Biotecnika Times 24th Dec 2019 Edition

December 24th, 2019

Vol. 03

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TOP 30 BIOTECH STARTUPS

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December 24th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 110

Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarships 2020 Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarships 2020 – Apply Online. Indian Nationals are requested to check out all of the details on the scholarship below. The University of Cambridge Scholarships for Indian students.

THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE HAS LONG AND CLOSE TIES WITH INDIA. MANY OF ITS LEADING POLITICIANS, BUSINESSMEN AND SCIENTISTS ARE CAMBRIDGE ALUMNI.

By Diluxi Arya

St Johns College, one of the largest of the Colleges in Cambridge, has had particularly extensive links over many years. Dr Manmonhan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, is a graduate and Honorary Fellow of St John’s College. He is widely acknowledged as the architect of the economic reforms that have helped propel India onto the World Stage.

In honour of Dr Singh St John’s College is awarding the Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarships. These awards will enable academically outstanding Indian students to come to St. John’s College, University of Cambridge to study for doctoral degrees in subjects like Science & Technology, Economics and Social Sciences.

Eligibility: The applicant should be: • An Indian national with a valid Indian passport and currently based in India • Below 35 years of age as on 31 December 2019 • Not already had significant exposure to UK education or received UK government funding.

• Should hold a Master’s (postgraduate) degree from a reputed/ recognised India university/institution with a First Class award (UG and PG) in the relevant subject/field • Evidence of leadership qualities (to be assessed from personal statements e.g. extracurricular activities and/or evidence of having made a difference to the country/society/participation in symposia in the relevant subject, or peer-reviewed publication in the area.)

• Keen to pursue and should have identified a full-time Doctoral Research degree from the University of Cambridge commencing by September/October

• 2020 • Fluent in spoken and written English • Able to fulfil any other admission criteria laid down by the university.

Value of award: The scholarships are fully funded: • Academic fees • International airfare • Monthly stipend to cover living expenses • UK Visa

for funding from the University.

• Applicants to complete the online College Application form for the Dr. Manmohan Singh Scholarships Competition via the College website to notify St John’s that they have applied to the University and wish to be considered for the Scholarship.

This form must be returned to St John’s by 15 January 2020.

Notes:

• Only those applicants who get an offer of admission at St John’s ColApplication process: lege will be eligible for the award of the Scholarship.

It is the responsibility of the appli- • Candidates should NOT approach cants to identify a suitable Doctoral St John’s College directly at this stage programme and supervisor at the University of Cambridge, apply for Selection: a place for September/October 2020 and secure admission.

Candidates for these scholarships are selected through a process of shortlis• Identify a suitable doctoral pro- ting from the applications received, gramme and supervisor at the followed by personal interviews, University of Cambridge which will be conducted by Skype.

• Applicants to visit the Universi- Subsequent to the interviews the ty of Cambridge Graduate Ad- selection committee identifies the remissions Office web site: www. quired number of candidates for the graduate.study.cam.ac.uk and awards. The decision of the selection make formal application to the committee will be final. Selection reUniversity. sults will be communicated within a • Applicants to select St John’s month following the interview.

College as their first choice College on their application form.

Post selection: • Applicants to indicate on their Graduate Application Form via Pre-departure briefings, UK visa and the Applicant Portal that they travel arrangements for the selected are applying for the Dr Manmo- candidates will be co-ordinated by St han Singh Scholarships if asked John’s College. (this is not mandatory), but also General notes to complete the section applying

• St John’s College will acknowledge receipt of applications through the emails provided on the College application form. For this purpose, applicants are requested to provide their latest email ids. However, the College will not be responsible for the failure of on-line delivery.

• St John’s College will further contact only applicants who have reached the later stages of the University’s selection procedure. These candidates will be asked to provide further information to support their application.

This information and that provided on the Graduate Application Form will be used to draw up the short-list.

• St John’s will contact the short-listed candidates inviting them for interviews.

Applicants are requested not to contact St John’s College directly.

• Short-listed candidates will be interviewed by Skype between April and June 2020. Candidates will be expected to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements, if necessary.

Further Information For further information and clarification please visit: www.joh.cam. ac.uk/dr-manmohan-singh-scholarship Or contact: drmanmohansinghscholarships@ joh.cam.ac.uk The deadline for submission is 15 January 2020.

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Top 30 Biotech Startups Launched in 2019 – You Must Know About The term “Biotechnology” was coined by Karl Ereky to describe the combination of biology and technology. Ereky’s vision has been perceived by many companies as well as research institutions that are creating biotechnology products now and then.

BIOTECHNOLOGY HAS REVOLUTIONIZED DIFFERENT FIELDS IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES WHETHER IT IS PHARMACEUTICAL, AGRICULTURE, HEALTH AND FOOD.

By Prathibha HC

Biotech is a very promising field with new inventions taking place every minute all around the world, attracting many young minds to build their career in this field as well as earn bread and butter.

How do these Biotech companies work?

The biotech company is a company that uses live organisms such as bacteria or their products, such as enzymes, to create drugs, but not limited to. Mostly the profit in biotech is in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics but many advances have also being made to develop, biofuels, biomaterials, resilient crops, and pollution controls. Roche, founded in the year 1896, in Switzerland is the largest biotech company in the world, with 17 biopharmaceuticals on the market.

Every year, new startups in biotech/biotechnology come up. Biotech startups are a high-risk venture and are different from a typical tech Startup. The typical tech startup can launch a product within months, a biotech company often requires many years of thorough research and cash-burning before launching its first product in the market. The new startups include pharmaceutical companies, equipment firms provide servicing in research labs and scientists. These companies aim to provide knowledge, develop new technology and products.

This article will provide some insight into the top 30 Biotech startups which was launched in the past 12 months.

1. Name of Startup: Arranta Bio • Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters • Location: Watertown, Massa-

chusetts, United States • Website: http://arrantabio.com/ About Arranta Bio: Arranta Bio provides contract development and manufacturing services to pioneering innovators working on new therapies targeting diseases linked to the human microbiome. Arranta Bio is delivering on its vision to build the best-inclass microbiome contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) through its merger with a 10-year veteran CDMO, Captozyme, and the establishment of a commercial-ready manufacturing facility.

bridge, Massachusetts, United States • Website: https://thrivedetect. com/ About Thrive Earlier Detection: They envision a future in which blood was drawn at an annual physical that is used to find early-stage cancer.

When found early, cancer is often effectively treated or even cured.

Their goal is to integrate early cancer screening into routine medical care, helping to provide navigation for the care process. The few cancer screens available today, including mammograms and colonoscopies, each look 2. Name of Startup: Genesis Ther- for a single type of cancer. To work apeutics alongside these tests, they have built a test designed to find multiple cancer • Categories: Biotechnology, In- types from a single blood draw — information Technology cluding many cancers that lack effec• Headquarters Location: South tive screening tools such as ovarian, San Francisco, California, Unit- pancreatic, liver cancers and others. ed States • Website: https://www.genesis- 4. Name of Startup: Civetta Thertherapeutics.ai/ apeutics About Genesis Therapeutics: Their academia-leading research was • Categories: Biotechnology, Life the initial component of our expandScience, Therapeutics ing portfolio of AI technologies. This • Headquarters Location: Greatbiotech startup is combining novel er Boston Area, East Coast, deep neural networks, biophysical New England simulation, and massively scalable • Website: https://www.civetcomputing infrastructure to achieve tatherapeutics.com/ industry-leading performance in the About Civetta Therapeutics: Civmolecular generation and property etta Therapeutics was founded to adprediction. vance new medicines through small molecule targeting of beta-propeller 3. Name of Startup: Thrive Earlier domains with the goal of developing Detection important therapeutics for cancers and other diseases. By integrating a • Categories: Biotechnology, broad range of expertise in drugging Health Care, Medical the propeller domains spanning from • Headquarters Location: Cam- biochemistry to biology to medicinal

chemistry, this biotech startup company’s vision is to build a portfolio of therapeutics. These efforts will support the creation of near term therapeutics and longer-term value in becoming a leader in this space.

5. Name of Startup: Arvelle Therapeutics • Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland • Website: https://www.arvelletx. com/ About Arvelle Therapeutics: They bring innovative treatments to patients suffering from CNS disorders.

Arvelle Therapeutics has licensed exclusive rights to develop and commercialize cenobamate in Europe from SK Biopharmaceuticals.

6. Name of Startup: HiberCell • Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: New York, New York, United States • Website: https://www.hibercell. com/ About HiberCell: Despite significant advances in the treatment of primary tumors, metastatic cancer remains a leading cause of solid cancer mortality. HiberCell seeks to change that. This biotech startup is developing the first-in-class therapeutics that target dormant disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) from solid and liquid

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tx.com/ About Chinook Therapeutics: Drug development in kidney diseases is experiencing a resurgence due to a greater understanding of disease biology, utilization of novel translational 7. Name of Startup: Pyxis Oncology platforms and patient stratification tools, and the emergence of accelerat• Categories: Biotechnology, ed regulatory pathways based on surrogate endpoints.

Health Care, Pharmaceutical • Headquarters Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United 10. Name of Startup: Cell Vault States • Website: https://www.pyxison- • Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: Daytocology.com/ na Beach, Florida, United States About Pyxis Oncology: Pyxis Oncology is developing antibody ther- • Website: https://cellvault.com/ apeutics to promote the body’s im- About Cell Vault: Cell Vault is one mune response to cancer, based on of the Biotech Startups launched in new insights into the tumor microen- 2019. It has launched the world’s vironment. The tumor microenviron- first t-cell bank to give individuals an ment represents a unique biological opportunity to jumpstart their fight setting, different in many important against cancer. Just as women freeze ways from other sites of immune their fertile eggs, Cell Vault allows activity throughout the body. Pyxis you to preserve your disease-fighting Oncology has unlocked many new t-cells in case they can be used in fuavenues to restore the potency of dys- ture medical treatment. functional immune cells through a deep understanding of the role of the 11. Name of Startup: Rosa Biotech tumor microenvironment in immune cell trafficking and activity. Pyxis is • Categories: Biotechnology, Machine Learning, Manufacturing developing a diverse pipeline of new antibodies to enhance the immune re- • Headquarters Location: Bristol, Bristol, City of, United sponse against cancer, even in tumor Kingdom types that historically have not responded well to cancer immunother- • Website: https://www.rosabio. tech/ apies.

About Rosa Biotech: Rosa Biotech is redefining biosensing. They 8. Name of Startup: Kira Biotech are enabling previously intractable challenges in early disease diagno• Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: Brun- sis and industrial biotechnology to be addressed accurately and at scale. swick, Maine, United States • Website: https://kirabiotech. They are based at the Unit DX biosciences hub in the heart of Bristol. com/ About Kira Biotech: Kira Biotech is Located near Bristol Temple Meads an emerging Australian biotechnol- station, the hub is home to over 20 ogy company developing novel im- science-driven companies, startup munomodulatory compounds for the and spinout companies, investors and treatment of immune system disor- support services, and provides a meltders. Its lead candidate, KB312, is a ing pot of academic researchers. first-in-class, selective, immune-cell depleting monoclonal antibody that 12. Name of Startup: Araris Biotargets activated immune cells and tech aims to restore homeostasis through induction of immune tolerance. Kira • Categories: Biotechnology Biotech has attracted venture capital • Headquarters Location: Villigen, Aargau, Switzerland funding and is progressing KB312 through preclinical development and • Website: https://www.ararisbiotech.com/ phase 1 clinical trials with a team of drug development experts led by well- About Araris Biotech: Araris Bioknown US-based rheumatologist and tech AG is a spin-off company from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and immunologist, Dr. Dan Baker.

ETH Zurich pioneering a novel an9. Name of Startup: Chinook Ther- tibody-drug conjugate (ADC)-linker technology. Their linker platform enapeutics ables the attachment of any payload to ‘off the shelf’ antibodies without • Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: Van- the need for prior antibody engineering. ADCs are powerful biopharmacouver, Alberta, Canada • Website: https://www.chinook- ceuticals, delivering highly potent cancers. Their ultimate goal is to prevent or delay the recurrence of cancer. HiberCell is developing Novel Therapeutics to Prevent Relapse and Metastasis.

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drugs very specifically to the desired tissue. ADCs consist of highly potent cytotoxic agents conjugated to antibodies through a specific linker. This molecular format enables the highly-selective delivery of any payload to the diseased tissue, while healthy parts of the human body are spared.

es. Polyproxin molecules are biopharmaceuticals that selectively target disease-causing proteins and use natural cellular pathways to degrade or remove these proteins. For use in the treatment of cancers, targeting aberrant proteins that have previously proven difficult to target using conventional drug classes, such as small 13. Name of Startup: Lavie bio molecules or monoclonal antibodies, our initial focus is on developing • Categories: Agriculture, Bio- Polyproxin drug candidates for these. technology • Headquarters Location: Rehov- 16. Name of Startup: Nimble Therot, HaMerkaz, Israel apeutics • Website: lavie-bio.com About Lavie bio: As a biotech start- • Categories: Biotechnology, up their Mission is to improve food Therapeutics quality, agricultural sustainability, • Headquarters Location: Madiand productivity through the introson, Wisconsin, United States duction of microbiome-based ag-bi- • Website: https://www.nimblethological products. Better food for erapeutics.com/ consumers with improved quality and About Nimble Therapeutics: Nimhealth attributes. Better agriculture ble Therapeutics supports all phases for a sustainable environment. Nature of preclinical development to accelis the ultimate resource – they partner erate your path to the clinic. Nimble with the untapped potential of the mi- is using its unique maskless chemical crobiome. synthesis platform to synthesize and systematically discover novel med14. Name of Startup: AHEAD Med- icines in a variety of therapeutic aricine eas. Nimble harnesses the power of photolithography and an extensive • Categories: Analytics, Artifi- library of photoprotected amino accial Intelligence, Biotechnology, ids to enable the design, synthesis, Health Care and screening of millions of diverse • Headquarters Location: Berke- macrocycles at unprecedented speed. ley, California, United States Nimble’s core capabilities have been • Website: http://aheadmedi- applied in various studies and have cine.com/ helped unlock new learnings and disAbout AHEAD Medicine: AHEAD coveries. medicine focuses on the development and application of AI-enabled diag- 17. Name of Startup: CysBio nostic and disease assessment tools for blood cancer treatment. Leukemia • Categories: Biotechnology detection models are developed that • Headquarters Location: Konallow physicians to identify abnorgens Lyngby, Hovedstaden, mal cases promptly and can prevent Denmark delays in clinical decisions. To enable • Website: https://cysbio.com/ AI aided clinical decision making in About CysBio: Cysbio uses advanced the blood cancer treatment for every metabolic engineering and synthetic physician and help them tackle chal- biology approaches to construct baclenges in blood cancer management terial cell factories for transforming with better treatment strategies is our the production of biochemicals from vision. Biotech Startup launched in renewable feedstocks. Their proprie2019. tary cell factories produce commodity chemicals for existing markets, 15. Name of Startup: PolyProx and Cysbio technologies enable the production of entirely new chemi• Categories: Biotechnology, cals with novel properties. Cysbio Health Care, Therapeutics is a spin-out from the Novo Nordisk • Headquarters Location: Cam- Foundation Center for Biosustainabridge, Cambridgeshire, United bility at the Technical University of Kingdom Denmark.

• Website: https://www.polyprox. com/ About PolyProx: PolyProx Therapeutics is a Biotech Startup launched in 2019 – focused on the discovery and development of a new class of drugs, Polyproxin molecules, to treat cancer and neurodegenerative diseasNext Page>>>>

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18. Name of Startup: Qlaris Bio • Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States • Website: https://qlaris.bio/ About Qlaris Bio: Qlaris Bio was founded with a singular focus: to develop novel, innovative therapies for serious and debilitating ophthalmic diseases. Qlaris Bio is a spinout company of Qrativ, a biotechnology incubator formed as a joint venture between Mayo Clinic and inference, a pharmaceutical-focused artificial intelligence company. Qlaris Bio’s lead program is QLS-101, a novel compound invented at Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota. QLS101, with its unique and first-in-class mechanism of action, may potentially serve as an efficacious treatment for high unmet need conditions related to disturbances in intraocular pressure, including a sight-threatening and progressive Pediatric Rare Disease for which effective therapies remain elusive and limited.

19. Name of Startup: CellmAbs • Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal • Website: https://www.cellmabs. com/ About CellmAbs: CellmAbs is a biotech company focused on the discovery and development of cutting edge oncology products, aiming to deliver the most effective and safe therapeutic and diagnostic solutions to treat cancer patients. Their ultimate goal is to cure cancer and they work passionately every day to achieve it.

Their team is comprised of renowned scientists and international experts in the field of glycoimmunology and oncology. They also maintain several partnerships and collaborations with national and international research centers and oncology clinical institutes.

20. Name of Startup: Pregenerate • Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: London, England, United Kingdom • Website: https://www.pregenerate.net/ About Pregenerate: At Pregenerate, they use scaleable organ-on-a-chip models to replace animal testing in pharmaceutical research for arthritis treatments. This enables pharmaceutical companies to save billions of dollars and improve the success rates of their drugs to market, in part because of using human cells in their

company’s model.

24. Name of Startup: Transcenta

21. Name of Startup: TissueLabs

• Categories: Biopharma, Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: Huangpu, Shanghai, China • Website: http://www.transcenta.com/ About Transcenta: Transcenta is a global biotherapeutics company that fully integrates antibody-based biotherapeutics discovery, R&D, regulatory affairs and manufacturing. At Transcenta, they focus on helping patients around the world by employing cutting-edge technology to discover and deliver high-quality innovative biologics at affordable prices.

• Categories: 3D Technology, Biotechnology, Life Science, Medical, Therapeutics • Headquarters Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil • Website: https://www.tissuelabs.com/ About TissueLabs: They are building a new platform to create organs and tissues in the lab. By combining tissue-specific extracellular matrix proteins as self-assembling hydrogels, we offer the most advanced microenvironment for cell and tissue culture. Their products are created to allow you to perform state of the art 25. Name of Startup: FUMI Ingreresearch, from drug discovery to or- dients gan fabrication.

• Categories: Biotechnology, Food Processing 22. Name of Startup: Nagi Biosci• Headquarters Location: Utreence cht, Utrecht, Netherlands • Website: https://www.fumiin• Categories: Biotechnology gredients.com/ • Headquarters Location: LausAbout FUMI Ingredients: They anne, Vaud, Switzerland produce animal-free food ingredients • Website: http://nagibio.ch/ About Nagi Bioscience: Meet the from micro-organisms. They believe first Organism-on-Chip Technology. that microorganisms are an untapped The first Organism-on-Chip tech- source of high-value ingredients, nology, proudly introduced by Nagi which can be used in a broad range of Bioscience – Biotech Startups 2019, healthy food products. FUMI Ingrecombines the use of a simple yet dients uses natural micro-organisms complete organism for in vivo test- such as baker’s and brewer’s yeast and ing – the tiny worm “Caenorhabditis micro-algae. They have developed a Elegans” – with the first technologi- mild and scalable process, which is cal platform for its fully automated in able to recover unique compounds vitro handling, analysis and culture. from these untapped resources.

Unprecedented possibilities are now open, for a wide range of applications, 26. Name of Startup: Mantle Bioincluding toxicity, anthelmintics, and tech drug discovery.

• Categories: Biotechnology, Health Care, Health Diagnos23. Name of Startup: JOGO Health tics, Medical, Wellness • Categories: Biotechnology, Fit- • Headquarters Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United ness, Health Care, PharmaceuStates tical • Headquarters Location: • Website: http://mantlebiotech. com Bridgewater, New Jersey, UnitAbout Mantle Biotech: They engied States • Website: https://www.jogo- neer binding proteins that can accurately detect disease biomarkers in health.com/ About JOGO Health: JOGO helps patient samples, using directed evohealthy brain cells rewire to work lution to modify heat-stable proteins with muscles that have become in- produced by microbes found living in active due to stroke and other neuro- hot springs. These versatile reagents muscular conditions. A prescription can be adapted to a range of diseases digital therapeutic product, JOGO is and test formats, enabling our team composed of a patent-protected Mo- to address pain points throughout the bile App, and wearable wireless s/ broader diagnostic industry.

EMG sensors, that provide games and treatment protocols that can be 27. Name of Startup: Epigene Labs adapted for muscle relaxation, all leveraging neural plasticity, movement • Categories: Biopharma, Biotechnology coordination, and neuro-muscular • Headquarters Location: Paris, re-education.

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• Website: http://www.epigenelabs.com/ About Epigene Labs: Over the past couple of decades, the exponential progress of sequencing technologies has allowed an increasing number of cancer patients to benefit from precision oncology. However, the aggregation, analysis, and visualization of the massive amounts of genomic data remain a major challenge for precision oncology expansion. The Epigene Labs technology platform – Biotech Startup launched in 2019 – enables cancer drug hunters to seamlessly leverage advanced artificial intelligence in transforming genomic data into actionable insights for designing precision oncology approaches. With R&D in Paris and business development in Boston, Epigene Labs operates in the setting of value-based partnerships with world-leading cancer centers and high-profile biotechs.

28. Name of Startup: Percayai • Categories: Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical • Headquarters Location: St Louis, Missouri, United States • Website: https://www.percayai. com/ About Percayai: They are an interdisciplinary team of computer scientists, computational biologists and chemists, and life science executives devoted to understanding the complexities of human biology. PercayAI – a Biotech Startup – is reimagining the drug discovery process by providing truly innovative augmented intelligence software. Percaya is a Bahasa Indonesian word meaning “believe” or “trust,” while AI refers to our “Augmented Intelligence” software products.

29. Name of Startup: Ventnostics • Categories: Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Health Diagnostics, Life Science, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Device • Headquarters Location: San Francisco, California, United States.

• Website: https://www.ventnostics.com/ About Ventnostics: Ventnostics is a biomedical engineering biotechnology company developing over-thecounter, affordable, and easy-to-use screening tests for mosquito-borne

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diseases. Ventnostics’ mission is to simplify and miniaturize complex medical diagnostic tests so that they can reach millions of people around the world.

30. Name of Startup: RNAissance • Categories: Biotechnology • Headquarters Location: Overland Park, Kansas, United States • Website: https://www.rnais-

sanceag.net/ About RNAissance: RNAissance Ag is an ag biotechnology company focused on delivering RNA-based insecticides for crop protection. RNAbased insecticides are environmentally friendly, and designed to be specific to particular target insects. They have a novel technology with a new mode of action. They will focus on developing spray-on RNA insecticides.

Those were the top 30 Biotech Start-

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ups launched in 2019. So, whether it’s about advancement in combinatorial genomics or gene-editing technology, scientists have joined hands to change the future biotech and healthcare based industries. Problem-solving approach, timing, teamwork, progress are important to make a successful company and to succeed as an entrepreneur. How exciting it is to see many biotech startups launching each year for the betterment of human life using the combination of technology

and biological sciences.

This article provides brief information about the Biotech companies which are doing extraordinary work in several fields ranging from therapeutic developments for various diseases as well as health data management. For more details company web sites can be referred.

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UPSC Indian Forest Service Exam 2020 – IFS Exam Dates Announced ndian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination 2020 Notification. Dates for IFS 2020 – Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) exam through CS(P) Examination 2020 has been announced. Check Below for More Details.

INDIAN FOREST SERVICE – ALSO KNOWN AS IFS OR IFOS EXAM IS CONDUCTED BY THE UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF THE GOVT OF INDIA.

By Preety Suman

The exam format is similar to the IPS – Indian Police service or the IAS – Indian Administrative Service exam.

Candidates require to attempt the preliminary exam first. Upon qualifying the prelims one can appear for the main Indian Forest service exam.

Indian Forest Service 2020 Exam Pattern The Indian Forest Service Examination will consist of two successive stages (vide Appendix I Section-I below: (i) Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective type) for the selection of candidates for the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination; and (ii) Indian Forest Service (Main) Ex-

amination (Written and Interview) for The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s the selection of candidates for the In- degree with at least one of the subdian Forest Service. jects namely Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, ChemisNo of Vacancies: The number of va- try, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, cancies to be filled on the results of Statistics and Zoology or a Bachelor’s the exam is expected to be approxi- degree in Agriculture, Forestry or in mately 90. The number of vacancies Engineering of any of Universities inis subject to change each year. corporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other edEligibility for Indian Forest Ser- ucational institutions established by vice Exam 2020 an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section Educational Qualification Required: 3 of the University Grants Commis-

sion Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.

No of Attempts for IFS Exam 2020: Every candidate appearing at the Examination, who is otherwise eligible, shall be permitted six attempts at the examination. T&C Apply*.

Keep a check on this page for More details about the Indian Forest Service 2020 exam for Biology students.

Official Notification for IFS 2020 will be released soon.

NEWS

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IISER Pune Scientists Identify Drug Targets For Nipah Virus Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune developed drug targets for the dreaded Nipah Virus using molecular modeling.

NIPAH VIRUS OUTBREAKS HAD VERY HIGH MORTALITY RATES, AROUND 70% IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

By Namitha Thampi

The virus spreads through body secretions of pigs, bats, and infected individuals. First detected in Malaysia 1998, Nipah later found its way to India and Bangladesh.

The genetic material of the Nipah virus is RNA encapsulated in a protein envelope. Like any other virus, Nipah makes copies of its genetic material, attacks and hijacks the machinery of host cells. The protein envelope of Nipah is made of six proteins, and three more proteins are produced by the RNA to defend itself from the immune response.

These nine proteins were considered as therapeutic targets by scientists.

They sequenced the genome of a Malaysian strain of the Nipah virus and developed computer models of those

proteins. Using these computer mod- cules are conserved among the strains. els, researchers designed molecules that could interact and interfere with Structures of molecules, along with the molecular mechanisms of the vi- other details, are available for the ral proteins, eventually killing or dis- public on their institute website. abling the virus.

The scientists aimed to develop They sequenced the genomes of 15 therapeutic molecules on a prostrains of Nipah virus from India, teome-wide scale, and they believe Bangladesh, and Malaysia and con- that the molecules developed could firmed that the parts of proteins that help drug development against Nipah. would interact with the drug mole- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases

published the research work. The project was funded by CSIR, Welcome Trust DBT and DST. The research team: Neeladri Sen, Ankit Animesh Roy, Tejashree Rajaram Kanitkar, Kaustubh Amritkar, Neelesh Soni, , Shreyas Supekar, Gulzar Singh, M.S.Madhusudhan and Sanjana Nair.

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Scientists Develop INTEGRATE – An Upgraded CRISPR Tool Columbia scientists developed a new gene-editing tool that could replace the current CRISPR- based tools and captured it’s first images.

THE TEAM DISCOVERED A UNIQUE “JUMPING GENE” IN VIBRIO CHOLERAE BACTERIA THAT INSERT LARGE DNA SEQUENCES IN THE GENOME WITHOUT INTRODUCING DNA BREAKS.

By Namitha Thampi

The scientists named the tool INTEGRATE after “Insertion of transposable elements by guide RNA-assisted targeting. Published today in Nature, the study involves the use of cryo-electron microscopy, a Nobel prize-winning technique that reveals the high-resolution details about how INTEGRATE works.

Sam Sternberg, Ph.D., assistant professor at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, led the research with Israel Fernandez, Ph.D., assistant professor at Columbia.

The scientists showed how INTEGRATE could be used to maximum advantage to insert DNA fragments to specific targets in bacterial cells.

Starts like CRISPR, but has a different ending Using the cryo-electron microscopy technique, the researchers flash froze the gene-editing complex sample in liquid nitrogen and captured the images of the INTEGRATE system with an electron microscope. The captured imaged were then used to develop atomic resolution models of the INTEGRATE System.

cutting, the cascade in the INTE- The new INTEGRATE system for GRATE targets DNA for inserting gene editing does not rely on cell’s DNA fragments. machinery for repair, and could be used for inserting large DNA seTyler Halpin-Healy, a cellular, mo- quences. This upgraded CRISPR syslecular, and biophysical Ph.D. stu- tem is more accurate and efficient in dent at Columbia University Irving inserting genetic sequences compared Medical Center and first author of to the conventional CRISPR-Cas systhe study, said, “Visualizing biolo- tem. This system allows scientists gy on this scale is truly amazing and to carry out genetic modifications in can easily excite even those unfamil- all types of cells, including the cells iar with the topic. The quality of this that have limited repair activity like work, and the speed at which it was neurons, where CRISPR wasn’t that accomplished, is emblematic of the successful. collaborative environment afforded by great mentors like Sam and Isra- The major challenge in CRISPR beel.” ing the off-target edits; the structure unveils how TniQ and Cascade can Sternberg and colleagues had previously proposed the functional link between CRISPR machinery and transposition machinery. The current study proved their hypotheses right.

work together to achieve accurate gene editing preventing any off-target DNA insertions. The researchers plan to explore further the possibility of a proofreading checkpoint that’s highlighted in the structure.

Nature published the research paper “Structural basis of DNA targeting by a transposon-encoded CRISPR-Cas system on Dec. 18. The team members are Sanne E. Klompe and Tyler S. Halpin-Healy, Israel Fernández, Sam Sternberg, assistant professors in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, and Ph.D. students at CUIMC.

Why it matters

The model revealed that the system consists of two main parts arranged in a helical filament. A cascade occupies the larger portion winding around and carrying a guide RNA that scans the genome for the target sequence, similar to the CRISPR system. Once the upgraded CRISPR machinery locates and binds the matching sequence, it guides the DNA strand through the TniQ “transposition” proteins that sit on the end of the complex and recruit other enzymes that help modify the sequence.

CRISPR has become a widely accepted gene-editing tool across the world. It is quick, cheap, and precise.

However, in most of the CRISPR applications, both the DNA strands are cut, and DNA break is left for the cell’s own machinery to repair. This remains a major challenge in the technique and could lead to undesired gene edits as well. The current CRISPR machinery is not efficient enough to precisely insert large genetic payloads. Enhancing the gene-editing accuracy of CRISPR was a priority for researchers as its essential to ensure Unlike the other CRISPR systems the safety of therapies that involves where the cascade targets DNA for gene editing.

INTEGRATE complex structure consisting of Cascade (dark blue), TniQ units (light blue), and guide RNA (red). Credit: Sternberg and Fernández Labs/Columbia University Irving Medical Center

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Functional Mini-Liver Created By 3-D Bioprinting Researchers from Brazil have successfully created Mini Liver With the help of 3D Bioprinting.

THE MINI LIVER PERFORMS ALL THE LIVER’S TYPICAL FUNCTIONS, SUCH AS PRODUCING VITAL PROTEINS, STORING VITAMINS, AND SECRETING BILE, AMONG MANY OTHERS.

By Rahul Mishra

The breakthrough technology developed by the researchers can produce hepatic tissue in the laboratory in only 90 days. This technology in the future may become an alternative to organ transplantation.

This study by Brazil researchers combined bioengineering techniques, such as cell reprogramming & the cultivation of pluripotent stem cells, with 3D bioprinting. Thanks to the newly adopted strategy, the hepatic tissue produced by the bioprinter maintained functions for longer than reported by other scientists in previous studies.

Mayana Zatz, director of HUGCELL, said that the study is on the right track to highly promising results, although in-depth research is the need of the hour. The new Mini Liver By 3D Bioprinting technology will have zero probability of rejection, given that the cells come from the patient.

The innovative part of the research resided in how the cells were included in the bioink used to produce tissue in the 3D printer. Due to this, the functionality of the Mini liver is maintained for a more extended period. The scientists thereby avoided a problem faced by most human tissue bioprinting techniques. Some of them include a gradual loss of con-

tact among cells which consequently mixed with bioink, a hydrogel-like fluid, & printed out. The resulting leads to loss of tissue functionality. structures mature in culture for 18 Spheroid formation in this research days. already occurred in the differentiation process, when pluripotent cells were Majority of the conventional methtransformed into hepatic tissue cells. ods for printing live tissue use immersion & cell dispersion in a hydrogel Mini Liver By 3D Bioprinting- to recapitulate the microenvironment.

This ensures tissue functionality.

Liver In 90 Days!

However, previous experiments have According to the researchers, the shown that loss of cell contact, as well overall process from the collection of the patient’s blood to functional tissue production takes approximately 90 days. It can be divided into 3 stages: differentiation, printing, & maturation.

Initially, the blood cells are reprogrammed to regress to a stage of pluripotency- a characteristic of stem cells, becoming induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

The second stage of producing the Mini Liver By 3D Bioprinting consisted of inducing differentiation into liver cells. The spheroids are then

Mini Liver By 3D Bioprinting technique performed by Scientists. Credits: Daniel Antônio / Agência FAPESP

as functionality, occurs when dispersion is performed cell by cell.

In this study, the scientists developed mini-livers by 3D bioprinting technique using blood cells from three volunteers as raw material and compared markers relating to functionality, such as the maintenance of cell contact and protein production and release.

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Superbug Resistant Plastic Wraps Developed By Scientists Researchers from Canada’s McMaster University have developed a self-cleaning plastic wrap that repels superbugs and viruses.

THE RESEARCHERS BELIEVE THAT IT CAN EVEN PREVENT THE TRANSFER OF ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT SUPERBUGS.

By Rahul Mishra

The scientists used a combination of nano-scale surface engineering and chemistry to develop a plastic surface.

This is a treated form of transparent wrap that repels all kinds of bacteria.

The coating, inspired by water-resistant lotus leaves, is textured with microscopic “wrinkles” that block out external molecules and are chemically treated, meaning that water, blood or bacteria bounce away when they manufacture. come into contact with the surface.

They tested the material using These Superbug Resistant Plastic MRSA and Pseudomonas- considered Wraps can be shrink wrapped onto the most dangerous forms of antibisurfaces that are considered common breeding grounds for superbugs like the MRSA, such as door handles and railings.

Leyla Soleymani, an engineering physicist at McMaster University, said that the team developed the wrap to address the significant threat that is posed by multi-drug resistant bacteria. She added that given the limited treatment available for superbugs reducing it’s spread from one person to another is the key.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States every year, & more than 35,000 people die as a result of these drug-resistant infections.

The researchers believe the new material could also be used to package food and could stop the spread of bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella, and listeria from raw meats and foods.

According to the CDC, 20% of all drug-resistant infections come from the food we eat.

Scientists highlighted that the Superbug Resistant Plastic Wraps could be applied to almost any kind of material, including food. Also, the surface is durable, flexible, and inexpensive to

otic-resistant bacteria. Thye further used electron micrograph images to confirm that virtually no bacteria could transfer to the surface.

Tohid Didar, who co-led the research, said that the Superbug Resistant Plastic Wraps would have wide applications, including all kinds of institutional and domestic settings.

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Scientists Sequence Human Genome Stuck On 5,700 Years Old “Chewing Gum” What runs through your mind when you discard a chewing gum after using it? Did you ever imagine that the chewing gum you are discarding today may become a scientific treasure thousands of years from now? Well, that’s precisely what happened with Lola!

SHE LIVED ON THE BALTIC SEA ISLAND ABOUT 5700 YEARS AGO.

By Rahul Mishra

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have reconstructed the genome of an ancient human- whom they named Lola because the chewing gum was found in Lolland, Denmark.

It’s interesting to note that no known physical remains of the woman in question exist. All we have to go on is just a small lump of birch pitch – an ancient tar-like substance distilled from heated tree bark. Birch pitch, the Juicy Fruit of our ancestors going back to the Paleolithic period, is often found to have been chewed. The chewing is thought to have been for several different purposes, including to warm the pitch up, making it soft and malleable for glue use, and also as a medicine, or even for recreational purposes, much like modern-day chewing gum.

The Ancient Chewing Gum DNA, which was assembled by researchers based at the University of Copenhagen, belonged to Lola- a female who likely had dark skin, dark brown hair, & blue eyes.

Leaving a sticky mess behind was the farthest thing from Lola’s mind. She was doing something socially useful in her day. Even better, she performed a helpful service, albeit unknowingly, for future generations. In addition to Lola’s genetic story, the international team of researchers was also able to identify the DNA of plants and animals she had likely recently consumed with the help of Ancient Chewing Gum DNA. Additionally, the group of international researchers was able to find Lola’s oral microbiome. Her oral microbiome differs from our oral microbiome because of different lifestyles and environments.

Hannes Schroeder, lead researcher and evolutionary genomicist at the University of Copenhagen, said- “It is amazing to have gotten a complete ancient human genome from anything other than bone.”

Schroeder and the team of researchers also found DNA that could be assigned to the Epstein-Barr Virus. The virus is known to cause infectious mononucleosis or glandular fever. Analysis of ancient chewing gum DNA revealed traces of plant and animal DNA. Researchers specifically found hazelnuts & duck from the ancient chewing gum DNA, which may have been part of Lola’s diet. Additionally, the ancient chewing gum DNA- the birch pitch, also revealed information regarding Neolithic humans who were exploiting wild resources, a time when farming and domesticated animals were first introduced into southern Scandinavia.

How Could A birch pitch preserve Lola’s DNA for thousands of years?

Schroeder attributes this to the aseptic and hydrophobic properties of the pitch, which both inhibit microbial as well as chemical decay. The genomic information preserved in chewed pieces of birch pitch offers a snapshot of people’s lives, providing relevant information on phenotype, genetic ancestry, phenotype, health status, and even subsistence.

Artistic reconstruction of Lola. Credits: Tom Björklund.

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Scientists Develop Antibody That Blocks Influenza Virus Even with the advancement of research in Medical Science, bird flu remains a serious menace to public health.

RESEARCHERS FROM THE VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER DID BREAKTHROUGH RESEARCH TO COMBAT ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS OF THE INFLUENZA VIRUSES THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSMITTED FROM BIRDS TO HUMANS- THE H7N9 VIRUS.

By Rahul Mishra

A senior researcher from the Vanderbilt University Medical CenterJames Crowe Jr., MD, and colleagues reported that human monoclonal antibodies, isolated from 2 survivors of H7N9 infections, protected mice from an otherwise lethal viral challenge.

fection.

Antibody Blocks Bird Flu- How Will This Research Benefit Pa- The first known outbreak of the H7N9 influenza virus occurred in tients’?

China in 2013. By the end of 2013, Dr. Crowe said that the point of this 144 cases had been reported, and paper is that antibodies produced by more than 30% of the infected indihumans are sufficient to protect or viduals had died. treat bird flu. The research conducted by VUMC makes it clear that the antibodies described could be used to prevent or treat disease in humans.

The study also suggests that optimized vaccines that induce this type of antibody would protect against in-

The World Health Organization considers the H7N9 Virus as the most lethal influenza virus Dr. Crowe adds that in case the virus mutates itself and becomes capable of being transmitted from one person to the other; a

worldwide pandemic could occur.

Crowe’s lab has developed highly efficient methods that can quickly isolate antibody-producing white blood cells (WBCs) from survivor blood samples and then fuse them to fast-growing myeloma (cancer) cells. In this way, scientists can produce large quantities of monoclonal antibodies (MAb) that target specific viruses.

Dr. Crowe and his team of researchers have isolated human monoclonal

antibodies for many pathogenic viruses, including HIV, dengue, Zika, Ebola, norovirus, rotavirus and, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). They have pioneered the rational design of neutralizing antibody treatments and vaccines, some of which have progressed to clinical trials.

This study- Antibody Blocks Bird Flu was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources & National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

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Researchers Develop a New Method to ‘Fingerprint’ Human Cells A new method scPred analyzes data from individual human cells.

THIS METHOD COULD BE GAME-CHANGING FOR DIAGNOSING SOME OF THE MOST DEVASTATING DISEASES INCLUDING AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE AND CANCER.

By Prathibha HC

At the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, a research team has developed a method to ‘fingerprint’ human cells by the combination of machine learning algorithms and single-cell analysis.

The new method discovered has the potential to detect cancer earlier, help personalize treatments to individual patients and can identify the cells at Rather than estimating 20,000 the root of autoimmune disease. This things at once, this method looks at which patterns of those 20,000 have method is called ‘scPred’. the most predictive power in distinThe lead of the study, Joseph Pow- guishing one cell type from another ell, the Associate Professor Director cell type. All the transcript data from at the Garvan-Weizmann Centre for a single cell is first collected in this Cellular Genomics says, ” In medical scPred method. diagnostics, we are at the beginning of a significant new frontier by devel- A Ph.D. student at the University of oping this new way to identify very Queensland, José Alquicira-Hernández, the first author the study exspecific types of cells. plains, “To test what features make Having a closer look at human a specific cell type the most distinct from another cell, a statistical model cells on those patterns is done by scPred, Associate Professor Powell explains, this is almost like a unique fingerprint ” Based on a limited number of mark- of each cell.” ers found on the cell surface or inside the cell, we have classified the main A new dimension on diagnostics different cells in the human body for a long time now. But now, we are see- Scientists can use the trained moding a variety of cell types underneath el once a certain cell type has been just one ‘type’, for example, only a ‘fingerprinted’ to look for the same subgroup of cancer cells may actually type of cell in datasets or any other form a metastatic tumor even though samples from anywhere in the world. different cancer cells could all have Collaborators at Stanford University in the United States have analyzed the same cell surface markers.” datasets of colorectal cancer cells usExtensive information on what ing the scPred approach and validated makes a cell unique was discovered this method. With over 98% accuracy, by the new method of analyzing tran- the researchers were able to identify scripts of individual cells—a measure cancer cells from a tissue sample usof which genes are active in different ing the scPred models. cells.

The scientists say that using their Within the huge number of tran- new method, a lot of improvements scripted data’s information, the chal- in the resolution of cell types can be lenge of determining what can pro- done and it can also uncover diseased vide the most useful information that cells that are outside the scope of curdefines a cell type is solved by the rent medical diagnostics. scPred method.

Translation to patients For the first time, this new method opens the technology to diagnostic applications by allowing researchers to take snapshots of over 20,000 different pieces of information in a single cell’s transcript, thanks to advanced single-cell sequencing methods.

Scientists are moving to the next phase of translating the method to accredited tests for clinical practice

through the Garvan-Weizmann Centre for Cellular Genomics.

Associate Professor Powell says, ” The possibility of earlier detection is possible by our scPred method, it could let us determine the stage of a cancer patient, whether their tumor cells have signatures that indicate resistance to chemotherapy or to what potential drugs they will respond to.

The journal Genome Biology published this research study.

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MIT Scientists Develops A Method To Store Medical Information Below The Skin Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have now developed a novel way to record a patient’s vaccination history. They have devised a method of storing the data in a pattern of dye that is invisible to the naked eye.

IT IS DELIVERED UNDER THE SKIN AT THE SAME TIME AS THE VACCINE.

By Rahul Mishra

Every year, lack of vaccination leads to about 1.5 million preventable deaths, primarily in developing nations. One factor that makes vaccination campaigns in developing nations more confusing is that there is little infrastructure for storing medical records.

Kevin McHugh, a former MIT postdoc, said that in areas where paper vaccination cards are often lost or do not exist at all, the storing of medical information below skin technology could enable the rapid & anonymous detection of patient vaccination history to ensure that every child is vaccinated. Kevin McHugh is now an assistant professor at Rice University.

light in the near-infrared spectrum.

The dots are only about 4 nanometers in diameter. The quantum dots are encapsulated in biocompatible microparticles that form spheres about twenty microns in diameter. This encapsulation allows the dye to remain The scientists demonstrated that in place. their new dye consists of nanocrystals called quantum dots. These quantum Scientists designed the dye to be dots can remain for at least five years delivered by a microneedle patch under the skin, where it emits near-in- rather than a traditional syringe and frared light. A specially equipped needle. Such patches are now being developed to provide vaccines for smartphone can detect the lights. measles, rubella, and other diseases, An Invisible Record- Medical In- and the researchers showed that their formation Below Skin

Several years ago, the MIT team set out to devise a method for recording vaccination information in a way that doesn’t require a centralized database. Many vaccines, such as the vaccine for measles, mumps, & rubella (MMR). It requires multiple doses spaced out at specific intervals; without accurate records, children may not receive all of the necessary doses.

Ana Jaklenec, a scientist at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research & the senior author of the paper, says it is challenging to maintain a database of the vaccination history in developing history. This leads to confusion, and children often miss out on the necessary vaccination doses.

To create an “on-patient,” decentralized medical record, the scientists at MIT manufactured a new type of copper-based quantum dots, which emit

dye could be easily incorporated into Tests using human cadaver skin showed that smartphone cameras these patches. could detect the quantum-dot patterns Medical Information Below Skin- after up to five years of simulated sun exposure. The MIT scientists now Feasibility of The Technology plan to survey health care workers in The microneedles used in this study developing nations to get input on the are made from a mixture of dissolva- best way to implement the Medical ble sugar and a polymer called PVA, Information below skin technology. as well as the quantum-dot dye and the vaccine. When the patch is ap- Scientists believe the quantum dots plied to the skin, the microneedles, are safe to use in this way because which are 1.5 millimeters long, par- they are encapsulated in a biocomtially dissolve, releasing their payload patible polymer. Still, they plan to do within about two minutes. further safety studies before testing them in patients.

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Ebola is Curable Now – The New Drugs Prove Highly Effective Scientists examined the molecular structure and interactions of the Ebola virus with specific antibodies and developed an effective drug with far more survival rates THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE DRUG DEPENDS ON UNVEILING THE SECRETS OF HOW PROTEINS BEHAVE IN THE HUMAN BODY.

By Namitha Thampi

Research at U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory is focused on understanding this mystery, including one breakthrough that led to a new effective drug for Ebola.

Specialized beamlines at Argonne’s Architectural Biology Facility (SBC) at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) was used by the scientists to visualize the molecular structures and interactions that might produce life-saving medicines for numerous conditions.

The research team used the SBC beamline to show how human antibodies neutralize the virus. The work published in Science in 2016 lead to the development of a new promising drug against Ebola Virus. The drug proved remarkably effective during a recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

To date, there was no effective treatment against Ebola infection. The development of this new drug was indeed a breakthrough.

According to the World Health Organisation, Ebola infection kills approximately half of the infected people. The Zaire ebolavirus strain is the most dangerous among the six known strains, with an approximate mortality of 90%. Although there is a common notion that the infection can spread through inhaling aerosols, it actually requires physical contact with the body fluids to infect another. The new development has proven that Ebola is curable now.

The researchers had isolated the two antibodies mAb114 and mAb100 from an Ebola survivor. The single crystals of the Ebola protein-antibody complex were examined by X-ray diffraction to develop a 3-D model of the complex.

Both antibodies could bind to the

Ebola protein, preventing it from getting into the cells. The new drug established by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases based on one among the antibodies, mAb114, was used to treat patients infected with Ebola during the recent outbreak in DRC. Patients treated with the new drug for Ebola virus had double the survival rates of previous medicines of almost 90%. The medi-

cine, which has been licensed by Miami-based Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, has a therapy designation from the USFDA and also is currently under expedited advancement. Another drug REGN-EB3, a cocktail of three monoclonal antibodies developed by New York-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, also showed remarkable results. Both the drugs made Ebola curable.

The breakthrough is just one among the numerous that arise from a research study carried out at Argonne’s SBC. Every year, hundreds of researchers make use of the center to explore a broad series of scientific inquiries, from potential therapies for diseases to environmental as well as bioenergy research.

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Cold & Flu Cannot Affect You Simultaneously – New Study In a new study, researchers from the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research have discovered an individual cannot suffer from cold and flu simultaneously.

SCIENTISTS CONCLUDED THIS FORM THE NEW STUDY THAT ANALYZED VIRAL TEST RESULTS OF MORE THAN 44,000 INDIVIDUALS IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, BETWEEN 2005 & 2013.

ByRahul Mishra

Dr. Pablo Murcia from the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research said that the flu virus and the rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, interact negatively.

He added that the finding might explain why colds and flu tend to have different seasonal peaks, which are when flu declines. repeated each year statistically.

According to Nickbakhsh, an individual can have simultaneous viral Relationship Between Cold and infections, but only one virus takes Flu- Results of the Study hold to the extent that it triggers our immune system.

Sema Nickbakhsh, a postdoctoral research associate at Glasgow Uni- Each person in the study was tested versity’s Centre for Virus Research, for eleven different cold & flu virussaid the team noticed that rhinovirus es, thus allowing scientists to show declines at the time that flu peaks the association occurred on both an each winter. In contrast, the rhinovi- individual host level & the broader rus peaks in the spring and autumn population level as well.

Interestingly, a person can become a carrier for a particular virus without showing any symptoms of the viral infection, Schaffner explained, which can lead to some disturbing, but common, scenarios.

Relationship Between Cold and Flu Needs More Research The Glasgow study found several viruses that had both negative and

positive impacts on each other, but only at the broader population level.

The reason behind such phenomena is still unclear.

Cooperative relationships are a confirmed phenomenon between viruses and bacteria. For example, it is a known fact that Flu enhances a person’s susceptibility to pneumococcal bacteria. Scientists are not sure about the cause of this in viruses.

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CRISPR-Cas9 Editing in Stem cells Genome to Cure Sickle Cell Disease Earlier this decade, scientists had developed an efficient gene-editing tool by modifying the natural immune machinery in bacteria.

THEY MANIPULATED THE CAS9 ENZYME IN BACTERIA TO INSERT OR DELETE GENES IN THE GENOME.

By Namitha Thampi

The invention of CRISPR-Cas9 made the gene-editing possible in a few days, which otherwise required months of lab work.

People call that period as ‘BC’ era, the before CRISPR era.

Since the advent of CRISPR, many scientists started studying the potential applications of this gene-editing tool. Scientists all over the world began claiming the possibility of disease-resistant bananas, sterile mosquitos, etc. using CRISPR technology. Among those promises, most interesting was that CRISPR could edit the disease-causing genes, add or delete them.

Sickle cell disease The scientists at the Institut Imagine in Paris, France, were studying the potential of CRISPR to cure the genetic sickle cell disease.

They used the CRISPR-Cas9 technology to delete the gene that ‘switches off’ the expression of fetal hemoglobin, thereby allowing it to be produced again. Once the stem cells are reinserted into the bone marrow, they start producing healthy red blood cells with fetal hemoglobin.

Currently, the new treatment is being tested in animals, but the scientists behind this discovery believe that the new treatment will work well along with other sickle cell medicines. This new treatment will help the medical field to cure patients with sickle cell disease completely.

Proteins called hemoglobin in the blood that transports oxygen are malfunctioned in this disease. A particular mutation in the bone marrow stem The surgical reinsertion of stem cells cells leads to the withered and hard- to the bone marrow is risky and reened red blood cells, poor in carrying quires an extended stay at the hospital even after the surgery. Also, there is oxygen. no guarantee for long term success Dr. Tristan Felix, whose laboratory yet. is part of the GENE FOR CURE project, led by Professor Marina Cavaz- Since the treatment involves the use zana, based at the institute, said that of CRISPR in the patient’s own stem they are using CRISPR-Cas9 technol- cells, there won’t be any immune reogy to delete some genes in the pa- sponse problems, and this reduces the risk of treatment. tient’s genome.

The researchers took the stem cells The immune response is the major from the patient’s body, rectified the hurdle for scientists to use CRISPR in faulty genes causing sickle cell dis- treating diseased patients. ease using CRISPR-Cas9, and then Virus reinserted them back to the body.

Dr. Felix’s research uses CRISPR-treated stem cells to restart making fetal hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. While it’s usually made when a child is in the womb, it offers a good substitute for adult hemoglobin.

The most accepted way of delivering CRISPR to the cells is, insert it to a non-harmful virus, which can then make its way to the cells.

But the body’s immune response will prevent the entry of viral genome

to the cell, preventing CRISPR from getting into the cells.

ers are trying to improve the accuracy of CRISPR.

Prof. Naldini, working to improve the precision and safety of CRISPR based medicines as a part of the project UPGRADE, suggests that changing the characteristics of the virus or delivering the CRISPR through chemical chauffeurs like nanoparticles can solve this problem. The scientists are working towards the development of such nanoparticles from lipids, sugars, and polymers.

The Cas9 enzyme is originally found in bacterias. By gently directing that bacteria’s evolution in the lab, the team hopes to modify Cas9 so that it is more suited to act in human DNA.

The scientists are also trying to tackle the possibility of poor accuracy of CRISPR due to its ‘off-target’ genome editing and the chance of disrupting another gene function while inserting the new gene. The research-

A molecule called recombinase could serve the purpose of Cas9, adding genetic sequences instead of deleting them. They, too, will be evolved to match the desired genetic code.

The team expects to start the trials once the project is completed and tested.

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Scientists Develop Glucose Powered Biosensors KAUST researchers have developed an electronic biosensor powered using glucose in bodily fluids.

THE DEVICE PAIRS AN ELECTRON-TRANSPORTING POLYMER WITH AN ENZYME THAT EXTRACTS ELECTRONS FROM ITS REACTION WITH GLUCOSE AS A DRIVING AGENT.

By Namitha Thampi

The device pairs an electron-transporting polymer with an enzyme that extracts electrons from its reaction with glucose as a driving agent.

David Ohayon, a Ph.D. student in Sahika Inal’s lab, who led the research, said that quick, accurate & early detection of abnormalities in metabolism is of paramount importance to monitor, control, and prevent many diseases, including diabetes.

He further highlighted that researchers had developed implantable glucose monitors, but these come with a significant drawback- replacing its batteries, which further complicates the procedure.

KAUST researchers have developed an ideal alternative technology- Glucose Powered Biosensors that can power themselves using molecules

A schematic of the Glucose Powered Biosensors which draws energy from the glucose. Credits: KAUST

around them.

quired to shuttle the electrons from enzyme to polymer. The new polymer needs no such mediator. The polymer’s ethylene glycol side chains are probably the key to the interaction.

This hypothesis is currently under investigation in collaboration with Enzo di Fabrizo’s group at KAUST.

A polymer synthesized by Iain McCulloch’s team at KAUST appears ideally suited to develop the Glucose Powered Biosensors. The polymer is an n-type semiconductor; therefore, it can accept and transport electrons along its backbone. The polymer is coupled with the glucose oxidase en- The team of researchers used this zyme. This enzyme oxidatively ex- n-type polymer material in a transistracts electrons from its reaction with tor to sense glucose levels in saliva & glucose. also as one half of an all-polymer fuel cell that uses glucose as an energy Generally, a third component is re- source to drive the Glucose Powered

Biosensors.

Inal says that this fuel cell is the first demonstration of a wholly plastic, enzyme-based electrocatalytic energy generation device operating in physiologically relevant media.

The scientists further aim to show the versatile chemistry and novel applications of this special water-stable, polymer class. The biosensor exhibits mixed conduction, i.e., ionic as well as electronic.

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Researchers Develop Polymer That Can Kill Drug-Resistant Bacteria The scientists from SMART and NTA have taken a step towards solving the antimicrobial resistance crisis by designing a polymer that can kill drug-resistant bacteria.

THIS IS A BREAKTHROUGH THAT CAN SAVE MANY LIVES AS THIS POLYMER CAN PAVE WAY FOR DEVELOPING DRUGS TO WHICH THE BACTERIA ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS RESISTANT

By Prathibha

• Bacteria like MRSA, which is resistant to antibiotics used commonly can be killed by the new co-beta-peptide polymer.

• The polymer also works in persistent bacteria and combating biofilm which current antibiotics don’t work well against • The polymer can be utilized beyond human use, like in swine farming where it is expected to be transformative as MRSA affects almost up to 50% of herds in some regions.

A new antimicrobial polymer that can kill bacteria resistant to the antibiotics commonly used, was designed by the scientists at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). This polymer can kill resistant bacteria including the MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) superbug.

Hundreds of thousands of deaths occurring each year due to the drug-resistant bacteria can be prevented by this breakthrough invention as it can pave way for the development of better medicines to which the bacteria are less resistant to.

A paper titled “Enantiomeric glycosylated cationic block co-beta-peptides eradicate Staphylococcus aureus biofilms and antibiotic-tolerant persisters” has all the details explained about the new polymer. A group of researchers at AMR and NTU, lead by the SMART AMR Principal Investigator and Professor at NTU’s School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Mary Chan-Park, along with the Associate Professor at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at NTU, Dr. Kevin Pethe. A part of SMART, MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore is the Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, (AMR IRG). The Campus for Research Excellence and Technologi-

cal Enterprise (CREATE) and the Na- it degrades slowly. tional Research Foundation of Singapore (NRF) funds SMART to identify Chan-Park said, ” On many forms and conduct research on critical prob- of bacteria like persistent bacteria lems of societal significance. and biofilm, antibiotics usually do not work as they become resistant.

According to a recent report by the Therefore, we are really excited that World Health Organisation, a cause our new beta-peptide polymer has for serious concern with at least the potential to combat the existing 700,000 deaths each year caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of bactedrug-resistant infections and diseases ria. Further, it has shown its benefit is the increasing resistance to anti- over the antibiotics currently in use, microbial medicines. Deaths related as they have limited action upon bito antibiotic-resistant infection occur ofilm and persistent types of bacteria every 15 minutes and infection is ac- but the polymer has proven its lethalquired every 11 seconds in the United ity against them.”

States alone. To treat resistant bacteria such as MRSA, alpha-peptides In preventing the staggering number have long been used but they tend of deaths from persistent and resistto be rather toxic or unstable in the ant bacteria, new innovative medical body. The SMART and NTU scien- research like the new co-beta-peptide tists, for the first time, tested the use is a crucial step. To cure the livestock of beta-peptides to fight such bacte- affected by MRSA, AMR plans to test ria in living beings. The new polymer the use of this polymer here as this is has little to no toxicity impact and it a growing issue globally, with around has been designed for stability and it 50% of pig herds affected by the vihas more time to work in the body as rus in parts of Europe. The virus has

been detected in 20-80% of workers in MRSA-positive herds and the new drug will be particularly beneficial to farmworkers.

Testing the polymer on animals infected by MRSA in pig farms is the next step for the research. For the usage of the drugs by the public, the researchers are preparing to have the drugs tested in clinical trials.

Pethe said, ” To combat antimicrobial resistance that hasn’t been done before, this is a promising new approach. It shows low toxicity and good potency and thus it can be on the drug development pathway and we are looking forward to having this developed for humans as a topical drug.”

For further development of the antimicrobial polymers, particularly for human use, AMR is looking for potential partners currently.

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Scientists Propose A New Model For The Matrix Shell Of HIV-1 According to the new study done by the University of Alberta scientists, the matrix shell of the HIV-1 virus may have a different shape than previously thought.

THE NEWLY PROPOSED MODEL COULD HELP TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE VIRUS FUNCTIONS.

By Namitha

The research proposes that the HIV1 virus is housed inside a spherical matrix shell. As the virus infects the cell, the spherical matrix fuses with the periphery of the healthy cell followed by the release of viral capsid into the cell.

Sean Graves, co-author of this research and instructor at the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences said the proposed structure of the HIV-1 virus consists of a specific shape, looks like the petals of a flower. More studies on the matrix shell could help to understand the infection and fusing process of the HIV1 virus.

The previously reported model of the HIV-1 virus shell structure was mathematically impossible and a viable alternative was required. It’s difficult to predict at this moment if

the new model could help develop new treatments for HIV, but it will definitely help the researchers to understand and anticipate the behavior of the HIV-1 virus. There are approximately 38 million people suffering from AIDS or HIV around the world.

Once the model is verified, the researchers are planning to start the study on preventing the entry of HIV1 virus to the cell using the model.

Marcelo Marcet-Palacios,the co-author and his team at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry are using the mathematical principles said medications like the one that would crosslink the petals, preventing the opening and entry of viral particles to the cell could be developed.

The model is available online.

The new model was the result of the

collaborative work of an interdisciplinary team from the fields of biology, computing science, and mathematics. Weijie Sun, a former student of Graves’ was also part of the research.

“It is incredible what can be achieved in science when experts from different disciplines get together and collaborate,” said Sun.

VOICE OF BIOTECNIKA

December 24th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 110

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Biological Purification Of The Holy Purifier – Ganga Unconditional love and care that’s what is synonymous with the word ‘Mother’ and we as Indians are blessed with one more magnificent unlimited love from river Ganga whom we fondly called as ‘Ma Ganga’.

Episode 59

By Preety Suman

Hello and welcome to another interesting chapter brought to you by Biotecnika. Today, We will share some interesting facts about one of the oldest and divine rivers of the worldGanga, Ganga Purification.

Ganga is known to be a lifeline to an immense amount of people in India and is known to be the heartbeat of the spiritual life of the Hindu culture. Self-cleansing and healing power have always been associated with river Ganga. But lately, scientific research has also backed this claim.

The water of Ganga has demonstrated an interesting bactericidal activity i.e. the ability to kill bacteria and as this puzzle unfolds it appears to be related to bacteriophages. These are the soldiers that kill bacteria by infecting them and hence ought to provide a very useful alternative to antibiotics in the form of phage therapy.

An important aspect related to these phages is that they are essentially harmless to humans as they are highly strain-specific. For eg. Let’s consider bacteria that causes Cholera ‘Vibrio cholerae’ the phage that will kill this life-threatening bacteria will be specific to it and won’t be effective towards any other cells and the most prominent thing about these phages is that they often target bacteria that are responsible for causing deadly diseases.

The river has been proved to have antibacterial properties and one of its proofs is that it can retain high amounts of Dissolved oxygen in tremendous polluted conditions as well.

This fascinating bactericidal property of Ganges water was being found first by the British bacteriologist Ernest Hankin in 1896. He found that colonies of cholera bacteria which thrive in tap water they quickly die on encountering Ganges water. He further studied this phenomenon by boiling one sample of Ganges water and filtering another sample of Gan-

ga. The findings were astounding as the filtered one continued to show an antibacterial effect while the boiled one did not. This concluded that the factor responsible for the antibacterial properties of Ganges was heat-labile.

After almost two decades, a Canadian microbiologist named Felix d’Herelle was working at the Institut Pasteur in Paris in 1916 and he found and explained the structure of Phages which are composed of proteins as an outer envelope with genetic material inside it. They also possess properties like being heat-labile which correspond perfectly to the Hankin’s findings.

Wow!! Self-cleansing and self-healing are an inspirational property of Ganges, isn’t it! Hence there is no Hindu tradition that is complete without the use of Ganga Jal. It is one of the best examples of freshwater ecosystems with its origin from Gangotri (Uttaranchal) and covering around 2525 km before it meets the Indian ocean and this meeting place is known as Ganga Sagar (W.B.).

But unfortunately, this symbol of purity is been dishonored by neglected and immature activities of Humans. Just like sometimes when we fail to appreciate our mother’s unconditional love likewise, we are exploiting the unconditional love given by the Ganges to us by overusing and polluting it. The figures related to the pollution caused by Humans are disturbing but cannot be ignored. Like the studies carried out with the help

of the sponsorship given by the World Bank and its collaboration with the U.P. government have found out that around 9 -12% of the total disease caused in UP is contributed by drinking Ganges water. The reason is the coliform bacterial density which is in excess in around 2 lakh MPN as against the national water quality standard of 5000. Coliform presence is an indication of fecal pollution … and we are talking about its presence in the drinking water which is highly alarming. In the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) survey report published in 1985, it was found that around 1340 million liters of sewage produced each day from around 25 towns residing on the bank of Ganges was thoughtlessly pouring in the divine water. Apart from sewage waste, industrial waste, and around 6 million tons of fertilizers and 9000 tons of pesticides carried along with runoffs, a huge quantity of solid waste including thousands of animal carcasses and human corpse are released in the river every day. With respect to a report presented by CPCB, to National Green Tribunal (NGT) in August 2018, around as little as five out of 70-odd monitoring stations had water that is fit for drinking and almost seven of them are fit for bathing.

How can we expect bacteriophage alone to deal with this huge diversity of pollutants produced by Humans every single day?

As there are thoughtless people who are committed to polluting our Ganga there are thoughtful people who are

committed to fighting this river pollution – Ganga Purification. One such global family created for this purpose is Ganga Action Parivar (GAP) which is dedicated to cleaning up river Ganga and also to deal with issues related to it. GAP work includes a huge plethora of services ranging from solid waste management to wastewater management and awareness regarding education with a vision of cleaning river Ganga.

In India, most of the municipal wastewater treatment plants utilize primary and secondary treatment technologies. Primary treatment is utilized to remove waste like grit, plastic bags, debris, larger particles, oil, and grease by using either the moving or stationary bar screens. While secondary treatment technologies utilized the biological processes related to biofilm, floatation, natural or forced aeration, clarification and gravity settlement technologies. These are some of the techniques which are used by GAP to clean Ganga.

In another interesting research carried out by Dr. Asha Lata Singh, assistant lecturer of Environmental Science at the Department of Botany, BHU was about using friendly bacteria to remove toxic pollutants from out national river Ganga. Her research was concentrated on the use of bacterial population which feeds and multiplies on pollutants to be used for developing a microbe-based

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cleansing technique. For this approach, these bacteria first need to be isolated from other present water of Ganga grown and then released. This brilliant method based on microbial cleansing techniques can be divided into two phases- the first will be an industrial unit which is responsible

for discharging water into the Ganga and the second at sewage treatment plants (STP). Looking at this unique study it is so enchanting that we can use the healing powers that Ganga possesses itself to heal our respected river, Ganga.

December 24th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 110

Thus, looking at the biological remediations to clean Ganga – Ganga Purification – there are some promising bacteria and bacteriophages that can be utilized to treat toxic chemicals as well as toxic bacteria respectively.

We as humans must respect and take

care of our natural ecosystems and most importantly clean up the mess that we have been creating since we speciated into Homo sapiens as this beautiful earth and its resources are just not created for us but for every species that live on it.

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DR. D. S. KOTHARI Postdoc Fellowship Biological Science Scheme

he call for applications for the Dr. D.S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme is open for interested and eligible applicants with a background in biological sciences.

This scheme is open throughout the year so make sure you check out all of the details on the eligibility, application procedure and such below: Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme Details UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION DR. D. S. KOTHARI POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP SCHEME IN SCIENCES, MEDICAL & ENGINEERING SCIENCES Dr. D. S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship (DSKPDF) Scheme was introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in the year 2007 on the recommendation of the Empowered Committee (EC) chaired by Professor M. M. Sharma. In addition to the existing RA/PDF positions provided by various funding agencies, a need was felt for PDF scheme running in a flexible mode, with fast track, on-line handling and decision making. It was envisaged that the new PDF scheme must be tuned to the ground realities prevailing in our university system. The DSKPDF Scheme was also expected to provide an opportunity for many fresh Ph. D.’s to overcome the deficiencies in training at the doctoral level research and to explore new areas of research in better settings in the Indian University Sector.

DSKPDF Scheme is open for fulltime research work, predominantly to young researchers preferably below 35 years of age who have awarded their Ph. D. Degree under science faculty. The Reservation Policy of Government of India with regard to SC/ ST/OBC/PH is followed. Appropriate age relaxations for reserved category/ women candidates are given as per UGC guidelines. It is necessary that candidates identify Mentor for their postdoctoral Research work and obtain his/her consent for the guidance.

DSKPDF is tenable only at the Science Departments of Indian Universities and UGC-funded inter-University centres (such as IUCAA, IUAC, UGC-DAE-CSR etc.) which are eligible to receive Development grants

from the UGC. Thus the fellowship is not tenable in I.I.T.’s or CSIR/DRDO/ DAE laboratories etc. These are also not tenable in colleges (either Autonomous or affiliated). In general, the postdoctoral work should be undertaken in a place different from where the candidate has carried out his/her doctoral studies. The Ph. D. Guide of the candidate cannot be chosen as his/ her mentor for DSKPDF. Eligibility and Duration for Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme:

doctoral work.

Easy Steps for Applying DSKPDF

The fellowship will be awarded on a yearly basis with renewal/termination clause on the basis of the PDF mentor/ peer group appraisal. Nevertheless, the maximum duration of the PDF award would certainly be 3 years. No extension is possible under any type of circumstances. Candidates should give an undertaking while availing the award, together with the endorsement of the research coach that they would stay in place for a minimum of six months. When the candidate is granted the DSKPDF, as well as he/ she, joins the fellowship, he/she will certainly not eligible to apply ever again for DSKPDF in the same or various other workplaces. If the applicant has already applied for Dr D. S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship as well as has actually been declared as unsuccessful, he/she is allowed to apply freshly with new research proposal just after one year from date of declaration of the earlier result.

• Fill basic information and request for login ID and password • Email verification • Get login ID and password provided by DSKPDF cell after scrutiny of your basic information ( typically within 7 working days ) • Proceed with filling online application by provided login ID and password • Take printout of your application • Submit the application to DSKPDF cell along with documents supporting your candidature

Aspirant below 35 years of age (Up to 3, 5 and 10 years of age relaxation for OBC, SC/ST/Women and physically handicapped respectively is admissible), that are granted a Ph. D. degree under science faculty is eligible to apply. It is necessary that the applicant identifies a Mentor (affiliated to University/Institute where DSK Fellowship is tenable) for his/ her postdoctoral Research work and acquire his/her consent for the mentorship. Higher PDF (with marginal- Stipend: [Effective from 1st Dely elevated stipend) is admissible for cember 2014] for Kothari Postdocthose candidates, identified as out- toral Fellowship Scheme standing by standing (core) peer committee of reviewers.

The monthly stipend for these awards would be as follows Teachers below the age of 35, working on confirmed posts in Academic • Normal fellowship for First, Institutes might likewise apply. NevSecond and third year is Rs. ertheless, along with the hard copy, 43,400/-, Rs. 45,000/- and Rs. they will certainly be required to send 46,500/- respectively a certification from their Head of the • Higher fellowship for First, SecInstitution (Registrar of University/ ond and Third year: Rs. 46,500/Principal of a college) that the teacher The Fellow is provided with a conwill be given attest 3 years of sabbat- tingency grant of Rs. 1,00,000 p.a. ical/ special leave without financial How to Apply for Kothari Postsupport for carrying out their post- doctoral Fellowship Scheme:

Enquiries under application: The National Coordinator, Dr. D.S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship Cell C/o Interdisciplinary School of Scientific Computing Savitribai Phule Pune University Ganeshkhind Post Office Pune 411 007.

India Phone No: (020) 25601406, +91 9422044046 Working Hours: 10:30 to 17:30 Monday to Friday (except on public holidays) Email ID: dskpdf@unipune.ac.in.

Enquiries under RTI: Enquires under Right to Information (RTI) act may be directed to UGC, New Delhi and not to the DSKPDF Cell, Pune.

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December 24th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 110

Opportunity For Indian Researchers To Work Abroad – INSA Invites Application

NSA Exchange Programme With Foreign Academies and Organisations. Opportunity For Indian Researchers To Work Abroad – INSA Invites Application.

Interested and eligible candidates can check out all of the details below: INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi – 110 002.

Telephone: 91-11-23221931 – 23221950 (EPABX), Fax: 91-11- 23235648, 23231095 www.insaindia.res.in Exchange Programme with Foreign Academies and Organisations Preamble The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) is a premier scientific learned body (established in 1935) representing all branches of science –Physical and Biological Sciences including Engineering, Medicine and Agricultural Sciences. The Academy has been promoting scientific cooperation with Academies/Organisations of several countries the world over. The Academy has links with the Academies and Organisations in Asia, Europe and South America. These programmes provide opportunities to scientists working in various scientific institutions and organizations in the country for exchange of ideas, knowledge, establish new links, strengthen old links and undertake joint projects with their research partners in leading laboratories and institutions abroad.

The Academy has an International Exchange Programme with Academies/Organizations in the countries: Brazil, China, France, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Nepal, Philippines, Poland, Scotland, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Sudan and Taiwan.

Application Procedure/Eligibility Applications are invited from Indian Nationals for consideration by the Academy for the next calendar year.

• The applicant should be a scientist holding a regular (permanent) position in a recognized S & T Institution/University and actively engaged in research

acceptable to the host scientist. work in frontline areas.

• He/She should not have been • Short-term visits are mainly for 2 to 4 weeks for holding scientific abroad during the last 3 years discussions, delivering a series under any INSA Programme. of lectures and seminars, pro• The scientist should have been jecting Indian science abroad. It accepted to work in an Institute/ is expected that short-term visiLaboratory in the country to be tors are well established Indian visited and this should be supScientists who can be effective ported by a letter of invitation Ambassadors of Indian Science. from the host abroad.

• Those who wish to visit abroad for three months should submit a Under the long-term category, the detailed programme of their col- scientists are expected to work prilaborative research work to be marily in one institute with a short visit to other allied institutes. conducted.

All applications duly completed If a scientist desires to attend a conshould be forwarded to the academy ference/scientific meeting during his through proper channel by the em- visit abroad under the Exchange Programme, the period of the conference ployer/head of the Institute. should normally be no more than one-fourth of his/her total stay in the Scope of Finance country.

• Scientists selected for deputation Scientists who propose to visit abroad would be provided 100% abroad only to attend the Symposium/ travel support (by only Air India Conference, need not apply under this excursion class airfare, through programme. shortest route from the place of duty in India to the nearest airport of host Institute and back)

by INSA. • Medical Insurance purchased in India.

• Visa fee (if any).

• The receiving Academy/Organization would provide local hospitality including internal travel abroad.

Criteria for Selection • The Criteria for selection would mainly be the scientific contribution of the nominee and the purpose of the visit, which would be

Under the exchange programme with the Academy in France, only Fellows of the Academy would be considered for nomination.

The visit should be availed of in the same calendar year (till December 31, 2020). Failure to do so may render them to forfeit the nomination How to Apply: Application received after the due date and Incomplete application, in any respect, will be rejected by the Academy.

Complete application form (one soft and one hard copy) along with the required enclosures i.e. invitation letter etc. should be submitted at the academy latest by January 31, 2020 to: Deputy Executive Director- I (Scientific), Indian National Science Academy Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi – 110002 <e.mail:intacademy@insa.nic.in>

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Amgen Scholars Program 2020 – Indian Students Apply

he notification for the Amgen Scholars Asia Program is out. It’s open to applicants from all of the globe.

It’s a Summer Research Program.

Interested individuals can check all of the details on the Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Science and Biotechnology given below: Annually, the Amgen Scholars Asia Program offers sixty chosen undergraduate students throughout the world with the opportunity to engage in a hands-on research experience at many of Asia’s premier educational institutions. Currently, four institutions in Asia host the summer research program. The Amgen Foundation has dedicated $74 million over sixteen years to this global initiative to make the opportunity possible for thousands of students.

Inspiring the Scientists of Tomorrow: As Amgen Scholars, students will have the opportunity to: • Take part in important institution research projects, gain hands-on laboratory experience and contribute to the advancement of science; • Engage with and get assistance from faculty mentors, consisting of some of Asia’s leading academic scientists; and • Participate in engaging scientific seminars, workshops and other networking events.

The Amgen Scholars Asia Symposium: A signature element of the summer program is a symposium hosted at the National University of Singapore where students hear firsthand from leading scientists working in industry and academia. The Asia symposium offers students with a valuable opportunity to discuss their research, learn about drug discovery and development, and network with various other Amgen Scholars from around Asia and the globe.

Academic Research Areas Any disciplines related to the discovery, development, manufacture

and delivery of human therapeutics, as well as the overall biomedical and biotechnology enterprise.

Financial Support: Financial support is a crucial part of the Amgen Scholars Program. Please note that details differ from the host institution. See each institution’s summer research program website for additional information.

Eligibility: Amgen Scholars Asia Program candidates must be undergraduate students who are: • Enrolled in colleges or universities worldwide that award a

bachelor’s degree (or it’s equivalent); and.

• At a minimum, have finished their initial year of undergraduate study at the time the summer program begins, and.

• Are not graduating before the summer program begins, and after the summer program ends will resume undergraduate studies for a minimum of one semester or one quarter.

Asia Program candidates should likewise have: • A strong record of academic performance; and • A great working knowledge of English, demonstrated by a minimum TOEFL ( iBT) score of 72,

IELTS overall band score of 5.5, Cambridge English FCE, TOEIC score of 1095, TOEIC L&R score of 785, or TOEIC S&W score of 310, if not a native English speaker or English is not your first language, and • An interest in pursuing a PhD Each of the 4 host institutions in Asia has its very own application process, yet the application deadline for all is in early February.

For inquiries connected to the Asia Program, take a look at amgenscholars.com. or contact the Amgen Scholars Global Program Office at amgenscholarsglobal@harvard.edu or +1 617-3846758.

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December 24th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 110

Edinburgh Global Research Scholarship 2020-2021

he official notification for the Edinburgh Global Research Scholarship 20202021 has been released.

Interested candidates can check out all of the details on the 30 Edinburgh Global Research Scholarships awards for 2020-2021. Check out all of the details on the same below: Award: 30 Edinburgh Global Research Scholarships have been awarded for session 2020-2021.

Each scholarship will cover the difference between the tuition fee for a UK/EU postgraduate student and that chargeable to an overseas postgraduate student. The awards do not cover maintenance expenses.

Subject to satisfactory progress, the awards are tenable for up to 3 years.

Eligibility: The awards were open to overseas nationals commencing a PhD in any kind of field of study in 2020-2021.

Candidates must be liable to pay tuition fees at the rate applicable to overseas students and should have been applied admission to a full-time PhD research program of study.

Academic merit: Candidates need to be of outstanding academic merit as well as research potential.

Although applicants with an upper 2nd class honours Bachelor’s degree (or the overseas equivalent) can be taken into consideration, in order to be competitive you must truly have an extraordinary Bachelor’s degree supplemented by an exceptional Master’s degree.

Other factors such as financial status, nationality and the suggested field of study are not taken into account.

Excluding factors: The University of Edinburgh will not generally take into consideration applicants who have actually already acquired a PhD, or formal equivalent, as a result of direct research training.

Students already on a PhD pro- tion gramme can not be taken into consideration for these awards.

The scholarship deadline is 23:59 GMT 17th February 2020.

Please additionally note that if you have actually made an application for In order to access the scholarship consecutive registration where you application system, applicants should will begin your Master’s programme have applied for admission to the of study in 2020 and also your PhD University of Edinburgh. Please note the following year in 2021, that you that complying with the entry of an will not be eligible to make an appli- application for admission, it can take cation for an award in 2020. up to 5 working days for all system checks to be completed and also for Edinburgh Global Research Scholar- access to be granted. ships can not be held simultaneously with fully-funded scholarships such The online scholarship application as a Commonwealth Scholarship, or form is located in EUCLID and also a Marshall Scholarship. can be accessed by means of MyEd our web-based info portal at https:// Applying: www.myed.ed.ac.uk.

Eligible candidates ought to com- When logging in to MyEd, you will plete an online scholarship applica- need your University User Name and

password. If you require assistance, please go to http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-systems/support-guidance.

Notification of award: It is anticipated that all applicants will be notified of the outcome by the end of April 2020.

Get in touch with: For even more details on this award please get in touch with Scholarships and Student Funding Services.

Scholarships and Financial Support Team Contact details Work: +44 (0)131 651 4070 Email: studentfunding@ed.ac.uk

BIOTECH / LIFE SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIPS

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The Gen Foundation Grant 2020 – Applications Open

en Foundation Grant 2020 – Food Tech & Natural Sciences Apply. The applications for the 2020 round of the Gen Foundation Grant 2020 is now open. Applicants who are students or researchers with a background in natural sciences and food technology are encouraged to apply for the same. Check out all of the details on the same given below: The Gen Foundation is a charitable trust which principally provides grants to students/researchers in natural sciences, in particular food sciences/technology.

About the Foundation: The Gen Foundation was registered with the Charity Commission on 14th August 1998. The goal of this Foundation is to enhance the significance of cross-cultures involving Japan and the rest of the planet in today’s global society.

The Foundation is encouraging individuals who excel in the regions of natural sciences, particularly food sciences/technology.

Since 1998, awards are granted to over 100 individuals researching or studying within these fields. Successful applicants are requested to submit a report to the Trustees in the conclusion of the studies.

All possible candidates must take note that the Gen Foundation grants are one-off, non-renewable awards.

Diversity Policy: The Foundation is committed to providing equal opportunities to all candidates. It is the policy of the Foundation not to discriminate against any candidate, whether it be on the grounds of: • colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin; • religion or belief; • sex, marital status or gender reassignment; • sexual orientation; • disability; or • age.

Eligibility:

To be qualified for a Gen Foundation grant, an applicant:

– English only

One recent passport-sized photoMust study and/or research in the graph field of natural sciences, in particular, – Attached to the application form food sciences/technology and – Portraits will certainly not be acMust hold a Bachelor’s degree or cepted equivalent.

An updated curriculum vitae (reThe Foundation does not support sume). undergraduates, short-term training, – English only. conferences, seminars, or thesis writing. Such applications will not be tak- TWO original and also signed letters en into consideration. of reference.

– English or Japanese.

How to Apply: – Not xeroxed.

– Not scanned.

Before applying for the Gen Foun- – Not emailed. dation grant, you are strongly recommended to check whether you are Evidence of acceptance by an orqualified to apply. ganisation/institution.– Evidence of a conditional letter is acceptable.

The application form must be com- – Photocopied or Original. pleted in English and sent with all of the supporting documents listed be- 3. Post the application and all suplow no later than 28th February 2020. porting documents to the following address. Applications should arrive Please note that incomplete applica- no later than 28th of February 2020: tions will certainly not be taken into consideration.

The Administrator.

The Gen Foundation.

1. Download a copy of the application form here: 2020 Application Form 2. Prepare the following documentation: One complete application – Refer to page 5 of the application form before completion – Typed applications only; handwritten applications will certainly not be considered

33 Cornhill.

London EC3V 3ND. UK. Please try to send out all of the above documents together with your application. Nonetheless, if you are unable to provide evidence of acceptance in time, you can arrange for it to be sent out directly to us by the relevant organisation. Please let us know in your application that such documents are to follow.

Please note we can not return any one of the documentation once they have actually been submitted.

Selection Procedure for Gen Foundation: The Trustees of the Gen Foundation will certainly select a shortlist of applicants on the basis of the submitted applications. The Trustees will certainly then conduct interviews of those shortlisted candidates before making a final decision.

Application Deadline – 28th February 2020

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December 24th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 110

QUT National Tree Genomics Program PhD Scholarships

UT PhD Scholarships – National Tree Genomics Program. International PhD Scholarship. Study in Australia. Interested applicants can check out all of the details regarding the scholarship, the eligibility, the application procedure, the research areas, the timelines and more below: About the scholarship: The Centre for Tropical Crops and also Biocommodities (CTCB) is looking for PhD students to join the National Tree Genomics Program starting in early 2020. This program is intending to make certain future food security by developing elite horticultural tree cultivars.

The PhD projects will focus on understanding the genetic regulation of flowering, phase change as well as shoot architecture in five target crops: • • • • •

avocado macadamia citrus almond mango

You’ll make use of a variety of bioinformatics and molecular biology tools to test the genes involved in these procedures.

What you’ll receive: QUT is offering two fully-funded PhD scholarships, including tuition as well as a stipend.

As a successful applicant, you’ll receive a living allowance for three years, indexed every year ($ 28,092 in 2020). The scholarship is for fulltime students and can be used to support living costs.

International students might likewise get a research degree tuition fee sponsorship.

As part of your PhD, you’ll deal with a group of skilled plant scientists from a number of Australian and international institutions.

Eligibility: To be taken into consideration for this scholarship, you should have:

• a bachelor degree with first-class Throughout the application procehonours or a research masters dure, please nominate that you wish degree with a significant re- to be taken into consideration for this search component scholarship.

• outstanding writing and communication abilities Research Areas: • demonstrated capability to work well in teams and also individ- Science and engineering ually.

From robotics to biomedical enYou will require to satisfy the QUT gineering, we are leading the way entry and English proficiency needs with research that will contribute set out in our application guide. significantly to the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of Exactly how to apply: people across the globe. It’s exciting, world-changing work happening in To make an application for the areas like: scholarship, you will certainly require to comply with the PhD application • chemistry, physics and mechaniguide. cal engineering • civil engineering and built enviJust how to make an application for ronment a research degree • earth environmental and biological sciences

• electrical engineering and computer science • information systems • mathematical sciences.

• International students: If you’re an international student, you need to download the application form and email a completed copy to research.enquiries@qut.edu.au.

Expression of interest: Some faculties have an expression of interest process that you need to follow before submitting a formal application for admission. Refer to step 3 of this applying process to check if you need to submit an expression of interest to your preferred faculty.

Applications close: 24 January 2020

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International Aviva Systems Biology – Life Science Scholarship 2019

viva Systems Biology Scholarship 2019 – Life Sciences Apply Online. International Life Sciences Scholarship Opportunity 2019. Links below to apply for Aviva Scholarship. Interested and eligible candidates can check out all of the details regarding the same below: Aviva Scholarship Details Aviva Systems Biology is committed to supporting students looking to progress their knowledge and career.

One life science student will be selected to receive $1,000 to make use of towards their education.

Eligibility for Aviva Scholarship: • Aviva Scholarship available to life science students enrolled in an accredited university or college • No minimum GPA needed. If selected, we will require a copy of your most recent transcript (official or unofficial) to confirm enrollment

• Domestic as well as internation- Application procedure checklist for Aviva Scholarship: al students may apply Fall 2019 Aviva Scholarship selection and notification procedure: • The application deadline is December 31, 2019 at 11:59 PM PST • Finalists will be notified by January 15, 2020

• Complete scholarship application form.

• Write a personal statement discussing your career goals as well as just how you hope to add to your community.

• Email form and personal statement to scholarship@avivasys-

bio.com with subject “Scholarship Application – Fall 2019” in attention to Delia Rowan.

Questions?

Email: scholarship@avivasysbio. com Phone: 858-552-6979

BIOTECNIKA TIMES

December 24th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 110

COACHING FOR

CSIR NET AT

BANGALORE | NOIDA | PUNE | KOLKATA | CHENNAI | ONLINE

STARTS th 6 JANUARY 2020

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