The Hindu Business Line : `Create manpower for research in bioinformatics'

THERE is a need to create high-end manpower for quality research in the field of bioinformatics, according to Mr U.N. Behra, Joint-Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

Inaugurating a national symposium on `Bioinformatics,' jointly organised by DBT and College of Fisheries, Mangalore, on Wednesday, Mr Behra said that institutes engaged in bioinformatics research should have linkages. He hoped that such activities might help in creating high-end manpower for quality research in bioinformatics.

Stating that the Government has done well in creating infrastructure for this sector, he said 65 bioinformatics centres have been developed in the country, and some of them have been provided with high-bandwidth Internet connections to carry out research and development activities in the field.

Though several other institutes have begun courses in bioinformatics in the country, the results are not so encouraging. The results of the recent national eligibility test for bioinformatics showed that there is a need to improve the quality of education in this sector, he said.

Mr Behra said that biotechnology has grown at a rapid pace in the past few years compared to bioinformatics. While biotechnology registered a growth of 36 per cent during 2004-05 over the previous year, bioinformatics recorded a growth of 25 per cent in the last fiscal compared to the previous year. Of the total turnover of Rs 4,700 crore in biotechnology industry, bioinformatics contributed nearly Rs 100 crore.

Commending the role of bioinformatics in drug development, he said it has brought down time and cost in drug development.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr T. Madhan Mohan, Director of DBT, said that bioinformatics by itself cannot produce any product. But bioinformatics will lead to products in biotechnology. Bioinformatics plays a crucial role in the growth of biotechnology sector, he said.

Mr Mohan said that the country would host an international conference on bioinformatics from November 13-15 in New Delhi. The Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) and Jawaharlal Nehru University would jointly organise this conference, and DBT would play the role of event manager.

He said that DBT has come out with various awards for young scientists in the field of bioinformatics.