Vol. 02 NO 10
NEWS - PAGE 4 NEWS - PAGE 6
PRIME MINISTER’S RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
(PMRF) SCHEME – APPLICATIONS OPEN
CSIR NET - JUNE 2018 NOTIFICATION
CSIR NET – JUNE 2018
NOTIFICATION, LAST DATE
TO APPLY & ELIGIBILITY
Important Dates:
Notification Details:
Research Fellowships (JRF) NET and for de-
CSIR will hold the Joint CSIR-UGC Test termining eligibility for appointment of Lec-
Tentatively on Sunday 17th June, 2018 for turers (NET) in certain subject areas falling
determining the eligibility of the Indian under the faculty of Science & Technology.
GET THIS NEWSPAPER e-copy VIA WHATSAPP every week
A DAFFODIL ANTIDOTE TO CURE CANCER
– LATEST DEVELOPMENT
IN CANCER RESEARCH
National candidates for the award of Junior
March 6th, 2018.
PhD ADMISSIONS - PAGE 7 NEW JOBS AVAILABLE
PHD ADMISSIONS 2018 @ DR. RAM MANOHAR
LOHIA AVADH UNIVERSITY, PAGES 11-12
FAIZABAD
Last Date to Apply &
Eligibility
COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND
INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
HUMAN RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT GROUP,
EXAMINATION UNIT CSIR
COMPLEX, LIBRARY AVENUE,
PUSA, NEW DELHI-110012.
NATIONAL ELIGIBILITY TEST (NET)
Joint CSIR-UGC Test for Junior
Research Fellowship and Eligibility for
Lectureship
Advertisement No.10-2(5)/2018(i)
- E.U.II
By Diluxi Arya
The award of Junior Research Fellowship above Test. Candidates qualifying for JRF
(NET) to the successful eligible candidates
will depend on
(NET), will also be eligible for Lectureship
(NET) subject to fulfilling the eligibility
their finding admission/placement in a uni-
versity/ national laboratory/ institution of
criteria laid down by UGC. The candidates
qualifying for Lectureship will be eligible for
higher learning and research, as applicable. recruitment as Lecturers as well as for Junior
1.1 A candidate may apply either for
Research Fellowship in a Scheme/Project, if
otherwise suitable. However, they will not be
‘JRF-Lectureship’ OR ‘JRF’ only OR ‘Lec- eligible for Regular JRF-NET Fellowship.
tureship (LS)’ only. He/she may indicate his/ Candidates qualifying for the award of JRF
her preference in the Online Application, as (NET) will receive fellowship either from
the case may be. CSIR may consider candi- CSIR or UGC as per their assignment or
dates for ‘JRF-Lectureship’ OR ‘JRF’ only
OR ‘Lectureship (LS)’ only depending on Next Page>>>>
number of fellowships available & perfor-
mance in the test, subject to the condition that
they fulfill the laid down eligibility criteria.
If a candidate is found to be over-age for JRF
(NET) he/she will automatically be consid-
ered for Lectureship (NET) only. Candidates
with M.Sc qualification OR under M.Sc
Result Awaited (RA) category shall be el-
igible for LS subject to fulfilling the eligi-
bility criteria as laid down by the UGC.
1.2 Two separate merit lists, one comprising
of the candidates qualifying for the award of
Junior Research Fellowship (JRF – NET) and
the second, of those candidates qualifying the
Eligibility Test for Lectureship (NET), will be
made on the basis of their performance in the
GIVE MISSED CALL TO
080-395-34707
1
March 6th, 2018.
from the Schemes with which they may find
association. The candidates declared eligible
for Junior Research Fellowship under UGC
scheme and Lectureship will be governed by
UGC rules/regulations in this regard.
1.3 The final result of this Single MCQ test
may be declared sometime in the month of
Sept/Oct., 2018 and fellowship to success-
ful candidates will be effective from 1st
January, 2019 with the validity period of
2 years for joining the fellowship under
CSIR Scheme.
2.1 SUBJECTS OF THE TEST
The Test will be held in the subjects as giv-
en under:
1. Chemical Sciences
2. Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary
Sciences
3. Life Sciences
4. Mathematical Sciences
5. Physical Science
2.2 EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION
M.Sc or equivalent degree/ Integrated
BS-MS/BS-4 years/BE/BTech/BPharma/
MBBS with at least 55% marks for Gen-
eral (UR) and OBC candidates and 50%
for SC/ST, Persons with Disability (PwD)
candidates.
Candidates enrolled for M.Sc or having
completed 10+2+3 years of the above qual-
ifying examination as on the closing date of
online submission of application form, are
also eligible to apply in the above subject
under the Result Awaited (RA) category
on the condition that they complete the
qualifying degree with requisite percent-
age of marks within the validity period of
two years to avail the fellowship from the
effective date of award.
Such candidates will have to submit the at-
testation form duly certified by the Head of
the Department/Institute from where the can-
didate is appearing or has appeared.
B.Sc(Hons) or equivalent degree holders
or students enrolled in Integrated MS-
PhD program with at least 55% marks for
General (UR) and OBC candidates; 50%
marks for SC/ST, Persons with disability
(PwD) candidates are also eligible to apply.
Candidates with bachelor’s degree will be
eligible for CSIR fellowship only after get-
ting registered/enrolled for PhD/Integrat-
ed PhD program within the validity period
of two years.
Candidates having Bachelor’s degree
only shall not be eligible for Lectureship.
Specification of degrees (whether Bache-
lor’s or Master’s) as notified by the UGC
in its Gazette Notification No.F. 5-1/2013
(CPP-II) dt. 5th July, 2014 and as amend-
ed from time to time, shall apply.
The eligibility for lectureship of NET
qualified candidates will be subject to ful-
filling the criteria laid down by UGC. PhD
degree holders who have passed Master’s
degree prior to 19th September 1991, with
at least 50% marks are eligible to apply for
Lectureship only.
2.3 AGE LIMIT& RELAXATION:
For JRF (NET):Maximum 28 years as
on 01-01-2018 {upper age limit may be re-
laxed up to 5 years in case of SC/ST/Persons
with Disability(PwD)/female applicants and
03 years in case of OBC(non creamy layer)
applicants}.
For LS (NET): No upper age limit
2
3. DATE AND SCHEME OF THE TEST:
The single paper MCQ based test will be
held tentatively on Sunday, the 17th June,
2018 as under:
Subject wise schedule of examination
will be notified later on. The subject-wise
Schedule, date and timing of the Test is lia-
ble to be changed at the discretion of CSIR.
To enable the candidates to go through the
instructions printed on the OMR Answer
Sheets and also to correctly fill up the re-
quired particulars in the said OMR An-
swer Sheet, the same will be distributed 15
minutes before the schedule time of start of
the examination. The Test Booklet shall be
distributed 5 minutes before the scheduled
time of the exam & candidates are permit-
ted to take duplicate copy of their OMR
Answer Sheet while leaving the exam ven-
ue. The actual number of questions in each
part and section to be asked & attempted
may vary from subject to subject.
The candidates will not be permitted to
leave the examination hall before the ex-
piry of 3 hrs. from the start of the exam
(i.e not before 12.00 noon in the morning
session/5.00 PM in the afternoon session).
These candidates are permitted to take
their Test Booklet with them at the end of
the scheduled time of exam.
Candidates should use only black ball
point pen to fill in their particulars in the
OMR Answer Sheet/Test Booklet and also
to darken the appropriate circle to mark
their answers in their OMR answer sheet.
Candidates are not permitted to erase,
scratch out, overwrite or use whitener flu-
id/eraser fluid to change their answers in
the OMR sheet; otherwise that particular
answer will not be evaluated.
The Test Booklet for this test will be
printed in Hindi & English Version. The
candidates opting for Hindi medium in the
Application Form, will be given bilingual
Test Booklet and Candidates opting for
English medium will be given Test Booklet
printed in English Version only. The can-
didate will be required to answer as per
option exercised in the application Form.
3.1 SYLLABUS OF THE TEST
The Test Booklet shall be divided into
three parts, (A, B & C) as per syllabus &
Scheme of Exam.
Part ‘A’ shall be common to all subjects.
This part shall contain questions pertaining
to General Aptitude with emphasis on logical
reasoning, graphical analysis, analytical and
numerical ability, quantitative comparison,
series formation, puzzles etc
Part ‘B‘ shall contain subject-related
conventional Multiple Choice questions
(MCQs), generally covering the topics given
in the syllabus.
Part ‘C’ shall contain higher value ques-
tions that may test the candidate’s knowledge
of scientific concepts and/or application of
the scientific concepts. The questions shall
be of analytical nature where a candidate is
expected to apply the scientific knowledge to
arrive at the solution to the given scientific
problem.
Syllabus & Scheme of Exam of single
MCQ Paper may be seen at CSIR HRDG
website: www.csirhrdg.res.in. Note: The
Exam Scheme for Chemical Sciences has
been revised from June, 2017 CSIR-UGC
(NET) Exam onwards. The revised exam
scheme and model Question paper may
be seen at CSIR HRDG website www.
csirhrdg.res.in
3.2 Negative marking for wrong answers,
wherever required, shall be applicable as
per subject wise scheme of Exam.
3.3 If a question for any reason found
wrong, the benefit of marks will be given
to only those candidates who attempt the
question.
3.4 No grievances/representation with re-
gard to Answer Key(s) after declaration of
result will be entertained
4. EXAMINATION CENTRES
The test will be held at 27 Centres spread all
over India, as specified below:
Bangalore, Bhavnagar, Bhopal, Bhu-
baneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin,
Delhi, Guntur, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Im-
phal, Jammu, Jamshedpur, Jorhat, Karai-
kudi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Nagpur, Pilani,
Pune, Raipur, Roorkee, Srinagar, Thiru-
vananthapuram, Udaipur and Varanasi.
A candidate may opt for any of the above
centres. No request for change of centre
would ordinarily be granted. However, a re-
quest in writing for change of Centre may
be entertained on merits, if received in this
unit latest by 20.10.2017. If sufficient num-
ber of candidates do not opt for any of the
above Centres, that particular Centre may
stand deleted from the above list OR other-
wise also, the concerned candidates may be
allotted another Centre nearest to their place
of residence, at the discretion of CSIR. No
TA/DA will be admissible to any candidate
for attending the test, in any circumstances.
5. HOW TO APPLY:
5.1 Examination Fee:
Candidates applying for the Test may de-
posit their Examination fee, after verifying
their eligibility, in any branch of the Indian
Bank throughout the country by paying the
Vol. 02 NO 10
following fee in cash through bank challan
OR RTGS/NEFT through any bank (Bank
account details are required to be filled in the
Indian Bank challan form to be downloaded
from online application system):-
Category:
• General - Rs.1000/-(Fee)
• Other Backward Classes(OBC) - Non
Creamy Layer - Rs.500/-(Fee)
• SC/St/Persons with Disability(PwD) -
Rs.250/-(Fee)
OBC candidates whose caste is not listed
in Central List (as available on National
Commission for Backward Classes website
www.ncbc.nic.in) and who are not covered
under the provisions as applicable to OBC
– Non Creamy Layer (NCL) candidates,
shall be treated as General Category can-
didates for all purposes. Accordingly, OBC
Candidates not belonging to OBC Non
Creamy Layer shall indicate their catego-
ry as ‘General’.
5.2 APPLY ONLINE:
Before applying Online, candidates are
advised to go through the detailed notifi-
cation available at CSIR, HRDG website
CAREFULLY.
Candidates must write their name, father/
mother’s name as written in their Matric-
ulation Certificate (X Class Board) and
should ensure that the same are matching
with their educational qualification certif-
icates and caste certificate except for mar-
ried females. Successful married female
candidates are required to send scanned
copy of their marriage certificates alongwith
any other documents as proof as may be re-
quired by CSIR-HRDG, through e-mail to
: mailnetquery@gmail.com. All Caste/PwD
Certificates shall be strictly as per Govt. of
India instructions. The validity of OBC cer-
tificates (Non-creamy layer) shall be gov-
erned as per Govt. of India instructions.
After filling the online application, can-
didates should preview their entire appli-
cation form and make changes if required
before final submission of online applica-
tion. No change in the particulars entered
in the application form will be possible af-
ter final submission of online application
and no correspondence in this regard will
be entertained. In the event of qualifying
the JRF/LS NET exam, certificate will be
issued strictly on the basis of information
provided by the candidate in his/her online
application form.
After successful submission of ONLINE
Application, an Application Number will
be auto-generated. The candidates are ad-
vised to preserve the Application Number
for future reference and for download-
ing his/her e-Admit Card. The candidate
should also keep a print (hardcopy) of the
duly filled-in application form for future
use. The candidate is also advised to note
down his/her e-mail ID and Password for
future reference.
A candidate should submit only one ap-
plication. If a candidate submits more than
one application, none of the applications of
such candidate will be entertained.
Examination fee paid will neither be ad-
justed for any subsequent examination nor
refunded under any circumstances.
Next Page>>>>
Vol. 02 NO 10
IN ORDER TO AVOID LAST MIN-
UTES RUSH, THE CANDIDATES ARE
ADVISED TO APPLY EARLY ENOUGH.
CSIR WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
NETWORK PROBLEM OR ANY OTHER
SUCH TYPE OF PROBLEM.
5.3. CANDIDATE SEEKING FEE CON-
CESSION
The candidate should upload an attested
copy of his/her category certificate as a proof
of his/her claim. An application form , claim-
ing any concession in fee, age & education-
al qualification but without an attested copy
of a valid SC/ST/OBC (NCL)/PwD (40% or
more disability certificate from a competent
authority and in prescribed format), will be
summarily rejected. OBC candidates, who
are not covered vide the provision of Non
Creamy Layer (NCL) as per the provisions of
Govt. of India shall not be eligible to get the
benefit of relaxation in age, fee concession
etc.
Candidate must note that for availing OBC
category benefit CSIR follows only Central
Govt. list and not the State Govt. lists. Simi-
larly, candidate applying under PwD catego-
ry may note that Govt. of India rules will be
applicable in this regard, otherwise they shall
not be eligible for any concession.
5.4. PROVISION FOR PERSONS WITH
DISABILITY (INCLUDING VISUALLY
CHALLENGED CANDIDATES) HAV-
ING 40% OR MORE DISABILITY.
(i) Candidates with disabilities having 40%
or more disability in upper limbs, visual im-
pairment, low vision, cerebral palsy who
have physical limitation to write with that of
speed, if they request for scribe in their online
application, will be provided the services of a
scribe from our panel of scribes. The candi-
date is allowed to meet the scribe one or two
days before the examination so as to verify
whether the scribe is suitable or not, after get-
ting confirmation from the respective Centre
Coordinator.
(ii) Such candidate has the discretion of opt-
ing for his/her own scribe at his/her own cost.
The candidate should send a written request
for bringing his/her own scribe to the centre
Coordinator concerned at least two days be-
fore the examination.
(iii) PwD candidates will also be given
compensatory time of 60 minutes in addition
to the 3 hours duration of the Exam.
(iv) On prior request, at least three weeks
before the examination, visually challenged
candidates will be provided Test Booklet in
large font as per the medium of exam opted
by the candidate in his/her online application.
6. THE LAST DATE FOR SUBMISSION
OF ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
WILL BE 26.03.2018
Candidates should note carefully that sub-
mission of examination fee will be only
through Credit Card, Debit Card or NET
Banking.
Candidates should also note carefully that
the online application form has provision for
uploading the following certificates/docu-
ments:
1). Scanned photograph (JPEG/JPG for-
mat with dimension ranging from 130×160
to 260×360. File size should be less than
150KB; valid file name; should have only
one extension. Only Alpha-Numeric charac-
ters allowed with hyphen (-) and underscore
(_). Space not allowed);
2). Scanned Signature (JPEG/JPG for-
mat with dimension ranging from 90×25
to 225×100. File size should be less than
150KB; valid file name; should have only
one extension. Only Alpha-Numeric charac-
ters allowed with hyphen (-) and underscore
(_). Space not allowed);
3). Qualifying Degree Certificate or last
semester marksheet or testimonials clearly
mentioning the semester that you are pursu-
ing or passed with clear indication of % of
mark scored, to confirm your eligibility to
take the exam. The candidates are to note that
the uploaded document should clearly indi-
cate the % of mark scored. (PDF format; File
size should be less than 400KB; valid file
name; should have only one extension. Only
Alpha-Numeric characters allowed with hy-
phen (-) and underscore (_). Space not al-
lowed);
4). Category certificate that you belong to
SC/ST/PwD/OBC (non-creamy layer) (PDF
format; File size should be less than 400KB;
valid file name; should have only one ex-
tension. Only Alpha-Numeric characters al-
lowed with hyphen (-) and underscore (_).
Space not allowed);
5). PwD Certificate (PDF format; File size
should be less than 400KB; valid file name;
should have only one extension. Only Al-
pha-Numeric characters allowed with hyphen
(-) and underscore (_). Space not allowed);
6). Candidates applying under Result
Awaited (RA) category should upload the
Attestation Form duly attested by the HoD
of the University/College/Institute (PDF for-
mat; File size should be less than 400KB;
valid file name; should have only one ex-
tension. Only Alpha-Numeric characters al-
lowed with hyphen (-) and underscore (_).
Space not allowed).
These certificates/documents are essential
to verify your eligibility for the exam on the
basis of your educational qualification, % of
mark etc. and also for age relaxation and fee
concession.
As candidates are not required to send hard
copies of application alongwith requisite cer-
tificates/documents for this Exam, candidates
should, therefore, make sure that they upload
all the relevant certificates/documents so as
to avoid disqualification for want of the req-
uisite certificates/documents.
The candidates are advised in their own
interest to apply early
7. IMPORTANT POINTS:
1. While applying for this test, please en-
sure that you fulfill all the eligibility condi-
tions and follow all the laid down procedures/
guidelines for this test.
2. While applying Online, apply early
enough to avoid any last minute rush.
3. List of candidates registered for this test
will be made available on our website tenta-
tively on 18.05.2018. The candidates must
refer to our website for checking their reg-
istration in time & for updates from time to
time.
4. Facility for downloading e-Admit
Cards to the registered candidates will be
provided on our website www.csirhrdg.
res.in. No paper Admit Card will be sent
by post. No duplicate e-admit card shall be
issued to the candidates at the Exam Cen-
tre. CSIR will not be responsible for any
delay on the part of the candidates.
5. The Test Booklet for this test will be
printed in Hindi & English Version. The can-
didate opting for Hindi medium in the Appli-
cation Form, will be supplied bilingual Test
March 6th, 2018.
Booklet and Candidate opting for English is strictly provisional till their joining.
medium will be supplied Test Booklet printed (vi) Please note that no correspondence will
in English Version only. The candidate will be entertained for any matter for which last
be required to answer as per option exercised date has expired.
in the application Form. (vii) In all matters the decision of the CSIR
6. The actual number of questions in each as to the eligibility or otherwise of a candi-
Part and Section to be asked and attempted date for admission to the Test or his/her sub-
may vary from subject to subject. sequent qualifying in the Test shall be final.
7. Candidates enrolled for M.Sc or having (viii) Any attempt on the part of a candidate
completed 10+2+3 years of the required qual- to obtain support for his / her candidature by
ifying Exam may apply under Result Awaited any means may disqualify him/her for admis-
(RA) category & upload attestation form. sion to the examination.
8. A candidate should not submit more than (ix) A candidate who is found guilty of im-
one application. If a candidate submits more personation or of submitting fabricated doc-
than one application none of the applications uments or documents which have been tam-
of such candidate will be entertained. pered with or of making statements which
9. Candidate should exercise due care in fill- are incorrect or false or of suppressing ma-
ing up the application form. In case of any er- terial information or otherwise resorting to
ror on the part of the candidate, he/she will be any other irregular or improper means for
held solely responsible for any loss suffered obtaining admission to the examination, or
by him/her. No change in the entries made in of using or attempting to use unfair means or
the original application form will be allowed abscond with OMR Answer sheet/Test book-
under any circumstances at later stage. let unauthorisedly or of misbehavior in the
10. No candidate shall be permitted to leave examination hall, may, in addition to render-
the Exam Hall before the expiry of 3 Hours ing himself liable to criminal prosecution (a)
from the start of the exam. be debarred by the CSIR from this test and
11. The candidates will be permitted to future tests also (b) will be liable to discipli-
take their Test Booklet and also the car- nary action under the appropriate rules, if he/
bonless duplicate copy of OMR sheet with she is already in service under Government/
them after the completion of the examina- Autonomous Bodies/UGC/CSIR.
tion for their reference/record. (x) All disputes pertaining to the NET Ex-
12. The OMR Answer Sheets shall be dis- amination shall fall within the jurisdiction of
tributed to the candidates 15 minutes be- Delhi only.
fore the scheduled start of the exam while (xi) CSIR will not be responsible for any
the Test Booklet shall be distributed 5 min- printing error in this Advertisement.
utes before the scheduled start of the exam
to enable the candidates to go through the
instructions and correctly fill up the re-
quired particulars.
13. No individual intimation by any mode
will be sent to the candidates
14. OBC candidates whose caste is not list-
ed in Central List (as available on NCBC
website) and are not covered under the provi-
sions as applicable to OBC Non Creamy Lay-
er (NCL) shall be treated as a General Cat-
egory candidates for all purposes and shall
not be eligible to get the benefit of relaxation
in age & fee concession etc. Accordingly,
OBC Candidates not belonging to OBC Non
Creamy Layer shall indicate their category as
‘General’.
8. OTHER GENERAL INFORMA-
TION:
(i) The candidates are advised to go through
this notification and our future notification(s)
including terms & conditions given/upload-
ed on our website for this test. The candidate
must satisfy themselves regarding their eligi-
bility for this test before applying for this test.
(ii) Candidates must read the terms and
conditions for CSIR /UGC Research Fellow-
ships/LS on the respective websites.
(iii) The Center and date of the Test are lia-
ble to be changed at the discretion of CSIR.
No TA/DA will be paid to the candidates by
the CSIR.
(iv) No candidate will be admitted to the
Test unless he/she holds the e-Admit Card to
the Test. The mere fact that an e-Admit Card
has been issued to a candidate will not imply
that the Council has finally accepted his/her
candidature. Candidates e-Admit Card par-
ticulars/photo and signature should tally with
the actual candidate who is to appear in the
exam, otherwise he/she shall not be allowed
to appear in the exam.
(v) Candidates may note that the verifica-
tion of essential eligibility conditions of a
candidate with reference to the documents
uploaded will be taken up only by the Lectur-
er appointing/JRF awarding authorities after
the candidate has qualified in the Test. The
candidate should note that their candidature
3
March 6th, 2018.
Prime Minister’s
Research Fellowship
(PMRF) Scheme –
Applications Open
Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship
(PMRF) scheme has been promoting re-
search & Cutting edge technologies. Prime
Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme has
been designed for candidates who are will-
ing to do Doctoral Studies (Ph.D.) in IITs and
IISc, it aims at attracting the best talent in
the country. Applications are open for Prime
Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF)
Scheme 24 February 2018 and the deadline
for application is 31 March 2018.
About Prime Minister’s Research
Fellowship (PMRF) Scheme
The Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship
(PMRF) scheme is aimed at attracting the
talent pool of the country to doctoral (Ph.D.)
programs of Indian Institutes of Technology
(IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
for carrying out research in cutting edge sci-
ence and technology domains, with focus on
national priorities.
Under the PMRF scheme, students who
have completed, or are pursuing, the final
year of four year undergraduate or five year
integrated M.Tech or five year integrated
M.Sc. or five year undergraduate-postgrad-
uate dual degree programs in Science and
Technology streams from IISc/IITs/NITs/
IISERs and centrally funded IIITs are eligible
for admission to full time Ph.D. programme
in the IITs & IISc provided they fulfil pre-
scribed eligibility criteria and finally get se-
lected after shortlisting/written test/interview.
For each participating IIT and IISc the Ph.D
admissions under the PMRF scheme will be
supernumerary.
Applicants who fulfill the eligibility cri-
teria, and are finally selected through a se-
lection process, will be offered admission
to Ph.D. program in one of IITs/IISc with a
fellowship of Rs.70,000/- per month for the
first two years, Rs.75,000/- per month for the
3rd year, and Rs.80,000/- per month in the
4th and 5th years. Apart from this, a research
grant of Rs.2.00 lakh per year will be pro-
vided to each of the Fellows for a period of
5 years to cover their academic contingency
expenses and for foreign/national travel ex-
penses.
There will be a rigorous review of the per-
formance of Prime Minister’s Research Fel-
lowship holders and continuation of the next
year fellowship shall be contingent upon suc-
cessful review.
Apart from this, each Fellow would be el-
igible for a research grant of Rs. 2 lakhs per
year (total Rs. 10 lakh)
4
The tenure of fellowship will be four years
for students from integrated courses and five
years for B. Tech. students.
Industry participation in the PMRF pro-
gramme would be explored through CSR
funding so as to enable industry to sponsor
maximum number of fellows.
Eligibility For Prime Minister’s Research
Fellowship (PMRF) Scheme :
The applicants for the PMRF should:
• have completed or be pursuing the final
year of four (or five) year undergraduate
or five year integrated M.Tech or five year
integrated M.Sc. or five year undergradu-
ate-postgraduate dual degree programs in
Science and Technology streams from IISc/
IITs/NITs/IISERs and centrally funded IIITs;
• have secured at least CGPA/CPI of 8.0 (in
scale of 10.0). For applicants in five year in-
tegrated or dual degree programs if separate
CGPAs/CPIs are awarded for UG and PG
parts of the program then the CGPA/CPI of
UG part (first four year) will be considered.
• have completed the required academic
qualification in the last five years.
Merely satisfying the eligibility require-
ment does not guarantee admission. Final
selection for admission of applicants will be
done following a rigorous selection process.
Abstract Submission
• The Project abstract should clearly ar-
ticulate the area of the study and should
display keen interest and insight on the
subject chosen.
• The Project abstract should formulate a
problem for the study which would be
used for assessing the applicant’s ana-
lytical and research skills.
• The topic chosen shall be preferably in
cutting-edge technology and science,
with focus on national priorities.
• The abstract should be original in appli-
cant’s own words, provide formulation
and other technical details of the prob-
lem. Evaluation of the abstracts will be
an important component in the final
selection of applicants for the PMRF.
Broad Disciplines & Nodal Institutes
Admission under the PMRF will be made in
18 broad disciplines.
Vol. 02 NO 10
For each broad discipline one IIT or IISc • There will be a website set up by the
will coordinate the admission process (re- NCC showcasing the areas of work of
view applications, shortlist applicants, con- each PMR.
stitute selection committees and hold final
selections) and will be referred to as the Nod- Important dates:
al Institute for that broad discipline.
• Commencement of submission of ap-
Selection Process plications: 24 February 2018
• Deadline for submission of the appli-
• The selection process for the PMRF cations: 31 March 2018
will be a rigorous two stage process • Tentative dates for interviews at Nodal
with screening by the Reviewers and fi- institutions: 15 May 2018 onwards
nal selection by the Selection Commit- • Tentative date for announcement of
tee for each broad discipline to ensure results: 01 June 2018
selection of the best talent.
• An applicant may apply for more than PMRF Participating Institutions :
one combination of broad discipline
and institute. An applicant will be re- IISc Bangalore
quired to provide preferences in case IIT Bhilai
the applicant wishes to apply for more IIT BHU
than one combination of discipline and IIT Bhubaneswar
institute. IIT Bombay
IIT Delhi
The shortlisting and selection will be done IIT Dharwad
in the following manner: IIT(ISM) Dhanbad
IIT Gandhinagar
• Each nodal institute will have a team IIT Goa
of experts who will assess the applica- IIT Guwahati
tions and prepare a shortlist of appli- IIT Hyderabad
cants for written test and/or interview IIT Indore
at the nodal institute. IIT Jodhpur
• Shortlisted applicants will be called for IIT Kanpur
a written and/or interview at the nodal IIT Kharagpur
institute. IIT Madras
• Final selection of shortlisted applicants IIT Mandi
will be made based on the performance IIT Patna
in the interview IIT Roorkee
IIT Ropar
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) IIT Jammu
IIT Palakkad
The IPR policy shall be as per the Institute’s IIT Tirupati
Policy on IPRs. The IPRs are owned by the
Institution where the Fellow has worked. Having Doubts about Prime Minister Re-
search Fellowship Scheme , find out your
Monitoring Mechanism answers below :
• The National Coordination Committee 1. Q. Which students are eligible to apply
(NCC) will periodically review and for the PMRF scheme?
monitor implementation of the scheme.
The NCC will report to MHRD the A. The final year students and those who
status of the scheme, fund flow and are awarded degree in past five years, of
utilization thereof, and policy changes four year undergraduate or five year in-
required to make the scheme more ef- tegrated M.Tech. or integrated M.Sc. pro-
fective. gram from IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs/central-
• Apart from this, the monitoring will be ly funded IIITs are eligible.
done in the manner detailed below:
• There will be internal reviews twice a B.Des. admitted through JEE/UCEED
year. and 4-year BS or B.Sc students of IISc,
• There will be a National Convention IITs, or IISERs admitted through JEE,
every year where all PMRFs will show-
case their work. This will be an occa-
sion for the Industry to participate in
the Convention. Next Page>>>>
Vol. 02 NO 10
KVPY, and SCB are also eligible.
2. Q. I completed my B.Tech. degree three
years ago from an NIT/IIT. Am I eligible to
apply for PMRF?
A. Yes. Those who are awarded degree in
past five years (i.e. graduated during or after
2014) are eligible to apply for PMRF 2018.
Each application will be treated as a fresh ap-
plication.
3. Q. I am a final year student of BS pro-
gram in an IISER. I joined my course through
KVPY. Am I eligible for PMRF?
A. Yes. The final year students (and those
who are awarded degree in past five years) of
four year undergraduate or five year integrat-
ed M.Tech. or integrated M.Sc. program from
IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs/centrally funded IIITs
are eligible. B.Des. admitted through JEE/
UCEED and 4-year BS or B.Sc students of
IISc, IITs, or IISERs admitted through JEE,
KVPY, and SCB are also eligible.
4. Q. I completed my B.Tech. from a college
not included in the list of qualifying institutes
above and thereafter obtained M.Tech. from
an IIT. Am I eligible to apply?
A. No. The qualifying degree (i.e., four
year undergraduate or five year integrated
M.Tech or five year integrated M.Sc. or five
year undergraduate-postgraduate dual degree
program in Science and Technology streams)
must be from IISc or an IIT/NIT/IISER or a
centrally funded IIIT.
5. Q. I am a dual degree student at an IIT.
I have been awarded two separate CGPAs
for my B.Tech. and M.Tech. degrees. Which
CGPA will be considered as qualifier?
A. The CGPA/ CPI of B.Tech. shall be con-
sidered as the eligibility criteria for the appli-
cants with dual degrees (B.Tech. + M.Tech.)
where two separate CGPA/CPI for B.Tech.
and M.Tech. are provided. If a combined
CGPA / CPI is given, then the combined
CGPA will be considered.
6. Q. My CGPA until seventh semester is
8.19, however, I have a backlog. Am I eligi-
ble to apply?
A. No.
7. Q. I am a final year student and have <8
CGPA until seventh semester. Should I be
provisionally allowed to appear for the selec-
tion procedure subject to the condition that
I will improve my CGPA at the end of my
B.Tech?
A. No. You will not be considered this year
for the selection procedure. However, you
may apply for the PMRF next year should
you secure CGPA of 8 or more at the time of
graduation.
8. Q. I am a PhD scholar in an IIT/IISc. I
graduated from NIT and joined IIT under the
Direct PhD programme. Whether existing
scholars like me who meet all the criteria, but
have joined last year will be eligible to up-
grade to PMRF?
A. No. You will have to apply afresh and
if selected and allocated the same institute
where you are currently registered for Ph.D.
program, you will be eligible for PMRF for
the rest of the PhD tenure. For example, if
you have availed MHRD fellowship for two
years, you will be entitled for maximum three
years of PMRF, total five years.
Application
9. Q. Which are the institutes where PMRF
Fellows can join to undertake research work
as a Ph.D. student?
A. The institutes are the 23 IITs and IISc.
10. Q. I have interests in two disciplines,
chemistry and nanotechnology. Can I apply
for more than one discipline?
A. Yes. An applicant can apply for multiple
disciplines. She / he will need to individu-
ally appear for multiple written tests and/or
interviewsconducted at the respective nodal
institute.
11. Q. Do I need to submit a project propos-
al along with my application?
A. You must submit an abstract as described
on the PMRF website.
12. Q. Does PMRF scheme apply for part-
time Ph.D.?
A. No, PMRF is for undertaking full-time
Ph.D. program at IITs/IISc.
13. Q. Is there a word limit for the abstract?
Can I upload the proposal in JPEG format?
A. The word limit is 1000 and it must be in
PDF format. No other format is acceptable.
14. Q. What is expected from the project
abstract?
A. The requirement for a project abstract
is aimed at assisting the selection committee
to judge research and analytical capability
of the applicant. The originality of the ab-
stract is very important. The abstract will be
checked for plagiarism.
15. Q. Who can be the referees?
A. The referees should be from among
those with whom the applicant has closely
interacted during her or his undergraduate or
post- graduate programme and who can com-
ment on the applicant’s academic knowledge
and research and analytical skills.
16. Q. How many times can I apply for fel-
lowship under the PMRF scheme?
A. You can apply two times provided all el-
igibility criteria are met each time.
17. Q. If I am selected for fellowship under
the PMRF scheme this year, but do not avail
the offer, can I apply once again next year?
A. No. However, you can defer your admis-
sion for one year subject to approval of the
host institute.
18. Q. Is the PMRF scheme the same as the
CII-PMF scheme?
A. No, they are different.
Written test and interview
19. Q. What will be the syllabus for the
written test?
A. The syllabus for the written test will be
the same as that of GATE/JAM/CEED, as ap-
plicable.
20. Q. Where will the test centres be locat-
ed?
A. A single written test and/or interview for
each broad discipline will be conducted at the
IIT or IISc which is the Nodal Institute for
that broad discipline.
21. Q. Will the written test/ interview of
different streams be conducted on the same
date.
A. No. The tests will be conducted on dif-
ferent dates with a gap of a day or two so that
an applicant may reach from one Nodal Insti-
tute to the other Nodal Institute in time.
22. Q. Will there be any TA/DA provided
for appearing for the test or interview?
A. No TA/DA will be provided to applicant
appearing for the written test or interview.
23. Q. Will all the eligible applicants be
called for the written test and/or interview?
A. Not necessary. In case of a large number
of applicants, only shortlisted applicants will
be called for the written test and/or interview.
March 6th, 2018.
Preference, allocation of seats
24. Q. How will be the institute and disci-
pline be allotted to the selected applicant if
the applicant has selected more than one in-
stitute?
A. The applicant will be allotted a combi-
nation of institute and discipline as per the
ranking order after the interview round. If
an applicant is selected for more than one
combination of discipline and institute, the
combination will be allotted based on the
preference indicated by the applicant in the
application.
25. Q. Can I give preference for different
disciplines in an IIT/IISc?
A. Yes. An applicant is asked to give prefer-
ence in form of combinations (e.g. Chemistry
at IISc, Biochemistry at IIT Bombay, Nano-
technology at IIT Delhi, etc.).
26. Q. I have a specific idea for my potential
research topic. Will the selection committee
consider this while allocating me an institute/
discipline if I am selected?
A. The applicant may give her/his prefer-
ence for the discipline/institute where the
research of her/his specific interest is con-
ducted.
Fee Payment:
27. Q. Is there an application fee, and if yes
how can I pay the application fee?
A. Yes, there is an application fee of Rs
1000. The applicant should click on the fee
payment link that will connect to SBI Col-
lect. The applicant does not need to have an
SBI account to pay the fees on the SBI Col-
lect page. The fee can be paid through var-
ious modes that include net banking, debit,
and credit card etc. The applicant will need to
enter the SBICollect Reference Number and
upload the SBICollect e-receipt pdf file for
the online application.
Contact Us
Coordinating institute: INDIAN INSTI-
TUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, HYDERA-
BAD
Address:
Indian Institute of Technology
Hyderabad
Kandi, Sangareddy – 502285
Telangana, INDIA
Email (for application related support):
support@pmrf2018.iith.ac.in
Tel.: 040 23017112
5
March 6th, 2018.
A Daffodil Antidote to
Cure Cancer – Latest
Development in Cancer
Research
Flower power to shield us all from cancer?
Likely- a new finding describes the anti-can-
cer effects of a natural alkaloid extracted
from Daffodils.
Researchers at the Université libre de Brux-
elles (ULB) in Belgium led by Denis Lafon-
taine extracted an alkaloid, haemanthamine,
which is capable of binding to ribosomes, the
nanomachines that cancer relies on to synthe-
size proteins.
Ribosomes are a complicated of molecules
present in all cells, known as nanomachines,
they synthesize the entire proteins our cells
want. Since tumors are necessarily simply
cells which might be rising out of keep watch
over, they may be able to hijack ribosomes to
ramp up protein manufacturing.
But this mechanism may also be most can-
Photo-Assisted Nanoscale
Gold for a Smarter Drug
Delivery System
The development of a wide spectrum of na-
noscale technologies is beginning to change
the scientific landscape in terms of disease
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The
surge in nanomedicine research during the
past few decades is now translating into con-
siderable commercialization efforts around
the globe, with many products on the market
and a growing number in the pipeline.
In this direction, scientists at the Techn-
ion-Israel Institute of Technology, have now
designed a unique polymer coating that con-
tains nanoscale gold particles which also has
a drug embedded and can deliver the drug
to the targeted region. The drug only releas-
es when a light shines on the gold particles,
causing the polymeric coating to melt.
“Photo-triggered materials fulfill a vital
role in a range of bio-medical applications,”
said Doctoral candidate Alona Shagan. “But
despite this enormous potential, these mate-
rials are rarely used because of toxins in the
polymer coating itself, and damage caused
by high-energy (shortwave) light.”
The team developed the one-of-a-kind de-
livery method to release under longwave
6
cers’s weak point. After extracting haeman-
thamine from daffodils, the ULB researchers
discovered that the compound attacked most
cancers in numerous tactics without delay.
First, it stopped ribosomes from generating
proteins, which bogged down the expansion
of the tumor.
Further up the road, it even stopped ribo-
somes themselves from being produced. Not
best does that still gradual the most cancers’s
expansion, however it triggers a tension re-
action in an anti-tumor surveillance pathway.
A protein referred to as p53, which in most
cases is frequently degrading away in whole-
some cells, is stabilized, inflicting a fast mo-
bile dying.
This study provides for the first time a mo-
lecular explanation to the anti-tumoral ac-
light (Near-Infrared, NIR). The light warms
the gold nanoshells, melting the polymer
packaging, and releasing the drug. The pri-
mary advantage of NIR light is its ability
to penetrate bodily tissues without harming
them.
“We’ve developed a material with varying
melting points, allowing us to control it using
low intensities,” explains Prof. Boaz Miz-
rahi. “Our system is composed of FDA-ap-
proved materials, and we are relatively close
to clinical application.”
The researchers believe this new technolo-
gy can be used for a variety of other applica-
tions, such as sealing of internal and external
injuries, temporary holding of tissue during
surgery, or as biodegradable scaffolds for
growing transplant organs. It may even be
possible to use the polymer as part of the
self-healing process, giving it a wide range of
both medical and non-medical applications.
The next step will include creating particles
that include the drugs so that we can test their
improved effectiveness using this delivery
technology, say the researchers.
By Disha Padmanabha
tivity of Daffodils used for centuries in folk
medicine. In a near future, the team in col-
laboration with Veronique Mathieu (Faculty
of Pharmacy- ULB), will test the effect on
ribosome biogenesis and function of four
Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, representative of
A NEW THERAPEUTIC APPROACH
FOR BRAIN CANCER THROUGH
ZIKA?
First identified in Uganda in 1947, the Zika
infection is a mosquito-borne disease which
for most people, is a very mild infection and
isn’t harmful. However, it may be more seri-
ous for pregnant women, as there’s evidence
it causes birth defects – in particular, abnor-
mally small heads (microcephaly).
However, a recent study shows that the vi-
rus could represent an unlikely ally for treat-
ing glioblastoma. This is very welcome news,
as glioblastoma is the most common and ag-
gressive kind of malignant brain tumour in
adults.
This discovery was made by researchers at
the University of Campinas’s School of Phar-
maceutical Sciences (FCF-UNICAMP) in
São Paulo State, Brazil.
Previous studies have shown increased
mortality rates for human progenitor cells, as
well as growth inhibition and morphological
abnormalities, in cells infected with Zika Vi-
rus. This is likely the cause of the observed
microcephaly cases. The virus has also been
shown to be capable of moving into brain
cells, modifying the regulation of the cell cy-
cle, and inducing their death.
In light of these findings, the researchers
at FCF-UNICAMP set out to investigate the
effects of Zika virus when it infects glioblas-
toma cells. To do this, they infected human
malignant glioblastoma cells with Zika and
recorded microscope images of them 24
hours and 48 hours after infection in order to
observe any metabolic alterations (cytopathic
effects) caused by inoculation of the virus.
The results of the analysis showed that the
glioblastoma cells displayed moderate cyto-
pathic effects 24 hours after infection, such as
rounded, swollen cell bodies and formation
of syncytia, masses of cytoplasm in which
the membrane contains several nuclei.
The most severe cytopathic effects were ob-
served 48 hours after infection, with a larger
number of rounded, swollen cells, more syn-
Vol. 02 NO 10
By Disha Padmanabha
the chemical diversity of these molecules.
Their goal will be to identify rapidly the
most promising chemical backbone to be fur-
ther developed as a lead compound in cancer
therapeutics.
cytium formation and pronounced loss of cell
integrity, all of which denote cell death.
To identify the main compounds (metabo-
lites) produced by glioblastoma cells during
infection by Zika, the researchers analyzed
the cells using matrix-assisted laser desorp-
tion/ionization mass spectrometry imaging
(MALDI-MSI). The mass spectrometry data
were submitted to statistical analysis, which
showed that 24 hours after infection, the cells
began to produce cardiac glycosides, espe-
cially digoxin.
Because digoxin and other cardiac glyco-
sides have been shown to induce cancer cell
death, the researchers concluded that infec-
tion by Zika triggered synthesis of the mole-
cule in glioblastoma cells and that this phe-
nomenon is probably one of the factors that
lead to neuronal cell death. “Digoxin could
be the key molecule that activates glioblas-
toma cell death during Zika infection,” said
senior study investigator Rodrigo Ramos
Catharino, Ph.D., a professor at FCF-UNI-
CAMP and head of the institution’s Innovare
Biomarker Laboratory.
Based on these findings, the researchers
suggest that a genetically engineered Zika
virus could eliminate the effects of infection
and leave only the viral particles that synthe-
size digoxin.
By Disha Padmanabha
Vol. 02 NO 10
Microplastics Moving Up
the Marine Food Chain
Risking Ocean’s Top
Predators
Microplastics are highly bioavailable to
marine organisms, either through direct in-
gestion, or indirectly by trophic transfer from
contaminated prey. Now, for the first time,
scientists have shown that microplastics
within fish can transfer to marine predators at
the top of the food chain, further risking the
exposure of man-made chemicals to animals
and – in the long run – us.
It’s no shocker of how little regard we have
towards our fellow species. But this is just
despicable; being such highly intellectual
lifeforms, how to actually behave the part is
clearly lost on us.
Over 400 million tons of plastic are pro-
duced globally each year. It is estimated that
one third of all plastic waste ends up in soils
or freshwaters.
Microplastics are synthetic and persistent
particles that originate from a variety of
sources, which include the fragmentation
of larger macro-plastics (e.g. fishing gear,
packaging) by UV photo-degradation, wave
action and physical abrasion; shipping spills
of pre-production pellets (nurdles) and poly-
styrene beads; the discharge of waste water
containing microbeads used in cosmetics
and microfibers released during the wash-
ing of textiles; and run-off from land con-
taining road marking paint and vehicle tyre
fragments. Their small size means that mi-
croplastics are bioavailable to ingestion by
Common Skin Bacterium
Could Offer Protection
Against Cancer
Mammalian skin harbors diverse microbial
communities whose growth is influenced by
ecological factors on the body surface such
as humidity, temperature, pH, lipid content,
and the presence of antimicrobials produced
by the host. And this interplay of microbe and
host appears is critical for establishing home-
ostasis but is poorly understood.
Coagulase-negative staphylococcal spe-
cies, such as Staphylococcus epidermidis,
Staphylococcus hominis, and others, are the
predominant bacterial species that colonize
normal human skin, whereas Staphylococcus
aureus frequently colonizes abnormal skin
such as that found in patients with atopic der-
matitis.
Now, in the recent study, researchers Uni-
versity of California San Diego School of
Medicine researchers report a potential new
role for some of these bacteria on the skin:
protecting against cancer.
“We have identified a strain of Staphylococ-
cus epidermidis, common on healthy human
skin, that exerts a selective ability to inhibit
the growth of some cancers,” said Richard
Gallo, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor
and chair of the Department of Dermatol-
ogy at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
a variety of taxa including zooplankton, ma-
rine invertebrates, fish, seabirds, and marine
mammals.
And we all know the food cycle- little fish
eats plankton, bigger fish eats the little fish,
then a seal eats the bigger fish, thus consum-
ing the energy from all three smaller animals.
Now, if this little fish was to seek and con-
sume or even accidentally ingest an indigesti-
ble piece of plastic, it naturally ends up in the
belly of a predator like the seal.
This process, known as trophic transfer, has
for the first time, been demonstrated by re-
searchers from Plymouth Marine Laboratory
(PML), University of Exeter and the Cornish
Seal Sanctuary.
“Our findings suggest that trophic transfer
represents an indirect, yet potentially major,
pathway of microplastic ingestion for any
species whose feeding ecology involves the
consumption of whole prey,” the authors
write in the study.
Researchers analysed scat (faeces) from
captive grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and
the digestive tracts of the wild-caught Atlan-
tic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) the seals
were fed upon. One third of the mackerel and
half of the scat samples contained microplas-
tics, a finding that demonstrates a process
known as trophic transfer, whereby prey con-
“This unique strain of skin bacteria produces
a chemical that kills several types of cancer
cells but does not appear to be toxic to nor-
mal cells.”
The finding was somewhat serendipitous.
With previous research showing that chem-
icals produced by Staphylococcus species
commonly found on healthy human skin can
kill off certain harmful bacteria, the team
looked at numerous strains to explore their
antimicrobial powers.
They were testing various strains of Staph-
ylococcus from human skin, and found one
that killed group A strep, which cause a range
of pesky infections from strep throat to cel-
lulitis. They can take on a flesh-eating form,
causing necrotizing fasciitis, also.
Whatever it was that the staph bacteria
made, it was not a protein — the usual prod-
uct that cells make and secrete, they reported
in the journal Science Advances.
Instead, it was a molecule called 6-N-hy-
droxyaminopurine (6-HAP for short). It in-
terferes with DNA polymerase activity and
slowed the proliferation of tumor cells.
Mice that received intravenous injections of
6-HAP every 48 hours over a two-week peri-
od experienced no apparent toxic effects, but
taining microplastics are consumed by pred-
ators and the synthetic particles move up the
food web as a result. This process has previ-
ously been observed in animals lower down
the food chain, such as mussels and crabs,
but this study is the first to provide evidence
of it occurring in marine mammals.
Lead author Sarah Nelms of PML’s Mi-
croplastics Research Group commented:
“Our finding that microplastics can be
passed from fish to marine top predators is
something we’ve long thought was the case
but, until now, lacked the evidence to back
our theory up. We have shown that trophic
transfer is an indirect, yet potentially ma-
jor, route of microplastic ingestion for these
predators. By examining scat from captive
animals and the digestive tracts of fish they
were fed upon, we could eliminate the pos-
sibility that the seals were eating plastic di-
rectly and be sure that any microplastics we
A strain of bacteria that commonly lives on the human skin produces 6-HAP that can kill cancer cells without harming other cells. About 20 percent of healthy
humans have 6-HAP-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis. (Credit: UC San Diego Health)
when transplanted with melanoma cells, their
tumor size was suppressed by more than 50
percent compared to controls.
“There is increasing evidence that the skin
microbiome is an important element of hu-
man health. In fact, we previously reported
that some bacteria on our skin produce anti-
microbial peptides that defend against path-
ogenic bacteria such as, Staph aureus,” said
Gallo.
Julian Marchesi, professor of human mi-
crobiome research at Cardiff University who
March 6th, 2018.
found in their scat came via the fish”
Dr Pennie Lindeque, lead of PML’s mi-
croplastics research, added: “Our study
demonstrates how microplastics can be
transferred from prey to predator and there-
fore passed up through the food chain. More
work is needed to understand the extent to
which microplastics are ingested by wild an-
imals and what impacts they may have upon
the animals and ecosystems.”
The new study highlights the importance
of reliable, scientifically based data on deg-
radation behaviour and the effects of mi-
croplastics. This data is necessary to be able
to respond effectively to contamination by
microplastics and the risk they pose to ter-
restrial ecosystems – where, after all, most
plastic waste that enters the environment ac-
cumulates.
By Disha Padmanabha
was not involved in the study, welcomed the
findings. “[This research] further adds to a
growing understanding of how important the
human microbiota, and in this case the skin
microbiome, is to health. We have evolved to
need these microbes and desperately need to
understand all the roles they play in human
biology and start to think more about what it
is to be a human being,” he told The Gaurdi-
an. “The next stage of this exciting work, will
be to translate it to human clinical trials and
show that this bacterially produced chemical
can protect the host from skin cancers.”
7
March 6th, 2018.
An Antidote for Arthritis :
Scorpion Venom?!
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoim-
mune disease in which the body’s immune
system – which normally protects its health
by attacking foreign substances like bacteria
and viruses – mistakenly attacks the joints.
This creates inflammation that causes the tis-
sue that lines the inside of joints (the synovi-
um) to thicken, resulting in swelling and pain
in and around the joints.
If the inflammation goes unchecked, it can
damage cartilage, the elastic tissue that cov-
ers the ends of bones in a joint, as well as
the bones themselves. Over time, there is loss
of cartilage, and the joint spacing between
bones can become smaller. Joints can become
loose, unstable, painful and lose their mobil-
ity. Joint deformity also can occur, which is
irreversible.
But these patients might eventually be
cleared of the disease, thanks to a new study
led by Dr. Christine Beeton at Baylor College
of Medicine that has now determined that one
component out of hundreds in scorpion ven-
om can ease the symptoms of RA in animal
models; there also weren’t side effects like
A Synthetic Molecule That
Sabotages a Viruses’ Ploy
for Infection
Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) is an
innate immune sensor that plays a key role
in recognizing and responding to infection
by RNA viruses. The gene is activated under
conditions that introduce a terminal, dou-
ble-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecule into
the cell. These molecules can include viral
genomes, replication intermediates, and any
other species containing a stable RNA duplex
that is terminated with a 5′-triphosphate or
diphosphate group.
This activation eventually leads to a se-
ries of events involving a variety of antivi-
ral effector functions. When appropriately
delivered and modulated, RIG-I agonists
would be promising tools for application in
immuno-oncology, antiviral prophylaxis, and
vaccine adjuvant development. However, all
these applications require a specific and po-
tent RIG-I ligand that is functional in vivo.
Therefore, through a new study, researchers
at Yale have now developed a set of synthetic
molecules that may help boost the strength
of this key, virus-fighting protein. The Yale
team, led by biologists Anna Pyle and Akiko
Iwasaki, has designed molecules that jump-
start the process. These synthetic, stem-loop
RNA (SLR) molecules can be visualized as
short cords with a knot at one end. The con-
figuration enables the SLRs to bind with
RIG-I molecules in a way that prompts an
aggressive response.
“When you tickle RIG-I with this small,
RNA hairpin, it alerts the body that it’s time
to respond,” said Pyle, professor of molecu-
lar, cellular, and developmental biology, and
of chemistry, at Yale, and co-corresponding
author of the study. “This gives us a tool that
can help with everything from the design of
better vaccines to better antivirals and an-
ti-cancer therapies.”
8
those seen with other treatments like this one.
“Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune
disease – one in which the immune system
attacks its own body. In this case, it affects
the joints,” said Beeton, associate profes-
sor of molecular physiology and biophysics
and member of the Dan L Duncan Compre-
hensive Cancer Center at Baylor College
of Medicine. “Cells called fibroblast-like
synoviocytes (FLS) play a major role in the
disease. As they grow and move from joint to
joint, they secrete products that damage the
joints and attract immune cells that cause in-
flammation and pain. As damage progresses,
the joints become enlarged and are unable to
move.”
Current treatments target the immune cells
involved in the disease and none are specif-
ic for FLS. Beeton and her colleagues stud-
ied FLS looking for an ‘Achilles’ heel’ that
would allow them to prevent or stop them
from damaging the joints.
Previous work by the team has suggested
that RIG-I function can be controlled and
exploited pharmacologically through stimu-
lation with small, well-defined RNA ligands
that are no larger than other therapeutically
administered oligonucleotides.
Structural studies, quantitative biochemical
work, cell-based assays, and imaging studies
have all established that RIG-I is an “RNA
end-capper” that encircles a 10–base pair
(bp) RNA duplex as a monomer and forms a
network of specific interactions with the ter-
minal base pair and the 5′-triphosphate.
RIG-I binding to short dsRNA is sufficient
to trigger MAVS activation, and this process
is enhanced by K63-ubiquitin, which pro-
motes multimerization of the RIG-I CARD
domains. On longer dsRNA (>40 bp), RIG-I
forms aggregated filaments in vitro, and sig-
naling in cell culture is less dependent upon
K63-ubiquitin. However, the study could not
elucidate the RIG-I oligomerization require-
ment for in vivo signalling.
The new study represents the first time sci-
entists have been able to specifically manip-
ulate and analyze the RIG-I biosensor in a
living animal — in this case, mice. The Yale
researchers said further study is needed in
order to gauge the potential for developing
new drugs for everything from flu to various
forms of cancer.
“I was shocked to see how potent this small
RNA molecule is in stimulating antiviral in-
terferon responses in mice. For its specific-
ity and potency, we now use SLR for all of
our RIG-I research in the lab,” said Iwasaki,
professor of immunobiology and of molecu-
lar, cellular, and developmental biology, and
co-corresponding author of the study.
By Disha Padmanabha
“In previous work, we identified a potassi-
um channel on FLS of patients with rheuma-
toid arthritis and found that the channel was
very important for the development of the
disease,” Beeton said. “We wanted to find
a way to block the channel to stop the cells
damaging the joints.”
“Scorpion venom has hundreds of different
components. One of the components in the
venom of the scorpion called Buthus tamulus
specifically blocks the potassium channel of
FLS and not the channels in other cells such
as those of the nervous system,” said first au-
thor Dr. Mark Tanner, a graduate student in
the Beeton lab during the development of this
project.
In this study, they investigated whether
this venom component, called iberiotoxin,
SCIENTISTS DEVELOP LIQUID
CURRENT-ASSISTED
SELF-ASSEMBLING BIOPRINTING
TECHNIQUE
Effective integration of molecular self-as-
sembly and additive manufacturing would
provide a technological leap in bioprinting.
A collaborative team involving researchers
from Queen Mary University of London,
University of Oxford, and Nanyang Tech-
nological University in Singapore, has now
designed a new molecular printing technique
using cells and molecules normally found in
natural tissues to create constructs that re-
semble biological structures.
These structures are embedded in an ink
which is similar to their native environment
and opens the possibility to make them be-
have as they would in the body.
“The technique opens the possibility to
design and create biological scenarios like
complex and specific cell environments,
which can be used in different fields such
as tissue engineering by creating constructs
that resemble tissues or in vitro models that
can be used to test drugs in a more efficient
Vol. 02 NO 10
By Disha Padmanabha
would be able to specifically block the FLS
potassium channel and reduce the severity
of rheumatoid arthritis in rat models of the
disease. They found that iberiotoxin stopped
the progression of the disease. In some cases
it reversed the signs of established disease,
meaning that the animals had better joint mo-
bility and less inflammation in their joints
with no side effects.
Dr. Christine Beeton said, “Although these
results are promising, much more research
needs to be conducted before we can use
scorpion venom components to treat rheuma-
toid arthritis.”
“We think that this venom component,
iberiotoxin, can become the basis for devel-
oping a new treatment for rheumatoid arthri-
tis in the future.”
manner,” explained Professor Alvaro Mata,
from the university’s School of Engineering
and Materials Science.
The novel technique integrates the micro-
and macroscopic control of structural features
that printing provides with the molecular and
nano-scale control enabled by self-assembly.
Because of this, it addresses a major need in
3D printing where commonly used printing
inks have limited capacity to actively stimu-
late the cells that are being printed.
PhD student Clara Hedegaard, leading au-
thor of the paper, added: “This method ena-
bles the possibility to build 3D structures by
printing multiple types of biomolecules ca-
pable of assembling into well defined struc-
tures at multiple scales. Because of this, the
self-assembling ink provides an opportunity
to control the chemical and physical proper-
ties during and after printing, which can be
tuned to stimulate cell behaviour.”
By Disha Padmanabha
Vol. 02 NO 10
Brain-like
“Memtransistor” takes
Neuromorphic Computing
to the Next Level
Advances in machine learning have moved
at a gallop in recent years, but the computer
processors these programs run on have barely
changed. Traditional CPUs process instruc-
tions based on “clocked time” – information
is transmitted at regular intervals, as if man-
aged by a metronome.
But now, a new cutting-edge approach is
taking shape: “neuromorphic computing,”
by packing in digital equivalents of neurons,
neuromorphics communicate in parallel (and
without the rigidity of clocked time) using
“spikes” – bursts of electric current that can
be sent whenever needed. Just like our own
brains, the chip’s neurons communicate by
processing incoming flows of electricity –
each neuron able to determine from the in-
coming spike whether to send current out to
the next neuron.
What makes this a big deal is that these
chips require far less power to process AI al-
Human Placenta Stem Cells
Found to Engender Two
Different Types of Cells
Vascularization is an essential physiologi-
cal process that occurs during embryonic and
fetal development and in disease. It is well
documented that endothelial cells arise from
precursors of the splanchnopleural or paraxi-
al mesoderm. They are also expected to also
derive from mesodermal progenitors devoid
of hematopoietic potential.
The new stem cells are related to endothe-
lial cells, which are used to create new blood
vessels, and mesenchymal stem cells, which
form bone, fat, cartilage and muscle. And
now, scientists at the University of Queens-
land have discovered a new type of stem cell
which has the potential to perform two func-
tions at the same time, meaning better treat-
ment or even cures for many diseases.
“In the past, each of these stem cell would
have been harvested and spun together and
then given to the patient,” UQ Centre for
Clinical Research’s Dr Abbas Shafiee said.
“Now it is just a dual cell, which means the
cell has two specific functions at the same
time.”
“We first thought it was a mistake and our
gorithms. Application of neuromorphic sem-
iconductors could prove extremely useful in
areas including pattern recognition on a mas-
sive scale.
Now, a new research has been able to real-
ise this dream by building what is called the
“memtransistor,” which is a multi-terminal
device made from a single layer of the sem-
iconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2).
The device operates much like a neuron by
performing both memory and information
processing. With combined characteristics of
a memristor and transistor, the memtransistor
also encompasses multiple terminals that op-
erate more similarly to a neural network.
This most recent research builds on work
that Mark C. Hersam, the co-author of the
present study and his team conducted back
in 2015 in which the researchers developed
a three-terminal, gate-tunable memristor that
operated like a kind of synapse.
isolation process was not pure enough and
somehow our endothelial cells were getting
contaminated by mesenchymal cells,” Kiar-
ash Khosrotehrani, corresponding author of
the study, told New Atlas. “But despite our
best efforts in cleaning up the isolation we
noticed that some endothelial progenitors
were also giving rise to mesenchymal cells.
Finally to have definitive proof that this was
not contamination, we isolated and observed
placental cells one by one. In this single cell
environment there is no contamination.”
Professor Khosrotehrani said the dual cells
meant arteries and veins could be created in
engineered tissue to provide more effective
treatments for a range of musculoskeletal and
degenerative disorders such as pulmonary fi-
brosis and heart disease.
The researchers were able to precisely lo-
cate stem cells in placental tissue and deter-
mine exactly how the stem cells worked to
produce the lining of blood vessels and sur-
rounding cells. Dr Shafiee said this regener-
ative process was the key to taking the next
step in stem cell treatment, but more research
was needed to better understand the biology
of placental stem cells.
By Disha Padmanabha
While this work was recognized as mim-
icking the low-power computing of the hu-
man brain, critics didn’t really believe that it
was acting like a neuron since it could only
transmit a signal from one artificial neuron to
another. This was far short of a human brain
that is capable of making tens of thousands of
such connections.
“Traditional memristors are two-termi-
nal devices, whereas our memtransistors
combine the non-volatility of a two-termi-
nal memristor with the gate-tunability of a
three-terminal transistor,” said Hersam to
IEEE Spectrum. “Our device design accom-
modates additional terminals, which mimic
the multiple synapses in neurons.”
Atomically thin MoS2 with well-defined
grain boundaries influence the flow of cur-
rent. Similar to the way fibers are arranged
in wood, atoms are arranged into ordered do-
mains — called “grains” — within a materi-
al. When a large voltage is applied, the grain
boundaries facilitate atomic motion, causing
a change in resistance.
“Because molybdenum disulfide is atomi-
cally thin, it is easily influenced by applied
electric fields. This property allows us to
make a transistor. The memristor characteris-
tics come from the fact that the defects in the
material are relatively mobile, especially in
HUMANS ARE EVOLVING TO
RESENT ALCOHOL: STUDY
It is a common misunderstanding that evo-
lution took place a long time ago, and that
to understand ourselves we must look back
to the hunter-gatherer days of humans. Fact
check- we are not only evolving, we are do-
ing so even faster than before.
When we look at how evolution has taken
us from eyeless blobs to moderately capable
bloggers, it can seem like a vast, unknowable
force. But when we look at individual traits
and how they appear and disappear in clever
ways, the functioning of cause and effect is
clear, and fascinating, to see.
Now, in a latest study, researchers have
found proof that suggests people have begun
evolving so as to find alcohol so unpleasant,
it could stop our species from drinking in the
future.
Researchers at the University of Pennsyl-
vania analyzed the genomes of some 2,500
people from 26 populations across four con-
tinents using data collected by the 1,000 Ge-
nomes Project.
The team then singled out specific traits or
“genomic hotspots” that pop up in various,
divergent populations – say, changes to an
area of the gene responsible for producing
glycophorins, which has occurred in parts of
Africa and Asia.
They were able to identify five ‘hot spots’ of
recent genetic change, one of them associated
with the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene,
which breaks down alcohol. The ADH gene
is responsible for inducing production of al-
cohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme that breaks
down alcohol into acetaldehyde, which is
then converted to acetate by another process.
Therefore, even the smallest amount of al-
cohol would cause extremely unwell feelings
and it is unlikely these individuals would be
able to physically consume enough alcohol
for them to develop alcoholism.
March 6th, 2018.
the presence of grain boundaries,” Hersam
explained.
“When the length of the device is larger
than the individual grain size, you are guar-
anteed to have grain boundaries in every
device across the wafer. Thus, we see repro-
ducible, gate-tunable memristive responses
across large arrays of devices.”
“This is even more similar to neurons in the
brain,” Hersam said, “because in the brain,
we don’t usually have one neuron connected
to only one other neuron. Instead, one neu-
ron is connected to multiple other neurons to
form a network. Our device structure allows
multiple contacts, which is similar to the mul-
tiple synapses in neurons.”
Next, Hersam and his team are working to
make the memtransistor faster and smaller.
Hersam also plans to continue scaling up the
device for manufacturing purposes.
“We believe that the memtransistor can be a
foundational circuit element for new forms of
neuromorphic computing,” he said. “How-
ever, making dozens of devices, as we have
done in our paper, is different than making a
billion, which is done with conventional tran-
sistor technology today. Thus far, we do not
see any fundamental barriers that will pre-
vent further scale up of our approach.”
Interestingly, the genetic variations were
not just found in one population but were ob-
served in five populations in different conti-
nents, for this to have happened, the mutation
must have emerged independently in these
two different populations and persisted. Al-
ternatively, if there had been just one initial
mutation, it would have had to travel like
Speedy Gonzales across the two continents.
“These new results are critically important
to our understanding of how alcohol affects
heart disease. Contrary to what earlier re-
ports have shown, it now appears that any
exposure to alcohol has a negative impact
upon heart health,” says co-lead author Mi-
chael Holmes, MD, PhD, research assistant
professor in the department of Transplant
Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine
at the University of Pennsylvania. “For some
time, observational studies have suggested
that only heavy drinking was detrimental to
cardiovascular health, and that light con-
sumption may actually be beneficial. This has
led some people to drink moderately based
on the belief that it would lower their risk of
heart disease. However, what we’re seeing
with this new study, which uses an investiga-
tive approach similar to a randomized clini-
cal trial, is that reduced consumption of alco-
hol, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, may
lead to improved cardiovascular health.”
By Disha Padmanabha
9
March 6th, 2018.
PhD Admissions 2018 @
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia
Avadh University,
Faizabad
PhD Admissions 2018 @ Dr. Ram Mano-
har Lohia Avadh University, Faizabad. Dr.
Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University
Admission Notification 2018.
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University,
Faizabad hereby commences the process of
admission to full-time Ph.D. program in
various subjects (as per University Rules),
run by the residential departments and affili-
ated colleges.
Overall admission process for Ph.D. pro-
grams of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh
University,Faizabad is divided in following
two phases:-
Phase-1 :- Candidate has to appear in a
Common Entrance Test (CET-2018) that
will be conducted by the University for the
session 2018. Candidates who had qualified
NET/JRF/GATE examinations or laying un-
der any of the category mentioned in UGC
norms shall be exempted to appear in CET-
2018 and shall be allowed to appear directly
in the second phase of the admission process
but strictly required to apply on-line in phase
1 to participate in the second phase of admis-
sion process. If candidate fails to apply on-
line, he/she will not be considered to partici-
pate in the admission process for various PhD
programs of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh
University, Faizabad.
Phase-2 :- Candidates, declared eligible
after CET-2018 are participate in the sec-
ond phase will be invited to appear in the
Interview on the basis of CET merit or, in
accordance of UGC guidelines. Research
Development Committee (RDC)/ Equiva-
lent Committee will conduct the interview of
invited eligible candidates and prepare final
merit for admission.
Syllabus :
Syllabus of CET-2018 of Dr. Ram Mano-
har Lohia Avadh University will be similar to
that is prescribed for NET/JRF Examinations
of University Grants Commissions (UGC),
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR), Indian Council of Agricultural Re-
search (ICAR) which may be seen from their
respective website.
Eligibility :
A candidate applying for CET-2018 of Dr.
Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh Universitymust
hold a postgraduate Degree in concerned/al-
10
PhD ADMISSIONS
lied subject with a minimum of 55% marks
or equivalent Letter-grade/Grade-point un-
der the seven Point Letter-grade-scales as
laid down by the UGC. A relaxation of 5%
in minimum marks shall be given to SC/ST
andphysically handicapped/disabled candi-
dates. Candidates appearing for Final Year/
Final Semester of their postgraduate degree
examination are also eligible to appear for the
admission process subject to the fulfillment
of minimum eligibility criteria in the final re-
sult at the time of counseling.
Guidelines for Entrance Test:
a. The CET-2018 for various PhD programs
of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University
as specified in Table-A, will be conducted at
the University Campus but in special circum-
stances Centers may also be allocated at dif-
ferent institutions in Faizabad district.
b. Candidates are advised to fill up the An-
swer-OMR sheet carefully during Examina-
tion.
c. The Eligibility Test will be based on Mul-
tiple Choice Questions (MCQs) containing
two question papers:
First Paper – The Paper will be of 100
marks comprising of 100 questions to assess
general awareness, academic aptitude and
subject proficiency. This paper will be of 2
hours duration.
Second Paper – The paper will be of 200
marks comprising of 200 questions to asses-
subject expertise, research aptitude & subject
knowledge. This paper will be of 3 hours du-
ration.
d. There will not be any negative marking.
e. The minimum qualifying marks for the
test is 50 percent marks on the aggregate but
minimum 40 percent marks required sepa-
rately in each paper.
f. A relaxation of 5 percent in qualifying
marks (in the aggregate and in each paper as
well) will be provided to the candidates be-
longing to the SC/ST/PH categories.
g. The average percentage of marks will not
be rounded off to the next higher integer.
h. Black Ball Point Pen should be used for
blackening the circles on the answer sheet.
i. Correction fluid should not be used.
j. Candidates are not permitted to carry in
the examination Hall/Room paper, mobile
phone or any other type of gadget for com-
munication.
k. Nothing should be written on the Ques-
tion Booklet except Roll Number.
l. The candidates should ensure that the an-
swer sheet is not folded or damaged and there
are no stray marks on the answer sheet.
m. The candidate must bring his/her admit
card in order to appear in CET-2018. If a can-
didate fails to bring the admit card he/she will
not be allowed to appear in the CET2018.
n. The Duration of the Examination will be
two hours for first paper and three hours for
second paper.
o. Based on the marks obtained in this en-
trance test, category wise merit list will be
prepared and the category wise result of the
successful candidates will be displayed on
the website of the university.
p. A category wise Merit Score Certificate
will be issued and dispatched to the candi-
date by Speed/Registered Post and to his/her
e-mail address, if provided.
How to Apply:
On-line Application Procedure :
Candidate may fill on-line application form
for PhD admission process/CET-2018 of
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University
through the University website www.rmlau.
ac.in. During on-line application form filling
process candidate has to upload scanned cop-
ies of his passport size photograph and sig-
nature.
Registration Fee for On-line Application :
Registration fee for the online application
to CET2018 of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia
Avadh University is Rs. 1000/- for Gener-
al and OBC candidates whereas for SC/ST
candidates it is Rs. 500/-. Bank transaction
charges will be charged as applicable.
Registration fee for Online Application to
PhD admission process/CET-2018 of Dr.
Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University can
be submitted online through Net-Banking or
Debit/Credit-Card of any nationalized bank.
Applicants are advised to note down bank
transaction Reference Number and Registra-
tion ID for any future communication with
the University. After the fee submission, ap-
plicants will be redirected to the University
website where options for printing admission
form and fee receipt are given. Printout of the
pay-inslip of SBI along with the print out of
the application form is to be taken by the ap-
plicant.
University reserves the right to seize admis-
sion in Ph.D. program in any subject at any
time subjected to the unavailability of Su-
pervisors. Similarly, number of admission
seats in Ph.D. program in any subject at any
time may also be increased or decreased in
view of the supervisor’s availability.
The candidate is solely responsible for all
the entries made by him/her in the on-line ap-
plication form. If the candidate conceals or
misrepresents any fact in the entries on the
form, his/her candidature will automatically
stand cancelled and he/she will be liable to be
debarred from the present and future admis-
sions in the University.
Entries made by the candidate in the Form
will be considered final, and no subsequent
request for change(s) or modification(s) in
the same will be entertained.
Documents required at the time of Admis-
sion for PhD courses.
• High School Certificate (As age proof)
• High School Mark sheet
• Intermediate Mark sheet & Certificate
• under Graduate Mark sheet & Degree
• Post Graduate Mark sheet & Degree
• Caste Certificate (if applicable)
• UGC NET Certificate (if applicable)
• Fellowship certificate of UGC/CSIR/
ICAR or other central regulatory Bod-
ies. (If applicable)
• ‘No Objection Certificate’ from present
employer, if employed
• Any other relevant certificate
Important Dates:
• Availability of online application form
for PhD admission process – 26/02/18
• Last date for submission of online ap-
plication fees -10/04/18
Vol. 02 NO 10
• Last date for submission of online ap-
plication form-13/04/18
• Date of downloading admit
cards-05/05/18
• Date of Common Entrance Test (CET-
2018).-12/05/18
PhD Programme
Admissions (2018-19) @
NISER
PhD Admissions at NISER, School of Bi-
ological Sciences. NISER has announced
Admissions for PhD Programme 2018-19.
Applications are invited from Indian cit-
izens for admission to Ph.D Programme
scheduled to commence from 27th July, 2018
in the following schools of basic sciences at
NISER, Bhubaneswar:
1. School of Biological Sciences (SBS)
2. School of Chemical Sciences (SCS)
3. School of Physical Sciences (SPS)
4. School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS)
5. School of Humanities and Social Scienc-
es (SHSS)
Stream : Biological Sciences#
Minimum Educational Qualifications:
60% or equivalent GPA in Masters or M.
Tech in any branches of Biology, Life Scienc-
es, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Agricultural
Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Computer
Sciences, Bioinformatics and Biotechnolo-
gy. Students with Master’s degree in Physics,
Chemistry or Mathematics having interest in
pursuing a career in Biology are also encour-
aged to apply.
# Research areas in School of Biological
Sciences:
• Regulation of cell adhesion and sign-
aling in Helicobacter pylori-mediated
gastric cancer progression.
• Study of membrane biogenesis: Mech-
anism and regulation of nuclear remod-
eling and role of dynamins
• Regulation of cell structure and func-
tions by thermosensitive TRP ion chan-
nels
• Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics of
Ageing Disorders: Neurodegeneration
and Cancer
• Antibiotic resistance and virulence: Fo-
cus on membrane proteins and persis-
tence phenomenon
• Interaction of light and auxin in shap-
ing development in plants; Role of
splice variant of constsns, CO like and
Vol. 02 NO 10
GIGANTEA in the regulation of Flori-
gen
• Molecular Genetics of Gallbladder
cancer; putative angiogenic regulators
and tumorigenesis
• Neuro endorcrine regulation, Neural
circuitry of energy balance and repro-
duction
• Translational Control
• Structure-and-function work on two
component systems/transporters
• Regulation of cell and tissue morphol-
ogy
• Organisation of cytoskeleton by mo-
lecular motors in extant eukaryotes:
dictyostelium and tetrahymena;Mitotic
apparatus in Bacterial systems
Student intake in these advertised areas will
depend on the availability of seats with indi-
vidual PIs.
2. Candidates should have qualified at least
one of these national level examinations i.e.
CSIR-UGCNET/GATE/GPAT/JEST/IN-
SPIRE (Doctoral fellowship under AORC
Scheme)/JGEEBILS/NBHM (with fellow-
ship) or any other equivalent national level
Karnataka State Police Recruitment.
KSP Recruitment 2018. Karnataka Govt
Jobs. Karanataka Govt Forensic Sciences
Lab Jobs. Scientific Officer Posts.
RECRUITMENT TO THE POST OF
SCIENTIFIC OFFICERS (FSL) BANGA-
LOREAPPLICATION FOR THE POST
OF SCIENTIFIC OFFICERS (MEN &
WOMEN) IN FSL, BENGALURU AND
ITS REGIONAL OFFICE- 2018
Notification No.69 /Recruitment-2/2017
-18
Name of the Position : Scientific Officer
No.of.Positions : 18
Age :
Minimum Age of 21 years and maximum
age of 35 years (Age relaxation in maximum
age by 3 years for OBC and 5 years for SC/
examination, valid for the current year in the
relevant area of research.
3. The scholarship given by NISER is Rs.
25,000/- for first two years, which vvill sub-
sequently be enhanced to Rs. 28,000/- for re-
maining three years, subject to the condition
that he/she fulfills all the requirements of the
Institute that will be stipulated from time to
time.
4. Candidates who are appearing in the final
semester/year of qualifying examination in
2018 are also eligible to apply. However, they
should have scored minimum 60% or equiv-
alent grade till the end of the third semester /
relevant year as the case may be_ If selected,
their admission will be subject to submission
of final semester / year res ult mark sheet
wherein they should have obtained the requi-
site percentage / grade as mentioned @ Para
1.
Selection Procedure:
• The selection committee of the respective
schools will short-list the candidates among
those who meet the minimum educational
qualifications and satisfy additional criteria
JOBS
ST)
Fee Details :
GM & OBC (2A,2B,3A,3B) : Rs. 250
SC , ST, CAT-01 : Rs. 100
Education Qualifications:
Section 1
Scientific Officer in Chemical Section:
Must be a holder of Master’s Degree in
Chemistry / pharmacology / Bio-Chemistry
/ Forensic Science / Equivalent qualification
in Chemical science with at least 55% aggre-
gate marks.
Section 2
Scientific Officer in Biology Section: Must
be a holder of Master’s Degree in Botany /
Zoology / Bio-Chemistry / Microbiology /
Life Sciences / Forensic Science or Equiva-
which each school may set as deemed nec-
essary.
• The short-listed candidates will be called
for an interview, supplemented by a written
test, if necessary, for the admission.
• Based on the academic record and the
performance of the candidates in the selec-
tion process, the selection committee of the
school will recommend candidates to the
Chairman, Academic Council for admission
to the Ph.D. program.
• All candidates called for the Test I Inter-
view will be paid to and fro single, second­
sleeper class railway fare by the shortest
route from their place of residence to the In-
stitute/ venue of the Test and Interview. They
have to produce evidence (railway ticket) in
support of their claim.
How to Apply:
• The application form has to be filled up
online at http://www.niser.ac.in and candi-
dates should follow stepwise instructions
mentioned to complete the application sub-
mission process. At the time of application,
along with this online form, the candidate
KARNATAKA GOVT RECRUITMENT : 18
POSTS OF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER VACANT
lent qualification in Bio-science with at least
55% aggregate marks.
Section 3
Scientific Officer in Toxicology Section
: Must be a holder of Master’s Degree in
Chemistry / pharmacology / Bio-Chemistry
/ Forensic Science / Equivalent qualification
in Chemical secience with atleast 55% agree-
gate marks.
Common for Above Qualifications :
Must have not less than two years research
experience as a research scholar in any re-
search institution recognized by the Govern-
ment.
How to Apply:
NOTE :
Payment should be made in State Bank of
India (SBI) / Post office only.LIST OF SBI
March 6th, 2018.
should upload soft copy of the supporting
documents as per the eligibility criteria.
• Candidates intending to apply for more
than one school should fill up online appli-
cation forms for each school and submit
separate forms with appropriate supporting
documents.
• Two sealed letters of reference in the pre-
scribed format with signature of the referee
on the envelope should be produced by the
student at the time of interview. The copy of
the reference letter is available on line.
• NISER does not demand any application
fee from the candidates who apply for Ph.D
program.
Important Dates:
• Online application will be activated
on : 26.02.2018
• Last date for filling up online appli-
cation : 26/03/2018
• List of short-listed candidates will be
uploaded on NISER website latest by
• School of Biological Sciences :
06.04.2018
BANK BRANCHES
Candidates have to fill the Application and
Generate the Challan and make the Payment
in the respective Bank / Post office.
If Candidates submit more than one Appli-
cation for the same Post, only one Applica-
tion (finally submitted) will be considered.
If the candidate wants to apply more than
one section, candidate should select accord-
ing to priority.
Important Dates:
• DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF
FILLING OF THE ONLINE APPLI-
CATION - 26/02/2018
• LAST DATE FOR ONLINE APPLI-
CATION GENERATION 21/03/2018
• LAST DATE FOR PAYMENT OF
FEE - 23/03/2018
11
March 6th, 2018.
Kerala Agricultural University Recruit-
ment 2018. Jobs at KAU. Senior Research
Fellow Position vacant at KAU.
Job Title : Senior Research Fellow (SRF)
No.of.Posts : 01
Essential Qualification :
Master’s Degree in Agriculture/ Biotech-
nology/Botany/ Integrated B.Sc – M.Sc De-
gree in Climate change Adaptation.
NIT Rourkela invites students pursuing
Biotechnology & Bioinfromatics, to apply
for Studentship positions at NIT Rourkela
as per the details given below:
Job Title : Trainee ship
No.of.Posts : 02
Project Title : “Bioinformatics Infra-
structure Facility”
Principal Investigator : Prof. M.K.Gupta
Emoluments : Rs.8000.0
12
Age Limit :
4. Age of the applicant should not be below
18 years and above 36 years as on 01.01.2018
Age relaxation as per existing Government
Rules will granted to eligible candidates.
Consolidated Pay :
RS.25000/ per month.
How to Apply:
Candidates with following minimum qual-
Essential Qualification :
Post Graduate degree in Biotechnology,
Bioinformatics /Computer Science/Analytics
Decision Sciences /Information Technology
or allied subjects.
Desirable Qualification :
Sound knowledge in Bioinformatics or
Computer languages.
How to Apply:
Eligible persons should bring all the origi-
KERALA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
RECRUITMENT 2018 – MSC BIOTECH &
BOTANY ELIGIBLE
ifications are invited for a walk in interview
on 14/03/2018 at 9.00 Am at KCAET, Tava-
nur. The selection is for a period of One year
on contract basis.The details are given below:
• Candidates should prepare their bio-
date in the format enclosed as Annex-
ure – I and submit at the time of verifi-
cation of certificates.
• 5. Candidates should report before the
undersigned for interview at 9.00 AM
on 14/03/2018 with their certificates
and mark lists to prove educational
TRAINING & RESEARCH POSTS VACANT @
NIT ROURKELA |
BIOTECH & BIOINFORMATICS ELIGIBLE
nal certificates and mark sheets, filled appli-
cation form in the prescribed format (avail-
able in the Institute Website) affixed with
colored photographs to be submitted in du-
plicate along with photo copies of relevant
certificates, grade/ mark sheets, publications
etc.. at the time of walk-in-interview.
For technical information on the project, the
candidate may contact the Principal Investi-
gator at the following address:
Name: Prof. M.K.Gupta
Address: Department of Biotechnology &
Medical Science, National
Vol. 02 NO 10
qualification, experience, age, date of
birth, Religion, and caste.
• No TA/DA will be paid to the candi-
dates for attending interview. Candi-
dates reporting after the sheduled time
will not be permitted to attend the in-
terview.
Walk-In Details:
• Date of Interview – 14/03/2018
• Time of Interview – 09:00 AM
• Venue of Interview – KCAET, Tavanur
Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourke-
la-769 008.
Telephone No: +91-661-246-2294 (office)
E-mail: guptam@nitrkl.ac.in
Walk-In Details:
• Date of Interview – 7th March, 2018
• Time of Interview – 10.00 am.
• Venue of Interview – Department of
Biotechnology & Medical Science,
NIT Rourkela.