Vol. 01 NO 6
NEWS - PAGE 2
BENGALURU-BASED BIOTECH’S
“UNPLASTIC” IS OUT TO REVOLUTIONIZE
THE WORLD OF CONVENTIONAL PLASTICS
INDIAN RESEARCHERS VS TUMOURS
Prof. Sathees C. Raghavan (right) along with Ms. Supriya V. Vartak, Dept. of Biochemistry, IISc
Cancer Drug Developed By
Indian Researchers Shows
Potential in Treating Tumours
Designed and synthesised by researchers
from eight different research groups spread
over labs in Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram,
Bengaluru, and with contributions from a
couple of Indian scientists at the Department
of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine,
University of Liverpool, Disarib belongs to
the class of “designer molecules” that zero in
on rogue cells as part of the targeted therapy
method to combat cancer.
The molecule (Disarib) binds to a protein
BCL2 and inhibits the protein from sup-
pressing cell death in cancer cells. While
BCL2 protein is produced in excess in cancer
cells, its expression is almost undetectable
in normal cells. Hence, Disarib targets and
kills only cancer cells while sparing normal
cells. BCL2 is a regulator protein molecule
found in our cells. Its primary job is to sup-
press a process called apoptosis– a method
of programmed cell death. This suppression
is important since we don’t want our cells to
simply die. However, when our cells are dis-
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NEWS - PAGE 3 NEWS - PAGE 6
STUDY REVEALS BUILD-UP OF UREA
RESEARCHERS DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE
ANIMAL MODEL FOR ZIKA IN BRAIN TO BE MAJOR CAUSE OF
DEMENTIA
able to live longer. The team, in this case, was
able to disrupt the interaction of BCL2 and
apoptosis-causing BAK protein and cause the
death of cancer cells.
The efficiency of Disarib to cause cell death
eased or worn out, then apoptosis becomes
and tumour regression was far superior com-
necessary.
pared with the FDA-approved ABT199. Prof.
In cases where apoptosis fails, when our
Raghavan says preliminary studies by his
body cannot get miscreant actively-dividing
group show that the home-grown molecule
cells to commit suicide, that’s when the cells
gets better results than the one approved by
become pathogenic and turn cancerous. And
the FDA in terms of elimination of cancer
BCL2, as an apoptosis inhibitor, helps them
cells. And, it does so in significantly smaller
do just that. Hence, targeting BCL2 may be
doses, reducing further the chances of side
a clever idea to control the progression of
effects. “The smaller size of the Disarib mol-
cancer. “BCL2 is an attractive drug target
ecule, compared with ABT199, makes it eas-
because many different cancers, including a
ier for the drug to reach the cancerous cells
lot of chemo and radiotherapy resistant ones,
where it can begin destroying the tumour,”
over produce BCL2”, explains Prof. Ragha-
adds his colleague Supriya Vartak. The re-
van. “The normal cells in our body, in con-
sults have been published in Biochemical
trast, make very less BCL2. Drugs designed
Pharmacology.
to inhibit BCL2 thus affect only cancer cells
Unlike ABT199, the small molecule binds
and little else”, he adds.
predominantly to a different domain (BH1)
Inside a cell, there is always a balance be-
of BCL2 and showed better efficiency in kill-
tween proteins that promote cell death (ap-
ing cancer cells. Furthermore, compared with
optosis) and those that suppress cell death.
ABT199 inhibitor, the small molecule syn-
Since the proteins (BAX and BAK) that pro-
thesised by the team did not cause any side
mote cell death get bound to BCL2, normal
effects.
cell death is suppressed and cancer cells are
December 26th, 2017.
JOBS, SCHOLARSHIPS &
FELLOWSHIP - PAGES 7-12
NEW JOBS AVAILABLE
Cancer Drug
Developed By Indian
Researchers
Targeted therapy, as the name suggests,
involves the use of ‘designer molecules’
directed against a particular rogue mol-
ecule in the body that is responsible for
cancer. Targeted therapy stops the action
of molecules that are key to the growth
of cancer cells. Thus, it affects cancer
cells more so than normal cells. Targeted
therapy’s specific action differs from tra-
ditional chemotherapy, which affects all
fast-growing cells.
Many such molecules have found phe-
nomenal success as effective cancer drugs
in recent years. The latest discovery from
Prof. Sathees Raghavan’s group at the De-
partment of Biochemistry, Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore, in collaboration
with researchers from various other insti-
tutes, is a noteworthy addition to this list
of molecules.
The researchers have left no stone unturned
during the study of Disarib, including its
mechanism of action. Following a number
of preliminary testing and analyses, the drug
was tested in cancer cell lines, animal mod-
els, patient samples and more. The team even
successfully utilized a humanized model of
tumour in mice for ovarian carcinoma, in
addition to three independent mouse tumour
models for investigating the tumour regres-
sion property of Disarib.
And soon, cancer biologists, chemists, cli-
nicians, and specialists in bioinformatics, be-
longing to different labs, will be pooling in
their expertise in the area in order to carry
out pre-clinical tests of the drug, under the
multi-crore rupee project titled ‘Glue Grant’.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT),
New Delhi, has approved this collaborative
effort to produce the first home-grown drug.
Pharmaceutical companies have shown
some interest, which is very encouraging,
says Prof. Raghavan, though he cautions
that results of the study approved by the
DBT will decide when the drug will be avail-
able in the market.
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1
December 26th, 2017. Vol. 01 NO 6

Bengaluru-Based Biotech’s
“Unplastic” is Out to
Revolutionize the World of
Conventional Plastics
Nestled within the market for consum-
er plastics is an ever-growing industry for
bioplastics. In an increasingly sustainabil-
ity-driven world populated by more con-
scious consumers and green-minded indi-
viduals than ever before, this growing focus
on bio-derived plastics should come as no
surprise. And a noteworthy addition comes
in form of the 25-year-old green crusader,
Ashwath Hegde, founder of EnviGreen Bio-
tech, Bengaluru, who nurtures the dream of a
plastic-free India.
Thanks to persistent green marketers like
him, the true viability and environmental im-
pacts associated with bioplastics are finally
being noticed.
EnviGreen Biotech is the developer of a
revolutionary material, possessing all the
functionality and simplicity of conventional
plastic, with none of its harmful effects to the
environment – Unplastic. Launched mid-last
year, the bags decompose naturally in 60–180
days and have been certified plastic-free by
the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board
and global certification and testing firm TÜV
SÜD South Asia.
Ashwath, who has patented EnviGreen,
claims the manufacturing process for these
bags is entirely different from that of plastic,
cloth, or paper bags. The company uses 12
ingredients, including potato, tapioca, corn,
natural starch, vegetable oil, banana, and
flower oil.
The ”Unplastic” is even edible and will
cause no harm to animals if ingested. If
placed in a glass of water at normal temper-
ature, an EnviGreen bag dissolves in a day.
And when placed in a glass of boiling water,
it dissolved in just 15 seconds!
The material has a wide variety of mechani-
cal uses that allow it to replace standard plas-
tic components. It dissipates electricity, is
antistatic in nature and acts as a good oxygen
By Disha Padmanabha
barrier. This means that it can be utilised in
wrapping of electronics, is dust-repellant and
can help in corrosion prevention. The mate-
rial also provides good resistance to oil and
grease.
“When Mangalore City Corporation imple-
mented a similar ban in 2012, I took that as
an opportunity to delve into an eco-friendly
substitute for this,” says Hegde. “Conse-
quently, the product that we have here is a
culmination of four years of extensive re-
search and experiment conducted by a team
of scientists and environmentalists from
across the world,” he adds.
“These bags degrade naturally when dis-
carded and cause no harm to animals if they
consume it. They might pass off as plastic
bags to the uninitiated, but are completely
non-toxic to the environment.”
Ashwath has now set up a factory in Ban-
galore that produces 1,000 metric tonnes of
bags every month.
“We had this unique idea of empowering
farmers in rural Karnataka by sourcing all
our raw materials from them. We are also
planning to distribute seeds to help them
produce the amount of materials required to
make the bags,” he says.
Currently, the company has not started full-
fledged sales in India, but the bags are al-
Ashwath Hegde, founder, EnviGreen Bangalore
ready available in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

PuLMo: An Artificial
Lung in Development for
Safe Drug Testing
The human body on a microchip may be
the future of biomedicine. Scientists all over
have already begun to develop micro-scale
models of organs such as the heart, lungs, and
liver. The aim is to replace testing on animals
and improve the accuracy of the models. One
of such researches involves a team of scien-
tists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
who have developed a tissue-engineered ar-
tificial lung called PuLMo, for Pulmonary
Lung Model that simulates the response of
the human lung to drugs, toxins, particles and
other agents.
lungs and kidneys into surrogate human or-
gan systems.
The agency supports this work to help de-
velop countermeasures to chemical or bi-
ological warfare threats. In the early devel-
opment phases, those countermeasures can’t
ethically be tested on human populations.
So these surrogate organs, which mimic
the function and response of actual human
organs, address a crucial problem: accurate- By Disha Padmanabha
ly predicting how humans will respond to a
drug or toxin. For decades now, drug trials Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory are developing a miniature, tissue-engineered artificial lung that mimics the response of the human lung
to drugs, toxins and other agents. Nicknamed “PuLMo” for Pulmonary Lung Model, the device consists of two major parts, the bronchiolar unit and
have relied on animals. Some drugs have the alveolar unit — just like the human lung.

The marriage of microsystems technology
with life sciences is described as a revolu-
tion in the field of biomedicine. It is a rapidly
growing area, offering new tools and more
accurate models as we try to understand the
body’s various organs. Ultimately, it may
lead to new and better therapies for a wide
variety of diseases.
Under the ATHENA research program, the
Defense Threat Reduction Agency within the
U.S. Department of Defense has funded work
integrating miniature artificial hearts, livers,
passed animal trials only to fail — sometimes
fatally — in human trials. A new lung mod-
el will allow researchers to observe a drug’s
effects without endangering human subjects.
PuLMo consists of a bronchiolar unit and
an alveolar unit. They work the way a lung
is supposed to work — PuLMo breathes. A
microfluid circuit board manages the flow of
fluids and air through each plastic unit. When
cells are placed in PuLMo and fed the proper
environment, they flourish as they would in
the body.
And owing to the artificial organ’s flex-
ibility in accommodating a variety of cell
types and tissues, PuLMo can can test a wide
range of conditions just by tweaking the var-
iables, such as tissue and cell types, a drug,
or a pathogen, one at a time. Since it can be
configured to suit the experiment, research-
ers decide which cells they want to study in
mixed populations, an approach that’s faith-
ful to how the human body works but dif-
ficult when cultures are isolated in a Petri
dish. Every tissue in the body has multiple
cell types, and they all provide nutrients and
signals to each other. PuLMo replicates those
conditions.
Combined with PuLMo’s exciting and
far-reaching potential to raise the reliability
of drug-toxicity assessments and predicting
how new pharmaceuticals will perform in
humans, PuLMo has the potential to save
time, money, and — most crucially — lives,
whether they are soldiers or citizens.

2
Vol. 01 NO 6
RESEARCHERS DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE
ANIMAL MODEL FOR ZIKA
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an infectious RNA flavivirus primarily transmitted to humans by the bites of Aedes spp. Mosquitoes. An outbreak of ZIKV began in Brazil in early 2015 and has since spread throughout South America, Central
America, and the Caribbean, with autochthonous cases now being reported in the United States (Miami, Florida, and Texas).
The rapid emergence of ZIKV in the West-
ern Hemisphere is of particular concern given
the proven association of viral infection with
devastating fetal outcomes in pregnant wom-
en, including miscarriage and microcephaly.
Although the primary mode of ZIKV trans-
mission is via mosquito bite, it has also been
shown that the virus has the capacity for sex-
ual transmission and transmission through
blood transfusions from an infected donor
has also been reported.
To date, there have been several published
mouse models of ZIKV infection; however,
these have focused on studying ZIKV-associ-
ated complications in pregnant females such
as fetal microcephaly and have required the
use of immunodeficient animals.
Scientists believe a viable non-human pri-
mate (NHP) model may thus better reflect the
biology and pathogenesis of ZIKV in acute
human infections. Investigations with NHP
can also enable serial sampling and analyses
of body fluids (e.g. urine, saliva, feces, and
semen) that are impractical with rodent mod-
els.
Therefore, investigators at the Texas Bio-
medical Research Institute in San Antonio
have recently developed an alternative an-
imal model that mimics key features of the
Zika virus infection, including its lingering
presence in bodily fluids.
“Given the key similarities to human in-
fections, a marmoset model of Zika may be
YOUR CSIR NET PREP PARTNER
December 26th, 2017.
By Disha Padmanabha
useful for testing of new drug and vaccines,” to a vaccine or drug that can block infection ing various vaccines.
said Texas Biomedical Research Institute vi- during pregnancy.
rologist Jean Patterson, Ph.D. “Having an “We don’t know where it (the Zika virus) will
animal model of Zika infection to study may “That’s a difficult thing because, as you emerge, but we know more cases will show up
help us identify places where we might be know, giving pregnant women any kind of in the United States,” Patterson emphasized.
able to block transmission.” drug is always very risky, so we would have “It’s befuddling the epidemiologists.”
to determine if the risk of giving a drug would
“That size can be an advantage when test- be better than not and that we could find a Scientists around the world are working to
ing experimental vaccines and therapeutics drug that could interfere with the infection,” discover more about how the disease is trans-
that are available in limited quantities,” she said. mitted from pregnant mother to the fetus, in-
explained Suzette Tardif, Ph.D., the Associ- cluding scientists at Texas Biomed, and this
ate Director of Research at the Southwest The research team is optimistic about their new model could prove to be invaluable in
National Primate Research Center at Texas findings and is planning the next steps in test- these studies.
Biomed.
Researchers hope to use what they learn
from these monkeys to identify locations
where they could effectively block trans-
mission of Zika. Marmosets in the past have
proven highly susceptible to other problemat-
ic, human-hitting viruses, such as Ebola and
Lassa. Given that Zika has also been found
in the saliva of these animals in the wild, in-
stitute virologist Jean Patterson has theorized
that left alone, they could even potentially
add an endemic nature to the virus in certain
nations.
The next step after infecting male marmo-
sets with the virus is to infect pregnant fe-
males to “help us identify where in a preg-
nancy you’re more likely to have difficulties
and more likely to have difficulties to the fe-
tus,” Patterson said.
Infecting pregnant marmosets could lead
3
December 26th, 2017.
Handheld Wound
Intelligence Device Helps
Visualise Bacteria at Area
of Infection
Although the definition of wound infection
is restricted to those arising from a surgical
incision, a broader and more general defini-
tion would be an infection of a wound caused
by physical injury of the skin as a result of
penetrating trauma from plants, animals,
guns, knives or other objects. Wounds break
the continuity of the skin and allow organ-
isms to gain access to tissues and cause in-
fection.
Whether you are recovering from surgery or
injury, it is important to keep an eye out for
a possible wound infection. The risks of in-
fection are increased by certain chronic con-
ditions, medications, psychosocial factors,
and poor wound care hygiene practices. Even
when you take all of the right steps to prevent
an infection, factors beyond your control may
cause one to develop. Microorganisms may
infiltrate the wound, multiply, and damage
your skin’s tissues, which causes systemic
illness and delays the healing process.
Early recognition, therefore, along with
prompt, appropriate and effective interven-
tion are most important in order to reduce
wound infections’ economic and health con-
sequences, especially in the context of grow-
ing resistance to antibiotics. However, tra-
ditionally, wound infection is diagnosed by
MIT Engineers Create
Autoluminescent Plants,
Hope it Can Replace
Electrical Lighting Soon
Harnessing bioluminescence to light the
night sans electricity isn’t a new concept,
but tinkering with Mother Nature’s genes has
never been easy- that is, until now. That’s
why you could soon find yourself reading
a bedtime book by the soft green light of a
glow-in-the-dark plant.
MIT engineers have taken a critical first
step toward making this a reality by embed-
ding specialized nanoparticles into the leaves
of a watercress plant; they induced the plants
to give off dim light for nearly four hours.
They believe that, with further optimization,
such plants will one day be bright enough to
illuminate a workspace.
The work comes from the same “plant nano-
bionics” team that recently designed explo-
sive-detecting spinach and leaf sensors that
can alert farmers at the first sign of thirsty
crops. In this case, the researchers wanted to
tackle lighting, which accounts for about 20
percent of energy consumption worldwide.
“The vision is to make a plant that will func-
tion as a desk lamp — a lamp that you don’t
have to plug in. The light is ultimately pow-
ered by the energy metabolism of the plant
itself,” says Michael Strano, the Carbon P.
4
visual inspection and microbiological sam-
pling, which are subjective and suboptimal,
delaying diagnosis and treatment.
The Toronto-based startup MolecuLight
is determined to fight wound infections and
accelerate healing. They have developed an
optical imaging platform to instantly detect,
visualize and analyze different biomarkers
of interest in wounds, including bacteria and
collagen.
The device, MolecuLight i:X is used in
a darkened room while it illuminates the
wound using its special blacklight, while
other images can be acquired with the room
lights on. The device can then help generate
outlines of the wound and provide automatic
area measurements. Additionally, it can help
guide where to swab the wound to best sam-
ple it for bacteria.
No contrasting agents are necessary, nor is
any physical contact with the wound itself.
Research has suggested the technology is
effective. In fact, a study to measure wound
area and evaluate the rate of wound closure
in patients with lower-extremity chronic
wounds was conducted at a treatment center
in Toronto. The study showed impressive re-
sults, with wound healing estimated to be 9
Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at
MIT and the senior author of the study.
Researchers infused kale, watercress, argu-
la and spinach with luciferase — the enzyme
that makes fireflies glow. Then they dunked
the plants in a solution containing more lucif-
erase and luciferin — the molecule that re-
acts with luciferase to spark the light — and
applied pressure. The pressure allowed the
chemical mixture to sink into the plants’ tiny
pores, where the luciferase and luciferin in-
teracted to give the leafy green its glow.
The team made the plants glow for about 45
minutes in the first experiments. But by the
time of the paper’s publishing, they reported
greens that can glow for up to three and a half
hours.
The watercress had an especially strong
reaction to the chemical formula, producing
brightness comparable to half of a one-mi-
crowatt LED light.
Luciferase is an enzyme composed of amino
acids like any other protein, and it doesn’t ac-
tually produce any light. It oxidizes the lucif-
erin molecules, causing them to produce light
as they decay back to their ground state. The
co-enzyme A in the nanoparticles is there to
times faster using the MolecuLight i:X com-
pared to standard of care, and an 89% cost
saving.
Importantly, the device objectively deter-
mines the presence or severity of bacteria
in wounds, enabling early interventions to
promote wound healing while decreasing
wound care costs. It could play a major role
clear out reactant byproducts that can inhibit
the interaction of luciferase and luciferin.
After packaging up the nanoparticles, the
specimens when submerged and subjected to
high pressure causes the nanoparticles to dif-
fuse into the plants. Over time, the nanopar-
ticles release molecules into the plant where
they are taken up by the cells. Once inside the
cells, luciferase and luciferin do what they’d
do anywhere else — they glow.
Previous efforts to produce light-emitting
plants have relied upon expensive and com-
plicated genetic engineering. Having plants
create their own luciferase is better for long-
term functionality, but the light produced by
such processes is extremely dim and it’ll only
work for select plants with well-understood
genomes. The nanobionics approach yields
brighter light, and it’s simple to do.
The researchers believe they can extend
the time as well as increase the brightness
in future. It’ll have to get about 1,000 times
brighter to allow you to comfortably read a
book by plant light. The goal is to make the
plants bright enough to illuminate a room
Vol. 01 NO 6
By Disha Padmanabha
in the ongoing fight against chronic wounds
and wound infections, significantly improv-
ing health outcomes for millions around the
world.
The MolecuLight i:X is currently ap-
proved for use in Canada and the Europe-
an Union, but not in the US.
By Disha Padmanabha
with nanoparticles that last the lifetime of the
plant.
“Our target is to perform one treatment
when the plant is a seedling or a mature
plant, and have it last for the lifetime of the
plant,” Strano says. “Our work very serious-
ly opens up the doorway to streetlamps that
are nothing but treated trees, and to indirect
lighting around homes.”
“Plants can self-repair, they have their own
energy, and they are already adapted to the
outdoor environment. We think this is an idea
whose time has come. It’s a perfect problem
for plant nanobionics.” Strano said.
Another feature the researchers have al-
ready demonstrated is turning the light off
by introducing a fourth molecule. This could
eventually create plants that can shut off their
light in response to an outside stimulus like
sunlight, researchers say.
Vol. 01 NO 6
Microscope-Based AI
Could Alleviate Shortage
of Clinical Microbiologists
According to a report from the American
College of Microbiology, the current short-
age of qualified clinical microbiology labora-
tory workers will worsen in the coming years
due to the aging of the present workforce and
the alarming shortfall of replacement work-
ers enrolled in college training programs and
technical schools. And this shortage directly
impacts the ability of clinical microbiology
labs to diagnose and help manage infectious
diseases.
Therefore, microbiologists at Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have
now developed an automated AI-enhanced
microscope system that is “highly adept” at
identifying images of bacteria quickly and
accurately.
The microscope is designed to collect
high-resolution image data from microscop-
ic slides- in this case, blood samples taken
from patients with suspected bloodstream
infections were incubated to increase bacte-
rial numbers. Then, slides were prepared by
placing a drop of blood on a glass slide and
stained with dye to make the bacterial cell
structures more visible.
In order to train this AI model, the scientists
fed their unschooled neural network more
than 25,000 images from blood samples pre-
BIOTECH’S NEXT BIG (BLUE) PLATFORM:
STARTUP SECURES $13M FOR TECH USING
ALGAE TO MAKE BIOLOGICS
Used first as a high-protein, high-vitamin,
antioxidant nutritional supplement, Spirulina
extract sales soared after its 2014 FDA ap-
proval for use as a food color additive. The
blue-green algae has been widely grown but
no one has been able to engineer it till date;
now, a biotech start-up in Seattle has chal-
lenged the norms and is now working on its
Spirulina platform that uses the algae’s nat-
ural, photosynthesis-driven processes to pro-
duce various materials, including pigments
and biologics.
The company announced early last week
that it has raised $13 million in funding to
support that work, and also announced its
first product, a “natural” blue colorant that it
plans to launch in early 2018.
The new funds include $11.2 million in ven-
ture funding raised from Avista Development
Corporation, BioEconomy Capital, and Seat-
tle-area biotech investors, along with a $1.8
million grant Lumen received from the De-
partment of Energy earlier this year.
Lumen was co-founded by former Adaptive
Biotechnologies executive Brian Finrow and
Jim Roberts, who previously directed Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Center’s Basic Sciences
Division. The pair believes they have found
the first method to engineer spirulina to be
used to create drugs. It is the first time the
company has raised funds since it was found-
ed in April of this year.
December 26th, 2017.
pared during routine clinical workups. “Like
a child, the system needed training,” said Kir-
by. “Learning to recognize bacteria required
a lot of practice, making mistakes and learn-
ing from those errors.”
By cropping these images – in which the By Disha Padmanabha
bacteria had already been identified by hu-
“This marks the first demonstration of machine learning in the diagnostic area,” said senior author James Kirby,
man clinical microbiologists – the research- MD, Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Pathology at
ers generated more than 100,000 training im- Harvard Medical School. “With further development, we believe this technology could form the basis of a future
ages. The machine intelligence learned how diagnostic platform that augments the capabilities of clinical laboratories, ultimately speeding the delivery of
patient care.”
to sort the images into the three categories
of bacteria (rod-shaped, round clusters, and
by and colleagues suggest the AI-enhanced classification system in the future.
round chains or pairs), ultimately achieving
platform could be used as fully automated
nearly 95 percent accuracy.
Next, the team challenged the algorithm
to sort new images from 189 slides without
human intervention. Overall, the algorithm
achieved more than 93 percent accuracy in
all three categories.
What’s more, these images can be sent re-
motely, bringing the highest level expertise
anywhere the internet reaches. That’s crit-
ical, as rapid identification and delivery of
antibiotic medications is the key to treating
bloodstream infections, which can kill up to
40 percent of patients who develop them.
With further development and training, Kir-
The blue colorant is manufactured using
Spirulina, a bright green algae that was re-
cently approved by the FDA to use in sup-
plements and the manufacturing of food and
cosmetics. That makes the colorant “natural”
by industry standards, as opposed to a pig-
ment made from inorganic materials in a lab.
“For years, demand has grown for natural
alternatives to food and cosmetics with arti-
ficial colors made from petroleum and coal
tar, which many believe to be unhealthy,”
Finrow said. “But high cost and variable
quality have held back natural colors from
being widely adopted. The color blue has
been a particularly tough challenge, because
few plants make it in harvestable quantities. By Disha Padmanabha
Lumen’s platform can lower cost, increase
production and quality control, and unleash Jim Roberts, left, and Brian Finrow started Lumen Bioscience to make medical drugs using spirulina algae.
Spirulina extract’s enormous market poten-
tial with consumers.” food and cosmetics industries,” said Brian vaccine that can be stored at higher tempera-
Finrow, Lumen’s CEO and co-founder. tures than those currently available, making it
Lumen’s improved strains produce more easier to transport in warm climates.
pigment at higher purity but at a fraction of “Together with the federal grant we re-
the cost of traditional methods, and without ceived over the summer, these funds will al- Eventually, Lumen plans to license its spir-
introducing foreign gene pathways from oth- low our research team to build out the com- ulina technology to other companies that
er species. More stable versions and a palette plete set of microbiology tools and methods want to use the algae to create drugs.
of additional colors are also in the pipeline, needed to unlock our platform’s vast commer-
the company said. cial potential. Lumen is poised to have a big
impact on the $1.5 billion market for natural
“We are excited to announce our series A fi- colorants, and that’s only a small piece of the
nancing, which will fully fund the commercial larger opportunity we and our collaborators
launch of our first product, a natural blue expect to access with this new technology.”
colorant for high-purity applications in the The startup is already working on a malaria
5
December 26th, 2017. Vol. 01 NO 6

Study Reveals Build-up of

Urea in Brain to be Major
Cause of Dementia
As people age, the risk of dementia increas-
es; in particular though, dementia is not a
specific disease- it’s a general term for a de-
cline in mental ability that can be caused by
many different brain diseases.
Typical symptoms of dementia include
memory loss, difficulty in communication,
concentration, and reasoning, and visual per-
ceptual decline. People with dementia may
forget their family members and are often
unable to perform daily activities.
Now, an international team of scientists
have discovered a major cause of dementia.
Professor Garth Cooper from The Universi-
ty of Manchester, who led the team, says the
build-up of urea in the brain to toxic levels
can cause brain damage – and eventually de-
mentia.
The team used both human brains, donated
by families for medical research and those
of genetically modified sheep to investigate
whether Huntington’s disease(HD) is directly
linked to brain urea levels. This builds upon
earlier research into Alzheimer’s disease and
urea published last year.
The 2016 study by Cooper and his team
continued the earlier work they did to identi-
fy metabolic linkages between Huntington’s,
other neurodegenerative diseases and type-2
diabetes.
This latest study by Dr. Cooper’s team
shows that the accumulation of urea in the
brain is an early pathogenic event in HD.
Increased brain urea levels can cause brain
damage and dementia. Therefore, brain urea
metabolism may be a therapeutic target for
HD. The study is conducted in collabora-
tion with researchers from the University of
Auckland, AgResearch Ltd., South Australi-
an Research and Development Institute, and
Massachusetts General Hospital.
According to Professor Cooper, “This study
on Huntington’s Disease is the final piece of
the jigsaw which leads us to conclude that
high brain urea plays a pivotal role in de-
mentia. Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s are at
opposite ends of the dementia spectrum – so
if this holds true for these types, then I believe
it is highly likely it will hold true for all the
major age-related dementias.”
They detected increased urea in these sam-
ples. This added to the growing body of ev-
idence that increased brain urea levels are
associated with HD. Urea is a product of the
breakdown of retired amino acids and is nor-
mally excreted in the urine. The accumulation
of urea in the body is known to be harmful.
The researchers believed that “aberrant urea
metabolism could be the primary biochemi-
cal disruption initiating neuropathogenesis in
HD.”
Professor Cooper notes, there is more re-
search necessary “to discover the source of
the elevated urea in Huntington’s Disease,
By Disha Padmanabha
particularly concerning the potential involve- shown that treating this metabolic state in the
ment of ammonia and a systemic metabolic brain may help in the regeneration of tissue,
defect.” thus giving a tantalizing hint that reversal of
Further, he notes: “This could have pro- dementia may one day be possible.”
found implications for our fundamental
understanding of the molecular basis of de-
mentia, and its treatability, including the
potential use of therapies already in use for
disorders with systemic urea phenotypes.”
“We already know Huntington’s Disease
is an illness caused by a faulty gene in our
DNA – but until now we didn’t understand
how that causes brain damage – so we feel
this is an important milestone.”
He added: “Doctors already use medicines
to tackle high levels of ammonia in other
parts of the body Lactulose – a commonly
used laxative, for example, traps ammonia
in the gut. So it is conceivable that one day,
a commonly used drug may be able to stop
dementia from progressing. It might even be

National Banana Festival

is coming to Kerala!
Banana is the one of the oldest fruits known
to mankind and is one of the most widely
consumed fruits in the world. Availability,
affordability, varietal range, taste, nutritive
and medicinal value make it the favourite
fruit among all classes of people. Our coun-
try stands first in banana production in the
world. In fact, bananas we have today are the
products of thousands of years of careful se-
lection for specific traits by our farmers. This
precious diversity has to be protected in the
contest of dominating market driven mono
cultures.
And in order to do so, the Centre for Innova-
tion in Science and Social action (CISSA) in
partnership with Kalliyoor Grama Panchayat
and a host of National and State organisations
are organising the National Banana Festival
2018 at Kalliyoor, Thiruvananthapuram, Ker-
ala from February 17 to 21.
The National Banana Festival 2018 will
also look to illustrate how research can help
in using banana diversity to increase options
for both small-scale farmers and consumers.
According to Dr C S Ravindran, Secretary
General, NBF 2018, “the focal theme of the
National Banana Festival 2018 would be
Conserving Diversity, Preserving Identity,
and Promoting Value Addition. The five-day
festival, being planned as an educational
and enjoyable event, will include a National
Seminar, Exhibition, Training Programmes,
Farmers’ Meet and a host of other activities.
Participants will be able to engage in the
building of networking and productive col-
laborations, apart from updating themselves
with the latest knowledge and trends in the
banana sector.”
Dr C Suresh Kumar, General Secretary,
CISSA, added that, “the festival will also play
host to a Buyer-Seller Meet, Training Pro-
grammes, Documentary Shows, Photography
Contest, Cultural Programmes, and various
competitions. Banana is the one of the old-
est fruits known to mankind and is one of the
most widely consumed fruits in the world.
Availability, affordability, a varietal range,
taste, nutritive and medicinal value make it
the favourite fruit among all classes of peo-
ple. India stands first in banana production
in the world.”
The main objectives of the National Banana
festival is to Create awareness on the local
biodiversity conservation; Promote entrepre-
neurship for doubling farmers income; Cre-
By Disha Padmanabha
ate awareness on the nutritional and health
benefits of bananas; Promote utilization of
under-utilized parts of banana -peels, leaves, A National Seminar that will be part of the
pseudostem, stalk and inflorescence for food festival would host paper presentations from
and non-food products; Augment the supply experts from across the country. Further,
chain and value addition linkages; and Pro- there will also be special pavilions on Ba-
mote organic farming, precision farming, ef- nana diversity of Kerala; Banana fibre, and
ficient input management and per drop more the like. A Food Court that will celebrate Ba-
crop. nana Cuisine; and also Student pavilions will
be part of the five day festival.

6
Vol. 01 NO 6 December 26th, 2017.

JOBS
GOVT JOB : DISTRICT MICROBIOLOGIST
POST VACANT @ WEST BENGAL STATE
HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE SAMITI

West Bengal State Health & Family Wel-
fare Samiti Swasthya Bhawan, Wing-‘B’,
3rd Floor GN-29, Sector-V, Bidhannagar
Kolkata – 700091
West Bengal State Health & Family Wel-
fare Samiti intends to engage on contract
basis for the position of District Microbi-
ologist under Integrated Disease Surveil-
lance Programme, Department of Health
and Family Welfare, Government of West
Bengal.
Job Title – District Microbiologist, Dis-
trict Public Health Laboratory under Dis-
trict Hospital/ Medical College Hospital
(IDSP)
No.of.Posts – 4 (UR -1, OBC-A-1,
OBC-B-1 AND ST-1)
Place of Posting: ularly for information/instruction issued from
In the District Hospital/ Medical College time to time. No other correspondence will
Hospital of any District of West Bengal be done from this end.
Age (as on 1.4.2017): Eligible candidates should apply online in
Maximum 40 years. the prescribed format as given in Depart-
ment’s Website from 11 am of 15th Decem-
Remuneration: ber, 2017 to Midnight of 31st December,
Rs. 35,000/- pm 2017, for the mentioned position.
Qualifications: Only online applications will be accepted.
Application forms not properly filled in or
• Essential: incomplete Application forms are liable to
MSc Microbiology be cancelled.
• Desirable Experience: Application fees of Rs.100/- for Gen-
Minimum 6 months experience post essen- eral candidates and Rs. 50 for Reserved
tial qualification. category candidates have to be deposited
through on-line/off-line mode. The amount
How to Apply: is non-refundable (Details of on-line/off-
Applicants are requested to visit www.wb- line mode is given in General Information
health.gov.in at the URL “Recruitment” reg- point no. 7 and 8)
Hard copy/Print copy of on line registration
form (which must be downloaded within the
last date of on-line application) should be
retained by all applicants for document ver-
ification purpose. Without registration form
no candidates will be entertained for original
testimonials verification by the authority.
Important Dates:
i) Last date of Registration : Midnight of
26th December, 2017
ii) Last date of Submission of off-line ap-
plication Fees : 29th December,2017 (upto
banking hours)
iii) Last date of full Submission of form :
Midnight of 31 st December, 2017

GOVT JOB FOR MSC FOR CANDIDATES @

NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL |
PROJECT ASSOCIATE POSTS VACANT

Project Associate Positions for MSc Can-
didates @ National Productivity Council
Applications for Engagement of a Person
as a Project associate for Monitoring and
Evaluation of Medicinal Plants Purely on
Contractual/Project Basis:
Mode of Selection : No TA/DA will be provided for attending Application Deadline – December 29,
the interview/joining, irrespective of selec- 2017(Friday), 17:00 Hrs
Candidates shall be shortlisted on the ba- tion.
sis of qualification and experience. Thereaf-
ter, these shortlisted candidates only shall be
called for Interview.

Name of the Position : Job Description :

Project Associate Conduct monitoring and evaluation of pro-

ject related to medicinal plant conservation
No.of.Positions : (in-situ &ex-situ), JFMC activities, herbal
garden and nursery etc at various location of
02 southern state of India. Preparation of mon-
itoring and evaluation reports and presenta-
Remuneration : tion in within time line etc.

The remuneration shall be Rs. 25000- Period of Contract :

30000- per month (all inclusive). However
for undertaking tour & visits at site/ location
applicable TA/DA or board & lodging ex-
penses shall be provided as per NPC rules.
Qualifications:
The project associate shall be engaged ini-
tially for 12 months duration only. However,
the period may be extended as per require-
ment of project/assignment based on review
of performance.

• Essential – First Division in Masters How to Apply:

Degree in Botany /Horticulture/Agri-
culture/Forestry
• Preferable – PhD
• Preference – Preference will be given
to the candidates willing to undertake
travel extensively in remote forest and
non-forest areas for longer duration
and having work experience in project
monitoring and evaluation in medicinal
plants.
• bajrang.lal@npcindia.gov.in
Interested candidates may apply by submit-
ting their details as per prescribed format at-
tached Annexure A as per the applicability of
the position latest by December 29, 2017(Fri-
day), 17:00 Hrs., addressed to: Director &
Group Head (Agribusiness), National Pro-
ductivity Council, 5-6 Institutional Area, Lo-
dhi Road, New Delhi–110003. The applica-
tion can also be forwarded through email to

7
December 26th, 2017.
The Postgraduate Institute of Medical
Education and Research (PGIMER) is a
premier medical and research institution
in Chandigarh, India. It has educational,
medical research, and training facilities
for its students. The founders of the insti-
tute are Tulsi Das, Santokh Singh Anand,
P N Chuttani, B N Aikat, Sant Ram Dhall
and Bala Krishna.
Applications are invited on plain paper for
below mentioned ICMR funded project en-
titled ” Biomarker analysis and statistical
modeling ……………….. alleles” under Dr.
Akshay Anand, as per details given below:-
Advt. No. NCCS/Project Management
Cell/P09/2017
The National Centre for Cell Science
(NCCS) is an autonomous institution of
Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of
Science & Technology, Government of In-
dia, for a mandate of basic research, teach-
ing & training, and as a national reposito-
ry for cell lines/hybridomas etc.
The centre is located in the midst of aca-
demically enriched environment of Univer-
sity of Pune Campus, Pune. NCCS invites
applications for following posts purely on
temporary basis on the various extramural
projects.
Position I
Name of the Position :
Research Associate
Name of the Project :
“Examine cross-talk between epidermal
and dermal skin cells through in vitro models
in order to regulate hyper pigmentation”
Essential Qualification & Experience :
Ph.D./MD/MS/MDS or equivalent degree
or having 3 years of research, teaching and
design and development experience after
MVSc /M.Pharm /ME/ M.Tech with at least
one research paper in science citation in-
dexed (SCI) journal.
Desirable :
M.sc with at least 10 years experience in
animal cell culture and at least 2 publications
in peer­reviewed. Journal Experience in han-
dling of primary cell cultures is preferred
Monthly Emoluments :
Rs. 40000/­pm
8
Name of the Position :
Senior Research Fellow (SRF)
Qualifications :
Masters in life sciences
Maximum Age :
As per ICMR rules.
Emoluments (SRF) :
As per ICMR rules
Position II
Name of the Position :
Research Associate
Name of the Project :
“Structural and functional role of nuclear
envelope in HIV Infections”
Essential Qualification & Experience :
Ph.D./MD/MS/MDS or equivalent degree
or having 3 years of research, teaching and
design and development experjence after
MVSc /M.Pharm /ME/ M.Tech with at least
one research paper in science citation in-
dexed (SCI) journal.
Desirable :
Experience in protein expression purifica-
tion and protein – protein interactions.
Monthly Emoluments :
Rs. 36,000/­pm + 30% HRA
Position III
Name of the Position :
Senior Research Fellow
Name of the Project :
“Developing bank of human induced pluri-
potent stem cells for drug screening. Disease
modelling and understanding disease biolo-
gy. ”
Essential Qualification & Experience :
M.Sc. in any branch of life science with mini-
mum of 55% marks and two years of post-M.
Sc. research experience. Candidate should
have qualified NET/GATE/LS /BET exam.
Desirable :
One publication in SCI journal and have at
least 2 years of post-M.Sc. research experi-
ence. Experience in handling of animal cell
culture and stem cells Preferred.
Monthly Emoluments :
Rs. 28,000/­pm + 20% HRA
MSC LIFE SCIENCES FRESHERS JOB @
PGIMER | JRF POST VACANT
How to Apply:
Interested candidates fulfilling the above
conditions are required to submit their com-
plete bio-data duly signed and enclosing there
with photocopies of certificates/testimoni-
als on or before by 26/12/2017 at 5:00pm
in Room no.3012, Neuroscience Research
Lab, 3rd floor Research Block -8, PGIMER,
Chandigarh. The candidates should appear
for personal interview along with original
certificates on 28/12/2017 at 11:00am in
the Room no.3012, Neuroscience Research
Lab, 3rd floor Research Block -B, PGIMER,
Chandigarh. No interview letters will be sent
No TA/DA will be paid.
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE & SRF POSITIONS
@ NCCS |
LIFE SCIENCES CANDIDATES APPLY
Position IV
Name of the Position :
Senior Research Fellow
Name of the Project :
“JC BOSE Fellowship / “Understanding of
Cancer Cell Metastasis & Epigenetics””
Essential Qualification & Experience :
M.Sc. with at least 55% marks and one pub-
lication in SCI journal and at least 2 years of
post-M.Sc . research experience. Candidate
should have qualified NET /GATE/LS /BET
exam.
Desirable :
One publication in SCI journal and have at
least 2 years of post-M.Sc. research experi-
ence. Experience in handling of animal cell
culture and stem cells Preferred.
Monthly Emoluments :
Rs. 28,000/­pm + 30% HRA
Application Instructions:
• Applications in the prescribed format
duly filled in along with attested copies
of all relevant certificates showing date
of birth, educational qualifications,
work experience, details of the exam
passed (Secondary School Certificate
onwards), caste certificate, if any and
other relevant documents should reach
“The Director, National Centre For
Cell Science (NCCS), S. P. Pune Uni-
versity Campus, Post: Ganeshkhind,
Pune – 411 007, Maharashtra, India on
or before 10.01.2018.
• List of shortlisted candidates called for
interview, date and time of interview
& other relevant information will be
published on our institute website on or
before 30.01.2018.
• The interviews are scheduled on 20-21
February, 2018.
• Applications received after the due
Vol. 01 NO 6
Preliminary inquiries can be made at
akshay2anand@gmail.com.
Walk-In Details:
Application Deadline – on or before by
26/12/2017 at 5:00 pm
Date of Interview – 28/12/2017
Time of Interview – 11:00 am
Venue of Interview – Room no.3012,
Neuroscience Research Lab, 3rd floor Re-
search Block -B, PGIMER, Chandigarh.
date/due to postal delay and/or without
the copies of the required certificates/
documents will not be considered. Ap-
plications which are incomplete and/
or not in the prescribed format will be
strictly rejected.
• The Director, NCCS reserves the right
to enhance/reduce the number of posts
and also cancel the recruitment process.
• Additional percentage and experi-
ence cut-off will be applied during the
screening process, if required.
• SC/ST /OBC candidates must produce
proof of their caste certificate from ap-
propriate authority. In addition, OBC
candidates must also produce latest/
valid non-creamy layer certificate in
the prescribed form for claiming the
reservation benefits.
• The prescribed educational qualifica-
tions and experience are the bare min-
imum and mere possession of same
does not entitle candidates to be called
for interview. The Centre reserves the
right to call for interview only those
candidates who in its opinion are like-
ly to be suitable. Where number of
applications received in response to
this advertisement is large, it will not
be convenient or possible to interview
all the candidates. Based on the recom-
mendations of screening committee,
the project investigator may restrict the
number of candidates to be called for
the interview to a reasonable limit after
taking into consideration of qualifica-
tions and experience over and above
the minimum prescribed in the adver-
tisement. Therefore, it will be in the in-
terest of the candidates, to mention all
the qualifications and experience in the
relevant field at the time of applying.
No interim enquiries/correspondence/
communication of any sort .. will be
entertained on this matter .
• For Research Associate positions, those
Next Page>>>>
Vol. 01 NO 6
who have submitted PhD thesis may
also apply. Candidates who are yet to
be awarded the PhD degree, if selected,
will be paid Rs 30,000/- till the award
of the degree
• 5% Marks relaxation will be given to
SC/ST /OBC candidates i.e. minimum
of SO% marks.
• The above advertised positions are
filled up purely on temporary basis for
the limited time period on the extra-
mural projects funded by DBT /DST
/CSIR/ICMR/SERB/Wellcome Trust­
DBT /Government and private organi-
zations. The position will automatically
co-terminus on the completion of the
project tenure. The appointed person
Established in 1889, the Indian Veteri-
nary Research Institute (IVRI) is one of the
premier research institutions dedicated to
livestock research and development of the
region. The institute with faculty strength
of more than 275 has a major mandate of re-
search, teaching, consultancy and technology
transfer activities. The institute with its long
scientific heritage has always enjoyed a cer-
tain prestige, a tradition all of its own. The
institute imparts quality post-graduate educa-
tion to students not only from various parts of
the country, but also from overseas.
Job Title – Research Associate
No.of.Posts – 1
Age:
Maximum 40 years for male candidates and
45 years for female candidates as on date of
interview. Relaxation for SC/ST/OBC as per
rules.
WWF-India is looking for a dynamic and
motivated individual to contribute to and
deliver on WWF-India’s Climate Change
and Energy agenda, which focuses on pro-
moting renewable energy and overall low
carbon development strategies, climate
policy, climate innovation, climate change
and cities, and impacts of climate change
on ecosystems and species. The incum-
bent is expected to have ability to mul-
ti-task and display strong result-oriented
approach.
Job Title :
Senior Programme Officer – Climate
Change & Energy
Location :
New Delhi
shall have no claim of appointment/
absorption in funding agency or in
NCCS, Pune.
• For Research Associate/PDF positions,
Candidates must mention title of the
thesis, list of publications with full
reference in the prescribed application
form.
• Age & Experience will be relaxed in
exceptional cases by the Competent
Authority.
• Fellowship/Emoluments for RA/SRF/
JRF: Emoluments to the research per-
sonnel engaged under project will
be made in accordance with the DST
O.M. No, SR/S9/Z-09 /2012 dated
21.10.2014 or depending on the respec-
Emoluments :
Rs. 40,000.00 PM plus HRA admissible as
per ICAR guidelines (For PhD degree hold-
ers)
OR
Rs. 38,000.00 PM plus HRA admissible as
per ICAR guidelines (For Masters degree
holders)
Qualifications:
Essential :
• PhD degree in any discipline of Vet-
erinary Science / Biotechnology/ Mo-
lecularBiology/ Biochemistry / Mi-
crobiology / Bacteriology / Virology /
Immunology/Life Science OR
• Masters degree in the discipline of Bi-
otechnology / Molecular Biology /Bio-
chemistry / Microbiology / Veterinary
Science / Immunology with 4 years /5
Years of Bachelor Degree having 1st
Division (60% marks or equivalentOG-
The Job Profile:
• Develop, and contribute to research
activities related to climate change and
energy such as scaling up of renewa-
ble energy, low carbon development,
climate innovation, climate finance,
climate change impacts on biodiversi-
ty, etc
• Developing policy/advocacy strate-
gies related to renewable energy and
climate change issues at the state and
national level
• Contribute to field projects/activities
on renewable energy promotion and
improved energy access, and assist in
scaling up of field initiatives
• Organizing workshops/meetings, pre-
paring background documents and
other relevant documents for wider dis-
semination and outreach.
• Responsible for meeting technical and
tive project sanctioned orders issued by
funding agency.
• Age limit will be considered as on clos-
ing date of receipt of application. Age
relaxation of 5 years in case of SC/ST
/Women/PH candidates and 3 years in
case of OBC candidates will be given
as per Government of India rules. Res-
ervation as per Govt. of India norms.
will be followed.
• No TA/DA will be admissible for at-
tending the interview.
• Canvassing in any form and/or bring-
ing in any influence will be treated as
disqualification for the post.
• The posts advertised shall be need
based without any commitment for its
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE POST FOR
PHD CANDIDATES @ IVRI
PA) with atleast two years of research
experience as evidenced fromfellow-
ship / Associateship / Trainings or other
engagements.
• Desirable – Experience of handling bi-
oanalytical or Biochemical techniques
/ MolecularBiology tools / Immuno-
logical techniques / Peptide synthesis.
Working experience of handling labo-
ratory animals will be an added advan-
tage. Published research paper will be
desirable
Application Instructions:
Eligible candidates may send an advanced
application along with CV including per-
manent address, email and contact number,
colored passport size photo and copy of other
relevant documents (certificates, publications
etc), to Dr. Sameer Shrivastava, Senior Sci-
entist & Principal Investigator, NASF Pro-
ject, Division of Veterinary Biotechnology,
ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Insti-
tute, Izatnagar, 243 122 [UP], Email Id:
PROGRAMME OFFICER POST @ WWF |
WORK IN CLIMATE CHANGE & ENERGY
financial reporting requirements for
projects, as well as contribute to pro-
ject related activities ongoing in the
CCE division.
Qualifications, Experience and compe-
tencies required:
• Master’s Degree in Climate Science/
Environmental Science/ Energy / Natu-
ral Sciences or related disciplines, from
a recognized university,
OR
• M. Tech. in Environment Engineering/
Energy/climate change or related disci-
plines, from a recognized university.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in
the area of Climate Change and Ener-
gy (candidateswith lesser experience
could be considered for the position of
Programme Officer).
December 26th, 2017.
filling.
• Selected candidates will have to join
duty immediately on receipt of the of-
fer of appointment.
• Please bring an the original certifi-
cates showing date of birth, quali-
fication, statement of marks of the
exam passed, degree certificates, cer-
tificate of past experience, certificate
in support of present employment,
salary certificate & other relevant
documents along with a set of attest-
ed copies at the time of interview.
• Lower positions will be offered, if can-
didates are not found suitable for the
above advertised positions.
sameer_vet@rediffmail.com and attend
the walk-in-interview along with all orig-
inal documents to verify the details.
No TA/DA will be provided for attending
the interview. The engagement is purely on
temporary/contractual basis, co-terminus
with the project or earlier, depending upon
performance of the candidate. The services of
person so engaged will automatically stand
terminated with termination of the project
and the Institute will hold no responsibility
for payment of emoluments / regular em-
ployment after termination of the time bound
project.
Walk-In Details:
Date of Interview – 8th January, 2018
Time of Interview – 11:00 A.M.
Venue of Interview – Division of Veterinary
Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Re-
search Institute, Izatnagar, 243 122 [UP]
• Knowledge and proven experience of
proposal and technical report writing
shall be an added advantage.
• Experience of working with stakehold-
ers in the Govt. and industry.
Desired Skills and Abilities:
• Strong research and analytical skills
• Good communication, project execu-
tion & planning skills
• Excellent inter-personal and team skills
and ability to work in a multi-cultural
environment.
• Ability to multi-task and display strong
result-oriented approach
Apply Via Email to: recruitments@ww-
findia.net
Next Page>>>>
9
December 26th, 2017.
Submission Details :
Please submit an up-to-date CV (mention-
ing your full name in the resume attachment),
giving details regarding compensation re-
ceived in the present assignment, expected
salary, and three references.
The Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra
Dun invites application for Walk-in-inter-
view for engaging 04 Project Biologists for
the project entitled “Preparation of Wild-
life
Conservation Plan for the Impact Zone
of Etalin HEP, Dibang Valley District,
Arunachal Pradesh” purely on contractu-
al basis for a period of 09 months. The EQ,
DQ
and other details of the position is as pro-
vided below:
Name of Position :
Project Biologist
All over the world, Pfizer colleagues work
together to positively impact health for
everyone, everywhere. Our colleagues
have the opportunity to grow and devel-
op a career that offers both individual and
company success; be part of an ownership
culture that values diversity and where all
colleagues are energized and engaged; and
the ability to impact the health and lives of
millions of people. Pfizer, a global leader in
the bio pharmaceutical industry, is continu-
ously seeking top talent who are inspired by
our purpose to innovate to bring therapies
to patients that significantly improve their
lives.
Job Title :
Research Scientist II – Cell-line Develop-
ment
Reference : 2034584
10
Last Date for sending applications: 31st
December, 2017
In order to ensure that your application is
sorted correctly, please mention “Senior Pro-
gramme Officer- Climate Change & Energy”,
in the subject line. The vacancy is open to
Age :
The upper age limit shall be 35 on the last
day of submission of application.
Monthly Emoluments :
Rs. 28000/- per month + admissible allow-
ances
Essential Qualifications :
Masters’ Degree in Life Sciences/ Forestry/
/Environmental Sciences/Biological Scienc-
es/Wildlife Science with a minimum of 55%
aggregate marks from a recognized Univer-
sity plus one year work experience after ob-
taining the master’s degree
Location :
IND – Chennai Biologics
Job Description:
• Expertise in handling of Microbial cul-
tures & Mammalian cell lines.
• Design and execution of Molecular
Biology experiments, PCR, RT-PCR,
Cloning etc.
• Generation of transient and stable
mammalian cell lines and cell line en-
gineering.
• Literature searches, design of molecu-
lar & cellular laboratory experiments,
execution, data interpretation, compila-
tion, preparation and review of reports.
• Co-ordinate Cell Banks preparation &
cell-line inventory maintenance.
• Supervision of qualification procedures
and preparation of SOPs.
• Planning and implementation of gener-
Indian Nationals only. Applications of only
short listed candidates will be acknowledged.
WWF-India is an equal opportunities em-
ployer. Applications from qualified women
are encouraged.
Remuneration will be competitive with In-
dian NGO pay scales and will depend upon
GOVT JOBS @ WII – WILDLIFE INSTITUTE
OF INDIA | PROJECT BIOLOGIST POSTS
FOR MSC
Desirable Qualifications :
Experience in conducting surveys relating
to various taxonomic groups (Mammals,
Birds, Aquatic fauna, Herpetofauna, Ento-
mofauna, Vegetation)
Scope of Work :
Assist the project team in field data collec-
tion and preparing the wildlife conservation
plan for the Impact Zone of Etalin HEP
How to Apply:
• The candidate should report by 0930
hrs for scrutiny of documents on 29th
RESEARCH SCIENTIST – CELL LINE
DEVELOPMENT POST VACANT @ PFIZER
al good laboratory practices and adhere
to site compliance procedures.
• Collaborate independently with min-
imal supervision across functions and
across geographies.
• Train and mentor junior research staff
on various Molecular Biology and cell
biology related-research activities.
• Assisting senior research staff in organ-
izing and harmonizing lab activities.
Skills:
• Demonstrated ability to steer molec-
ular biology and cell biology related
projects.
• Prior experience in Cell Line Devel-
opment for Biologics/Biosimilars is
desirable.
• Good understanding of protein expres-
sion and secretion in mammalian and
microbial expression systems is a must.
• Good understanding of analytical
Vol. 01 NO 6
candidate’s experience levels and the overall
WWF-India salary structure. WWF-India
does not provide housing, telephone or vehi-
cle facilities.
December, 2017.
• Candidates should bring the duly
filled-in application with attested true
copies of testimonials of educational
qualifications along with certificate of
extracurricular activities; date of birth,
mark sheets of all examinations etc. All
original documents/certificates must be
produced at the time of registration for
necessary verification.
• No TA/DA will be paid for attending
the interview.
• The application form can be download-
ed from the Institute’s website www.
wii.gov.in
methods and ability to co-ordinate with
analytical teams is required.
• Should possess good communica-
tion skills with ability to interact in
cross-functional settings within the site
and also across geographies.
• Demonstrated ability to work under
pressure with strict adherence to time-
lines.
• Prior experience in managing small-
size project team will be an advantage
Qualifications:
• Preferred Ph.D. in Life Science/Bio-
chemistry/Cell Biology/Biotechnolo-
gy/Molecular Biology with 4-6 years
of relevant experience
• OR Masters in Life Sciences /related
disciplines with 8-10 years of demon-
strated relevant experience.
Vol. 01 NO 6
SCHOLARSHIP/FELLOWSHIP
ICMR International
Fellowships 2018-19 |
18 Fellowships
Available
The Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) invites applications from Indian Bio-
medical Scientists for the ICMR Internation-
al Fellowships for the year 2018-19.
Number of fellowships :
Young scientists-12; Senior scientists-6
Duration :
3-6 months for young scientists and 10-15
days for senior scientists
Eligibility:
M.D/PhD degree with at least three years
teaching/research experience for young sci-
entists and at least fifteen years for senior
scientistsRegular position in a recognized bi-
omedical/research/health institution in India
Below 45 years of age for young and 57 years
for senior scientists
Financial support:
US$ 3000 per month, contingency grant of
Rs. 20,000/- and return economy class air
ticket (excursion airfare) for young scientists
US$ 200 per day (including US$ 75 as per
diem and US$ 125 is for accommodation),
contingency grant of Rs. 20,000/- and return
economy class air ticket (excursion airfare)
for senior scientists
Note:
The applicant should submit a letter of ac-
ceptance from the foreign Institute where he/
she proposes to work along with a concrete
plan of training/research work to be under-
taken during the fellowship Recommenda-
tion by the Head of the parent organization/
institute is essential. Incomplete applications
will not be entertained. Decision of ICMR
will be final
If selected, the fellowship is to be availed
before 28th February, 2019
Ten copies of the application should be
submitted to:
International Health Division (IHD), Indian
Council of Medical Research, V. Ramalin-
gaswami Bhawan, Post Box No.4911, Ansari
Nagar, New Delhi – 110029.
For details and format of application log on
to ICMR website: http://www.icmr.nic.in
Last date of receipt of applications: 28th
February, 2018
IPNI Scholar Awards
Program –
International Plant
Nutrition Institute
IPNI’s Mission:
The mission of IPNI is to develop and pro-
mote scientific information about the respon-
sible management of plant nutrition for the
benefit of the human family.
IPNI is a global organization with initia-
tives addressing the world’s growing need
for food, fuel, fiber and feed. There is wide-
spread concern for issues such as climate
change and relationship of crop production
to the environment and ecosystems, and IPNI
programs are achieving positive results. Best
management practices (BMPs) for nutrient
stewardship encourage the concept of ap-
plying the right product (source), at the right
rate, at the right time, and in the right place.
About the IPNI Scholar Award:
Awards of US$2,000 each will be conferred
to deserving graduate students in sciences
relevant to plant nutrition and management
of crop nutrients.
The Award will be made directly to the stu-
dent. No specific duties will be required of
the recipient.
The Award will be granted independent of
any assistantship, scholarship, or other award
that the student presently holds.
Eligibility:
Graduate students attending a degree-grant-
ing institution located in any country with
an IPNI program are eligible. See countries
included: http://www.ipni.net/regionalpro-
grams
Candidates for either the M.S. or Ph.D. de-
grees, who are enrolled in a program of grad-
uate study as of the application deadline, are
eligible. Applicants who have already com-
pleted their degrees are ineligible. In the case
of Ph.D. candidates, preference will be given
to students who have a minimum of one year
remaining before completion of their studies.
Priority will be given to the relevance of the
proposed research in support of IPNI’s mis-
sion (see below). Students in the disciplines
of soil and plant sciences including agrono-
my, horticulture, ecology, soil fertility, soil
chemistry, crop physiology, and other areas
related to plant nutrition are encouraged to
apply.
Winners are not eligible for reappointment;
the awards are for one time only.
(NOTE: Students in Africa – If your univer-
sity is not located in a region with an IPNI
program but your research is being done
with research institutions in Africa—includ-
ing the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Alliance for
a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and
National Agricultural Research Systems—
you are eligible to apply. Your research work
should be in Africa and at least one of your
main supervisors should be based in Africa.)
Requirements:
In order to complete the application pro-
cess, you will need the following:
1. Electronic copies of transcripts of all col-
lege work, including cumulative and final
grade average records (GPA or percentage).
2. Electronic copies of three (3) letters of
reference supporting the application, one of
which should be from your major professor
or supervisor. Letters must be signed by the
person providing the reference letter and
should be written on official letterhead. Let-
ters must include a phone number and e-mail
address of the letter writer.
3. A description of the focus of your thesis
or dissertation research presented in a man-
ner that will permit evaluation of its original-
ity, depth, and scope, innovative approaches,
and relevance to IPNI’s mission.
4. You will be asked to briefly describe any
honors or awards you have received, employ-
ment, career goals, and other activities you
pursue.
Note: You will be required to upload the
electronic copy of the transcripts and support
letters during the on-line application process.
You should have an electronic copy of these
documents prepared in advance.
Important Dates :
The application will open: 2018-01-08
08:00:00 AM EST
Deadline: 2018-05-01 01:00:00 PM EDT
(UTC/GMT -4 hours)
December 26th, 2017.
15 PhD Fellowship
Positions Vacant @
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest
and highest ranked educational and research
institution, with 28 000 students and 7000
employees. With its broad range of academ-
ic disciplines and internationally recognised
research communities, UiO is an important
contributor to society.
The Natural History Museum at the Uni-
versity of Oslo is Norway’s most compre-
hensive natural history collection. For almost
200 years, preserved plant specimens, animal
specimens, rocks, minerals and fossils have
been collected, studied and preserved here.
A selection of specimens are on display for
the general public, in the Geological Museum
and the Zoological Museum. Both are found
in the beautiful Botanical Garden. Located at
Tøyen in the east of Oslo city centre, the gar-
den is not only popular for recreation, but is a
scientific collection in itself.
PhD Fellowship in Systematic Botany
(PhD 10)
The Natural History Museum, Universi-
ty of Oslo, announces an opening for a fully
funded PhD fellowship under the Plant.ID
Horizon2020 European Training Network,
starting April 2018.
Plant.ID is recruiting 15 PhD fellows
The EU H2020-ITN-ETN project Plant.ID
on molecular identification of plants is a Eu-
ropean training network aimed at providing
15 PhD fellows across nine European host
institutions with excellent training through
a network of leading academic experts, mu-
seums, governmental and industry partners
in the field, using an intensive program with
network-wide training events, intra-network
supervision and secondments.
Project description – PhD Fellowship
10. Orchid targets: Genomic barcoding to
identify and trace traded orchids, Univer-
sity of Oslo.
Orchids are not only one of the most char-
ismatic plant families, but also the largest in
species diversity. Prolific trade in wild-har-
vested orchids for horticulture and consump-
tion threatens species globally. Vegetative
orchid plants and tubers are difficult to iden-
tify and recent diversification complicates
molecular identification in this family. A
probe set targeting 500 nuclear markers will
be designed from genome and transcriptome
Next Page>>>>
11
December 26th, 2017.
data to create a single probe set for target-en-
richment high-throughput sequencing. This
approach will be tested throughout the family
with specific genera most at risk by trade to-
day, including some of the following: Paphi-
opedilum, Orchis, Anacamptis, Dactylorhiza,
Ophrys, Campylocentrum, Cattleya, Hadro-
laelia, and Hoffmannseggella. The objective
of the project will be to develop species-level
identification of orchids and derivatives in-
dependent of state using high-throughput se-
quencing.
Primary supervisor: Hugo de Boer, Uni-
versity of Oslo. Co-supervision Alexandre
Antonelli, University of Gothenburg, Mike
Fay, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Planned
secondments to University of Gothenburg
and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK.
Who are we looking for?
Marie Curie Training Networks offer a
unique opportunity to get cutting-edge train-
ing in a multidisciplinary environment with a
focus on academic and personal development
of the PhD fellows. The supervisors in the
network each provide specific competenc-
es and as part of the network you develop
your skills and carry out research both inde-
pendently and as part of a network of 15 PhD
fellows. The consortium ensures cross-pol-
lination and exchange of ideas through net-
work-wide training events, summer schools
and intersectoral secondments. As a PhD
fellow in the Plant.ID network, you need
to have good social skills and be willing to
conduct the planned secondments and im-
portantly be innovative and goal-oriented.
The candidate for PhD10 must have a master
degree or equivalent in biology. For PhD10
we are looking for someone with a strong
background in systematics and experience in
bioinformatics and handling high-through-
put sequencing data that shows innovative
thinking, who is eager to invest in an exciting
research project within an international net-
work, and to pursue a science-based career
at the interface of academia, industry and the
general public.
Job conditions:
The PhD student will be appointed under an
employment contract with a competitive sal-
ary and mobility allowance at the host insti-
tution. The fellow is expected to start in April
2018. Additional funding for research and
participation in courses, workshops, confer-
ences, etc. is ensured. PhD10 will be enrolled
in the 3-year doctoral program of the Faculty
of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Uni-
versity of Oslo.
Job description:
Your key tasks as a PhD fellow in Plant.ID
12
are:
• Manage and carry through your re-
search project
• Take PhD courses within the Plant.ID
network
• Write scientific articles and your PhD
thesis
• Participate in international congresses
and Plant.ID network meetings
• Stay at a research institution abroad for
the secondment(s)
• Teach and disseminate your research
EU eligibility criteria for candidates:
The applicant may be of any nationality but
in order to be eligible for the positions the
following criteria applies to all applicants:
• The applicant shall at the time of re-
cruitment be eligible as an Early Stage
Researcher (ESR) by being in the first
four years of his/her research career
and not have been awarded a doctoral
degree.
• The applicant must not have resided or
carried out his/her main activity in the
country of the host institute for more
than 12 months in the 3 years immedi-
ately prior to the recruitment.
UiO eligibility criteria for the PhD pro-
gram:
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural
Sciences has the strategic ambition of being a
leading research faculty. Candidates for these
fellowships will be selected in accordance
with this, and expected to be in the upper seg-
ment of their class with respect to academic
credentials. The purpose of the fellowship is
research training leading to the successful
completion of a PhD degree.
The fellowship requires admission to the
PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathemat-
ics and Natural Sciences. The application to
the PhD programme must be submitted to the
department no later than two months after
taking up the position. For more information
see:
• A good command of English is required
• Doctoral degree: PhD in Mathematics
and Natural Sciences
• Doctoral degree and PhD
An overview of the Plant.ID positions:
Plant.ID is recruiting 15 PhD students si-
multaneously and interested candidates are
encouraged to apply for multiple projects
within the network. Read more about the 15
individual PhD projects on www.plantid.uio.
no. The following projects are included:
PhD 1 – Polyploid phylogenetics under
the multi-species coalescent – University of
Gothenburg
PhD 2 – Taxon identification and multispe-
cies coalescent biodiversity assessments –
University of Oslo
PhD 3 – Euphrasia: species delimitation in
mega-diverse hemi-parasites – University of
Copenhagen
PhD 4 – Shotgun sequencing for compara-
tive diet analysis in capercaillie fowl – Uni-
versity of Copenhagen
PhD 5 – DNA barcoding and metabarcod-
ing of herbal products for authentication –
University of Oslo
PhD 6 – Metabarcoding of aquatic flora for
fresh water quality monitoring – BaseClear,
Degree Awarding University of Leiden
PhD 7 – Hayfever and software-automated
pollen metabarcoding – Naturalis Biodiver-
sity Center, Degree Awarding University of
Oslo
PhD 8 – Paleogenomic annotation of histor-
ical Cinchona bark samples across time and
space – University of Copenhagen
PhD 9 – Genomic barcoding of the succu-
lent plant genus Aloe in trade – Royal Botan-
ic Gardens Kew, Degree Awarding Universi-
ty of Copenhagen
PhD 10 – Orchid targets: Genomic barcod-
ing to identify and trace traded orchids – Uni-
versity of Oslo
PhD 11 – Is mutational meltdown a threat
in the mega diverse genus Begonia? – Royal
Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Degree Award-
ing University of Edinburgh
PhD 12 – Genomic barcoding to trace and
identify illegally logged African trees – Bo-
tanic Garden Meise, Degree Awarding KU
Leuven
PhD 13 – Bar-HRM traceability of toxic
species in food and medicine – Centre for
Research & Technology – Hellas, Degree
Awarding Aristotle University of Thessalon-
iki
PhD 14 – Species, a taxonomic category
distinct from the lineage concept – Universi-
ty of Gothenburg
PhD 15 – Logging forensics: mining ebony
wood collections as references – Naturalis
Biodiversity Center, Degree Awarding Uni-
versity of Leiden
Application procedure:
All positions are announced on the Plant.ID
website (www.plantid.uio.no) and EURAX-
ESS. Individual projects are announced at the
hosting institution, and application received
through the host institutions official applica-
tion procedures will be considered.
The application must include:
• Motivation letter, max 2 pages
• CV (max 2 pages) including a list of
publications (if any)
Vol. 01 NO 6
• Summary of last degree thesis (1 page)
• Names and contact details of 3 refer-
ees, but no letters.
We offer:
• NOK 436 900 – 490 900 per year de-
pending on qualifications and seniority
(position code 1017)
• A professionally stimulating working
environment.
• Pension agreement with Norwegian
Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Attractive welfare benefits
The application with attachments must be
delivered in our electronic recruiting system,
please follow the link “apply for this job”.
Foreign applicants are advised to attach an
explanation of their University’s grading sys-
tem. Please note that all documents should be
in English (or a Scandinavian language).
Formal regulations:
Please see the guidelines and regulations
for appointments to Research Fellowships at
the University of Oslo.
According to the Norwegian Freedom and
Information Act (Offentleglova) information
about the applicant may be included in the
public applicant list, also in cases where the
applicant has requested non-disclosure.
The appointment may be shortened/given a
more limited scope within the framework of
the applicable guidelines on account of any
previous employment in academic positions.
The University of Oslo has an agreement
for all employees, aiming to secure rights to
research results a.o.
The University of Oslo aims to achieve a
balanced gender composition in the work-
force and to recruit people with ethnic mi-
nority backgrounds.
Deadline:
All announced positions will close on Janu-
ary 15th, and the evaluation process will start
immediately with interviews of shortlisted
candidates planned in February. All candi-
dates will receive a response.
Contact persons:
If you have any questions regarding the ap-
plication procedure or would like to know
more about the project, please do not hesi-
tate to contact the project leader of Plant.ID,
Hugo de Boer hugo.deboer@nhm.uio.no
For questions regarding the recruitment
system Jobbnorge or the application proce-
dure, please contact HR Advisor Thomas
Brånå, e-mail: thomas.brana@nhm.uio.no
www.biotecnika.org