Shot in the arm for research on disease biology

The citys biotechnology cluster will be scaled up to international quality, says the Union Budget 2014-15.

This effort will include global partnerships in accessing model-organism resources for disease biology, stem cell biology and high-end electron microscopy, it adds.

The cluster will give small and medium enterprises the opportunity to set up labs for innovative solutions to problems in agriculture, health, energy and environment, said Tanusree Deb Barma, Director, Information Technology and Biotechnology directorate.

It is being developed near Electronics City, in collaboration with the Karnataka Vision Group on Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, the industry and academia, she said. It will complement the existing biotech cluster of north Bangalore.

The cluster will also provide opportunities for translational research and collaboration, and in the future for business marketing. Developed in a public-private partnership mode, the campus may be able to explore bio-manufacturing capabilities, Ms. Deb Barma said.

A biotech cluster in Faridabad will similarly be scaled up, according to the budget. Chair of Karnatakas Vision Group on Biotechnology and CMD Biocon, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said scaling up these biotech clusters will give a boost to the Indian biotech sector which has the potential to position India as the global biotech hub.

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Shot in the arm for research on disease biology