News Highlights
Rewiring and tweaking existing medical technologies and diagnostic methods — primarily in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic — was the overarching theme at the two-day Biotech Startup Expo 2022.
Key Topics of Discussion
- Expanding RT-PCR
- RT-PCR based testing to diseases other than Covid-19 such as Typhoid and Hepatitis were discussed
- Scope of Heat Vaccines
- Biotech startup, Mynvax is creating a “heat vaccine” that eliminates the necessity for pricey and elaborate chilly storage provide chain programs
- Transportable and cutting-edge wearables
- A startup, has developed a five-in-one wearable machine that claims to monitor a patient’s vitals virtually identical to that in an intensive care unit (ICU), without the need for heavy equipment or trained care workers.
- AI-based diagnostic options
- Cataract detection Via Whattsapp: WhatsApp picture of patients eyes or enamel to an automatic message bot, which then feeds the picture to the AI engine for it to diagnose an issue
- Bioscan Analysis(Start up), which has developed a screening machine to detect intracranial haemorrhage known as Cerebo
- That may discover out if a head trauma affected person is struggling with inner bleeding, in a non-invasive and non-radiative technique.
About Biotech Expo 2022
- Expo-2022 which is India’s first Biotech Startup
- which is being held to help showcase the immense potential that India has to offer in the biotech industry.
- Ranging from successful startups to specialised incubation centres, all being showcased under one roof, proving that India is not far behind its counterparts.
- Who Organised it?
- Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council BIRAC organized Biotech Startup Expo 2022 India to celebrate 10 years of BIRAC
- Significance
- It will serve as a platform for investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers, industry leaders, manufacturers, bio-incubators, regulators, and government officials to network.
- Around 300 stalls have been set up at Expo 2022 showcasing applications of biotechnology in various fields including healthcare, agriculture, genomics, clean energy, biopharma, industrial biotechnology and waste-to-value.
- Theme of Biotech Startup Expo 2022
- ‘Biotech Startup Innovations: Towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat’.
Biotechnology sector in India
- India is among the top 12 destinations for biotechnology worldwide.
- The industry comprises around 5000 biotech companies
- India has 665 FDA (Food and Drug Administration)-approved plants in the US
- The country is also the world’s third-largest producer of recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine
- And second-largest producer of BT cotton (genetically modified pest resistant plant cotton).
Indian Bioeconomy:
- Indian bioeconomy grew from US$ 62.5 billion in 2019 to US$ 70.2 billion in 2020 at a growth rate of 12.3%.
- Advantages in India
- Skilled Human Capital:
- Total Population of 1.3 billion, 50% being under the age of 25, India has large pool of young and skilled workforce
- India has a large reservoir of scientific human resources including scientists and engineers
- Government Support
- Central and state governments have worked to set up several incubators and life science clusters across India.
- There are 9 DBT (Department of Biotechnology) supported biotech parks and 60 BIRAC supported bio-incubators .
- FDI Policy
- 100% under automatic route for greenfield projects for pharmaceuticals; 100% under automatic route is allowed for the manufacturing of medical devices.
- Epidemiological factors
- Patient pool expected to increase over 20% in the next 10 years, mainly due to rise in Population
- Skilled Human Capital:
- Government Initiatives
- Union Budget 2022-23,
- Allotted Rs. 2,581 Crore for Department of Biotechnology for developing basic infrastructure
- Minister of Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated a new Biotechnology Centre in Northeast tribal areas
- Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology implemented Atal Jai Anusandhan Biotech Mission
- To address the challenges of maternal and child health, antimicrobial resistance, vaccines for infectious disease, food and nutrition, and clean technologies.
- Department of Biotechnology launched a ‘One Health’ consortium
- It will survey important bacterial, viral and parasitic infections of zoonotic as well as transboundary pathogens in the country.
- Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)
- Department of Biotechnology (DBT) established BIRAC
- BIRAC aimed at strengthening and empowering emerging biotechnology enterprises to undertake strategic research and innovation
- Union Budget 2022-23,
Pic Courtesy: freepik
Content Source – Indian Express