News Bulletin 16 February 2000
Biotechnology will be as important as Information Technology
The genesis of organising an exhibition and conference on biotechnology is essentially to create a platform for business-to-business activity to take place both in the technology as well as commercial areas. This is the first effort that we have put in this area. Exhibitions India will repeat this exhibition and conference in November this year. We already have a very favourable response from IARI. The All India Biotechnology Association has also encouraged us in this effort. They have rendered great support to us.
The exhibition has attracted 30 companies, associations, governmental organisation and journals of which 20 are commercial. Five of them are from overseas and in my opinion, it is an excellent start. We will certainly build upon it. Biotechnology India 2000 has a concurrent conference for three days which will be addressed by over 20 well known speakers including renowned scientists, industry leaders, regulators etc. We have conference delegates from over 8 countries, and are expecting over 125 delegates who are going to attend the conference. We are expecting 1000-1500 visitors to visit the exhibition. These are all trade visitors. Because it is a business to business platform these will be only business visitors. The interaction between the business delegates, conference delegates, speakers, experts, and the exhibitors will be really meaningful.
The demand for the biotechnology products in services in India in the current year could be to the tune of $2-2.5billion. I believe that biotechnology is going to be as important as information technology is today in all its fields of biosciences. This is something very important. The rest of the sciences or technologies have no meaning if bioscience is not present alongside. Bio-diversity, agriculture, human way of life, ecology, medicines, or anything that has anything to do with humanity, bioscience is going to be of great importance.
Excerpts from the speech of Mr. Prem Behl, M.D., Exhibitions India at the Press Conference held to launch
Industry should invest in the biotech sector: Vivek Singhal "Biotechnology is the fastest growing area in the world. When Bill Gates visited India some time back, people asked him about his future plans and growth areas. He responded that besides Infotech it is biotechnology, which is going to grow in the world", said Mr. Vivek Singhal, President, All India Biotechnology Association. He was speaking at the press conference held to launch the first Biotechnology India 2000 exhibition & conference.
Biotechnology India 2000 exhibition & conference."Biotechnology is the only sword which is the saviour of our health & environment and which has unimaginable areas of applications like software applications," he said.
Now it has been declared the fastest growing area. India has hardly touched a turn-over of 6000 crore rupees in the Biotechnology sector, which is very insignificant. "The industry has to come forward. The scientists and the academicians have to interact with the industry", Mr. Singhal stated.
BACTERIAL DNA – THE BASIS OF MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Bacteria are single-celled organisms with no nucleus or chromosomes. Instead, they have independent circles of DNA known as plasmids. Bacterial enzymes can quickly ‘cut and paste’ plasmids to recombine DNA. And, plasmids can readily transfer DNA components from one bacteria to another. In this way, bacteria can quickly change the software in their DNA to adopt to their environment.Bacteria are prone to viral (bacteriophage) infection. Viruses use bacteria to replicate themselves.
The viruses insert their genetic information inside the bacteria, cutting and pasting with the bacteria (recombining) DNA, and the bacteria’s resources to create more viruses.
Researchers apply the principles of bacterial and viral replication, as well as the organisms themselves (as carriers or ‘vectors’), to develop industrial processes to transfer DNA from one organism to the next
Media should project the truth about Biotechnology:
Dr. C. S. PrakashDr. C. S. Prakash, Director, Centre for Plant Biotechnology Research, Tuskegee University, USA spoke on agriculture and genetically modified foods. "This area has tremendous potential but it was in certain controversies. In India we have 80 percent population based on agriculture. Any solution that would help in improving the quality of living, providing more food, health and nutrition, India should embrace that technology," said Dr. C. S. Prakash.
" Biotechnology is the science that can help in growing better crops, cut the cost of pesticides and improve the environmental conditions. Biotechnology is an area where heavy private investment is needed", said Dr. Prakash while speaking to the press.
"People have created misconceptions and fear about biotechnology and food production amongst the common consumers. Media has to play a very constructive role by providing a balanced view to the common man about the importance of biotech in agriculture", he said.
What is food & agricultural biotechnology ?The tools of biotechnology allow plant breeders to carefully select and introduce beneficial traits to the crops we grow for food, animal feed and fiber. The benefits are environmentally friendlier agriculture and more nutritious, healthyful and abundant foods.
Farmers and plant breeders have labored for centuries to improve the crops that produce our food. Traditional breeding methods include selecting and sowing seeds from plants with desirable traits, such as higher yield, better nutrition and resistance to disease. By breeding plants with these characteristics, plant breeders combined the genetics of those plants, long before the science of genetics was understood.
Agricultural biotechnology works towards the same goals and achieves them with greater precision and predictability.
The world cannot afford to ignore Indian talent: Dr. Madhusudan
"Biotechnology is a collection of enabling technologies. India has come a long a long way from the time when biotechnology was equated with tissue culture. Now we see a great advancement in innovative research rather than copy research", said Dr. V. V. Madhusudan, Scientist, Regulatory affairs Biodiscovery, New Zealand.
" Nobody can afford to ignore the Indian talent at present, whether it is infotech or biotech. That is why every single company from all parts of the world are here," he said. He also stated that India has everything that makes a significant impact in the biotechnology sector.
Biotechnology can increase food grain production: Dr. Bansal
"Biotechnology and agriculture are in fact one thing when we talk of biotechnology. Other than this the focus is on medicine. We cannot wait even for a fraction of a second when we talk of exploitation of such a big technology for the benefit of mankind", said Dr. K. C. Bansal, Principal Scientist, National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Indian Agriculture Research Institute.
Dr. Bansal was talking on biotechnology and agriculture at the press conference. "The maximum potential which India yields every year is from agriculture." Talking about the food grain production, he said that India has grown from 50 million tons to 203 million tons at present.
"Now the green revolution trend is declining and is giving way to biotechnology. Biotechnology can play a tremendous role in the development of agriculture and food grain production", said Dr. Bansal. Reading out the figures he said that 180-200 million people in India are below the poverty line and are hungry, 85 million children below 5 years are underweight. "Biotechnology has to save these losses that are taking place in India," he stated.
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