MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Director's Report 2006

The Institute of Bioinformatics and applied Biotechnology (IBAB) had its beginning nearly 5 years ago and it has emerged as a leading institution for imparting perhaps the best training in bioinformatics, keeping particularly in mind the biotechnology sector of the industry. I feel this is a credible accomplishment considering the nascent nature of this institute. Both the Vision group on Biotechnology and the Department of IT & BT, Government of Karnataka are to be congratulated for setting up such a unique institution, perhaps the first of its kind in the area of life sciences in India.

The credit for the success of IBAB, as I have been witnessing during the last two years of my stay here, should go to a number of people who have worked devotedly and with enthusiasm. This includes the selfless contribution in various capacities from a large number of academicians from the cluster of renowned research institutions and professionals from companies in Bangalore. Their efforts have been invaluable and they have been assisting IBAB starting from recruitment of students, teaching them and to the point till they are placed. I am doubtful if this experiment would work elsewhere. I would like to compliment my predecessor and the chairman of IBAB for inculcating such a fine tradition. I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to each and every one of the faculty members from academia and expert personnel from industry who have been helping IBAB in one way or the other.

Bioinformatics is a highly multidisciplinary subject, and is becoming increasingly so. It, calls for conceptual inputs from diversified areas that include statistical and mathematical sciences, computer sciences, electrical and chemical engineering, besides of course physical, chemical and biological sciences. I believe the current approach of soliciting experts from outside is perhaps most advantageous till a new breed of bioinformaticians or computational biologists evolve.

Last year has been noteworthy in many ways for IBAB, and one of them being the clearance of its own premises along with student’s hostel, by the Government of Karnataka at the Biotech Park, that has been pending for long. The work is projected to begin any time now and is expected to be ready for occupation in a year’s time. Thanks to Dr. Pujari and Shri Shankaralingegowda for their persistent efforts in bringing this to a reality. IBAB will have nearly three times the laboratory space that we have currently at ITPB. This will help in implementing IBAB’s plan to upgrade both the Post-graduate Diploma courses in Bioinformatics and Biotechniques into two year Master degree programs. Also, it will speed up the process of getting recognition to these courses from renowned institutions till such time when IBAB attains the status of a degree-awarding institution on its own merit. I must mention at this point that companies who employ our students are perfectly happy taking them with out the official degree stamp, perhaps reflecting on the quality of students trained at IBAB.

I am happy to report that IBAB has taken several steps to promote research activity. I should mention in this context that one more faculty member has been added recently and we are on the look out for more. In the initial stages of setting up of IBAB, faculty members were overwhelmed with teaching commitments and were not able to pay much attention to research. I am pleased to report that in the recent past faculty members have obtained research grants from national agencies to support their research programmes. IBAB has also been able to provide small start-up funds to help boost up the research activities. These in turn have helped IBAB in submitting coherent grant applications to seek funds from agencies like DST and DBT to enhance the infrastructure facilities for both teaching and research.

In this context, I am indeed pleased to report that the institute has signed recently an MOU with the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for a collaborative research entitled “Mass-scale analysis of gene expression patterns in mammalian species in the context of cancer and other biological phenomenon”. With the addition of a few more faculty members to attain the critical mass, IBAB aspires to be among the elite cluster of research institutions of Bangalore. The institute would of course retain its distinct character by preserving the strong teaching component and industry focus, both in terms of student placements and also, hopefully, in terms of industry-relevant research in bioinformatics and biotechnology.

One other uniqueness of the courses taught at IBAB is that besides core subjects, students are taught IPR and entrepreneurship as well as several soft skills to prepare them to face the challenge of competition. One of the faculty members has in fact been involved in developing course material in entrepreneurship and IPR, especially with relevance to biotechnology that can be used by other institutions. In course of time, IBAB would also like to create a niche for itself in facilitating scientists to patent their discoveries. In this context, I would like to share with you, however immodest it may sound, two nice publications, one in Nature Biotechnology and the other in our own Current Science. These activities are supported by a grant from Wadhwani Foundation.

As in previous years IBAB has conducted a number short term courses, ranging from a few days to a month, for the benefit of students and professionals in the industry.

A new training program has been taken up, along the lines that are in practice in some of the DBT-supported institutions across the country, to train students in bioinformatics from other institutions for a period of 4-6 months by giving them specific projects. It is proposed to take around 10 students this year after appropriate screening from hundreds of applications that are received. We do hope that we will be able to garner some support from DBT to this new initiative.

A few months ago, Dr. Aileen Allsop, Chairman of the Governing Board of AstraZeneca Research Foundation India (AZREFI) happened to visit IBAB and was impressed with our programmes. She indicated that AZREFI would help in some fashion to encourage the efforts of the institute. I am extremely happy to report that the AstraZeneca Research Foundation India (AZREFI) has endowed a chair in cheminformatics at IBAB. The team at IBAB wishes to place on record their appreciation to Dr. Aileen Allsop and to Dr. Ananda Kumar of AstraZeneca Research Foundation, India, for the trust reposed in us and for the constant support IBAB has been receiving from AstraZeneca in various ways.

This is what Dr. Anand Kumar has to say on the occasion of handing over the cheque "IBAB has become a well known institute in the country in the short span of 5 years and has carved out a niche for its strong training program in Bioinformatics. IBAB needs to be supported by industry because it is an institution with a difference and trains students keeping industry in mind. Scientists from AstraZeneca and AZREFI have been taking an active interest in the activities of IBAB and AZREFI is happy to lend its support to a new program in Cheminformatics at IBAB."

This recognition, coming as it does at this stage of the formative years of IBAB, infuses greater strength and confidence in us and will take us a long way in achieving the institute's vision. IBAB has initiated action by discussing with a number of experts to develop course content and to look for suitable faculty with regard to starting a cheminformatics program some time during next summer. I am pleased to report that an expert in cheminformatics working in Novartis at Boston recently visited us on his own and is keen to serve as a visiting faculty.

At this juncture, I should mention we are also very fortunate to have received a commitment from BIOCON for a substantial recurring grant to support new faculty. This is in addition to the grant that IBAB has been receiving in the past. The entire team of IBAB expresses deep sense of appreciation to Mrs. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw for her continued support. Her reassurance has been a great source of strength.

Accelrys, the leading software company relating to computational structural biology and with whom IBAB has synergistic relationship has joined the band of well-wishers and admirers of IBAB like the Biocon, Millipore, Sartorius and others, by announcing scholarships to the two best students in computational structural biology. I wish to place on record on behalf of team IBAB our sincere appreciation for this nice gesture.

IBAB distinguishes in yet another way by providing incubation facilities for new start-up companies. Microtest Innovations, involved in developing diagnostics for HIV and other diseases has been incubating with us since 2002. It's CEO, has recently been supported by DST under the DPRP program.

Cell works Inc, which was incubating with us has outgrown the institute in its space requirements and had to move out. It is a matter of pride and satisfaction that this company was started by one of our earlier faculty members and a good number of IBAB graduates are working there.

Symbiosis Biowares Inc, a cell biology platform company and the R&D unit of Novozymes are the two fresh incubatees. These welcome entrants have made optimal utilization of laboratory space and provide opportunities for internship and placements for our students.

I would also like to mention that we are very proud of a company, Genbios, set up by our student Savita Anant this past year. We wish her our best as she takes her company forward.

While science is beyond supply and demand issue, and need to be supported by adequate funding, the focus of education perhaps should be towards exposing the students to a broad range of career options. Students in life sciences especially, need to be trained beyond the career model of a principal investigator. In the present scenario, quality life science programs offer opportunities in companies that were not there a few years ago. Therefore, programs such as ones run by IBAB need to be supported adequately so that it can constantly upgrade and embark on newer challenges in bioinformatics education and research.

IBAB is grateful to Department of IT & BT, Government of Karnataka for their unmatchable support through all these years and I would appeal to them through our distinguished academician turned Principal Secretary, Dr. Pujari to do whatever is necessary to bestow such assistance to IBAB even after it moves to its own premises. That will be the time when it needs greater aid to furnish the new lab space and class rooms. We, of course, also solicit support from central /state governments, their agencies, companies and others.

I would like to congratulate each and every one of the students of the 4th batch of bioinformatics and the 3rd batch of biotechniques courses for their hard earned diploma and applaud those who have excelled. I trust that IBAB has been able to instill in all of you the enchantment of science and I am optimistic that the spark will grow to enable you to achieve greater rewards in your chosen path. I urge you all to recognize and support your alma mater.

I would like to conclude by saying that the IBAB team has, as usual, been busy and it has been a very demanding year. Our students would agree that we keep them even busier. Various new activities have started and some more are on our mind. We hope to take them up as soon as we have our own building. We also hope to have our next convocation at our own building.

It is indeed personally satisfying to see my dear friend Ramasami, distinguished scientific colleague Prof. Vijayan and IBAB’s well wisher Dr. Pujari kindly accepting our invitation to grace this function.

I thank you all for being with us this afternoon to felicitate the young achievers, and for your kind attention.

September 2006