Ramp up research on Covid solutions: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to biotech scientists

Hyderabad: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday called upon the scientists working in the field of biotechnology to intensify their research to offer solutions to combat the Covid-19.

"The research in biotechnology, bioengineering, pharma and medicine fields is very crucial to develop technologies, vaccines and medicines to end the Covid-19 pandemic. It is important to conduct inter-disciplinary and collaborative research for effective results," she added. While inaugurating the three-day online national conference on "Frontiers of Biotechnology and Bioengineering-2020" organised by the JNTU Hyderabad from the Raj Bhavan, the Governor said that the advancements in biotechnology hold the key to contain many diseases and infections that are plaguing the humanity.

The governor pointed out that Covid-19 created a difficult situation to choose between the lives and livelihoods and said we need to be out of this piquant situation quickly and for this we need to make giant strides in research and come up with cutting-edge technologies.

Referring to the initiatives launched by the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said that country made rapid strides to register an impressive global market share of 20 per cent in the field of biotechnology.

"India would soon emerge as one of the top global leaders in the field of biotechnology with the initiatives launched by Prime Minister in setting up of biotechnology parks, incubation centres and the huge research grants offered through the department of Biotechnology," the Governor added.

Referring to the emergence of Hyderabad as an important destination for biotechnology research and development, Soundararajan said that the Genome Valley of the city has already attracted the attention of many global companies in this field.

"I am confident that Hyderabad would soon be called as the Life Sciences and Biotechnology hub and is already leading in the research and trials for Covid-19 vaccine," she added. The Governor lauded the initiative of JNTU Hyderabad in collaborating with the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) to promote and encourage the women researchers and entrepreneurs in the field of science.

JNTU Hyderabad in-charge, Vice-Chancellor and the Principal Secretary to government, IT, Jayesh Ranjan, JNTU rector professor Govardhan, Registrar professor Manzoor Hussain, conference convener Uma and OWSD representative Atya Kapley along with few others spoke.

Senior scientists and researchers from across the globe representing biotechnology, bioengineering and other allied-fields are expected to deliberate during the three-day conference.