Trends in Biological Research

Dr.S.R.PRABAGARANLecturer,

Department of BiotechnologySchool of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering,

BHARATHIAR UNIVERSITYCoimbatore – 641046.

Acadmic Staff CollegeBharathiar University

October 2012

Overview• Recent trends• Funding opportunities• Higher Education• Scholarships• Science and Society

• Was…• Is…• Would be…

Recent trends

• Plants Science• Animal Science• Microbiology

• Applied Sciences• Physical Sciences

GM FOODS : Is it…

? or

1 2

What’s scarier is not knowing the facts!

What are genetically modified foods?

• Also called genetically modified organisms (GMO).• Involves the insertion of DNA from one organism into

another OR modification of an organism’s DNA in order to achieve a desired trait.

+ A strawberry resistant to frost=

4 5

Arctic fish DNA strawberry

Examples of GMO’s

• Golden rice – rice that contains beta-carotene (Vitamin A), which is not found in regular rice.

• Bt corn – corn that contains a chemical normally found in a bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis) that is toxic to insects but not to humans.

• Herbicide resistant plants.

Some potential place where microbes are in action

The Orathupalayam dam

A view of Orathupalayam dam which was closed for the past 5 years to avoid discharge of untreated effluent. This too is discharged now in a phased manner as per the directions of the High Court of Chennai

Impact of such discharge where 50 tonnes of fish dies for every discharge among the forecasted 500 tonnes.

Applied Sciences• Agriculture

– Food for future

• Medicine & Health– Challenging issues

• Environment– Threat to flora and fauna

• Marine– The un explored

Physical Sciences

• Physics– Astrophysics – Nutrino Laboratory

• Chemistry– Structural Biology – Nobel 2012

Overview• Recent trends• Funding opportunities• Higher Education• Scholarships• Science and Society

Funding Opportunities• Satisfactory

• R&D Institutions of India– ICAR– CSIR– DRDO– AICTE– ISRO– ICMR

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Distance Education Council (DEC)Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR), Bar Council of India (BCI), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)Medical Council of India (MCI), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI)Indian Nursing Council (INC)Dentist Council of India (DCI)Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH)

Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM)

Funding agencies in India for HEFunding agencies in India for HE

Overview

• Funding opportunities• Higher Education• Scholarships• Science and Society

Higher Education

• Multidisciplinary – Needed• Trends changing…• School level awareness essential

• German: Diploma to Bachelor

• Age 15-18 yrs– Higher studies– Job training– Rare to settle after 40 yrs.

Higher Education is a must !

College Education

ArtsActorMusicArtist

Training CentreComputerTailorPotteryMassionDriverTourist Guide

Parents jobBusinessRacialSkills

Social ServiceFamilySingle

10th or +2Diploma / ITIProfessional / Classical

What you want to become?

•Driver•Artist•Musician•Director•Massion•Scavenger•Sportsmen•Security•Cobbler•Milkman

•Medical practitioner•Engineer•Agriculturist•Lawyer•Teacher•Professor•Collector•Politician•Businessmen•Pilot•CA

18

Choose a line

MoneyFacility

2060

2020

1980

1940

1900

Income

Locality

Family situation

Transport

Scope for Job

Professional and Other courses

• Costly• Practical more• Tour• Tuned for single job• Entrepreneur• More scope

• Cheaper• Theory oriented• General• Need additional skill• Can be tuned for any

job

Overview

• Higher Education• Scholarships• Science and Society

Scholarship

• Scholarship is an incentive as well as encouragement to meritorious students.

• 348 universities, 17625 colleges;

• >5,00,000 teachers; 10.5 million students;

• Third largest after US & China. Growing rapidly;

• Covers all major disciplines;

• Professional education in English medium ;

• Attracts highly selected students, IITs – 1 of 200

applicants gets admitted

Higher Education System In India

CSIR-UGC JRF• M.Sc• 28 Years

(1) Chemical Sciences (2) Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences (3) Life Sciences, (4) Mathematical Sciences and

(5) Physical Sciences. …Age Relaxations

…Coaching…Ultimate solution

National MantraNational Mantra...

CSIR - SRF

• M.Sc, M.Tech with 2 year experience• MBBS, B.Pharm, BDS, B.Sc (Ag.,), B.V.Sc with 3 year

experience• 32 Years• Only $ and nothing else !

(1) Age relaxations (2) Publications

Normally invited every year on all India basis through press advertisement.

If delayedIf delayed...

UGC - JRF

• M.Sc of Selected disciplines…• Humanities (including languages), Social Sciences,

Forensic Science, Environmental Sciences, Computer Science and Applications and Electronic Science.

• Since 1984

(1) NET – vantage(2) No Age limits for both UGC/CSIR JRF

…Twice a year

UGC - JRFUGC - JRF

The UGC FellowshipsNEW DELHI : The University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced a fellowship scheme for M.Phil/Ph.D scholars in Central universities. In a communication addressed to the vice-chancellors of all the Central universities, the Secretary, UGC has conveyed the decision of the Commission to award a fellowship of Rs.3,000 and Rs.5,000 each to M.Phil and Ph.D students respectively with a contingency grant of Rs 10,000 per annum for the scholars doing research in Science subjects and Rs.8,000 per annum for the students doing research in Humanities and Social Sciences. The Central universities have been advised to go for full coverage of the Scheme and to decide the actual number of fellowships and date of implementation of the scheme.

Single Girl Child Fellowships

• UGC initiative• Promote higher education for girl• Family• Non-Professional• ATM card• Fee waiver• Credit to individual and institution

… by the DST

• Entry at any level - +2, College, Univ• Selection through several level

• Organizer’s capacity• Higher education cess

• Fate of HE in state institutions– Conversion to Central universities

– R&D organizations– Academies ?

Overview

• Scholarships• Science and Society

Science and Soceity

• Need based research• Ethics• Basic Science – Back bone• Fact finding• Statistics

Your feed back…

• Thank you…