sitharaman said. Prasanna Deshpande, deputy managing director at the Hyderabad based…

Recently Prof Pandey became the third Indian scientist to have h-index more than 100. In the study the scientists of Stanford University created a database of more than 100,000 top scientists of the world and made ranking on the basis of standardised citation indicators such as citations, H-index, co-authorship and a composite indicator. The database, a work of John Ioannidis, Kevin Boyack and Jeroene Bass from the departments of Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health and Biomedical Data Science, University of Stanford, California, USA has been published in the October 16 issue of PLos Biology. These scientists are from across all scientific…

Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, Health and Family Welfare and Earth Sciences, today launched a website that gives comprehensive information about the numerous COVID-19 clinical trials that CSIR is engaged in partnership with Industry, other government departments and ministries. Called CuRED or CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs, the website provides information about the drugs, diagnostics and devices including the current stage of the trials, partnering institutions and their role in the trials and other details. The site can be accessed at https://www.iiim.res.in/cured/ or http://db.iiim.res.in/ct/index.php. CSIR is exploring multiple combination clinical trials of antivirals with host-directed therapies for the…

Indian Chemical Society established by Acharya P C Ray in 1924 is the oldest professional body in India which has been engaged in promoting Chemical Sciences, Engineering and Technology for the benefi of educationaist, researchers and innovators in different sectors. Prof Ashok Pandey is third Indian scientist with h-index more than 100. He is the recipient of many national and international awards and is Founder President of the Biotech Research Society, India (www.brsi.in)The Indian Chemical Society, a premier Scientific Society of India, was founded in 1924, as National Forum for the community of chemists and members of allied disciplines in…

by Kamal Pratap Singh Emmanuelle Charpentier, now at the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin, and Jennifer Doudna, at the University of California, Berkeley were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 for discovering one of gene technology’s sharpest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors. And The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus. Using components of the CRISPR system, researchers can add, remove, or even alter specific DNA sequences. This technology has introduced new opportunities in…

Professor Pillai was youngest director of a national institution, one of India’s best-recognized researchers and an exceptional individual who seeks knowledge for the betterment of humanity. Professor M. Radhakrishna Pillai’s trailblazing initiatives propelled Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) into one of India’s finest disease biology and biotechnology research and development institutes. Following a successful stint as Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Regional Cancer Centre, he joined RGCB in March 2005. Being the youngest director of a national institution at 44, Dr. Pillai was an outstanding scientist, administrator, and guide all rolled into one; he helmed RGCB for 15…

by Amir Mohammad Arsh and Suhana Mishra Email- arsh786rizvi@gmail.com, suhanamishra05@gmail.com Affiliation: School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh, India ABSTRACT In the pandemic situation of SARS-CoV-2, where infection cases increase with 90K cases daily in India at a rapid pace per day, precautions are the only way to prevent contamination. Ayurveda seems to be a feasible option, with no existing drugs available to treat or suppress COVID-19, with vaccines under development, and no potential to be available on the market soon. It can be used to eradicate or reduce COVID infection and increase immunity as a preventive…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged at the United Nations on September 26 that his country’s vaccine production capacity would be made available globally to fight the COVID-19 crisis. “As the largest vaccine-producing country of the world, I want to give one more assurance to the global community today,” Modi said in a pre-recorded speech to the U.N. General Assembly. “India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis.” Modi said India was moving ahead with Phase 3 clinical trials – the large-scale trials considered the gold standard for determining safety and efficacy…

A Class XII Delhi student has won the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s (HRD) ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Ideathon’ under the category of Sustainable Environment after he created a web-based app LungAI, which can detect COVID-19 and other lung disorders. Aryan Gulati of Delhi Public School, RK Puram won the contest and became the youngest winner of the contest. Aryan has received Rs. 2 lakh to further implement his app that has an accuracy rating of 90 percent. According to reports, the app provides results in 3 to 5 seconds after uploading an x-ray or a CT scan of the chest on…