| | 8 JUNE 2023HIGHERReviewBiotechnology higher education in India is gaining momentum with a rising number of universities offering specialised cours-es. Numerous universities and educational institutions have started biotechnology courses for bioengineering, bioprocess technology, biotechnology (cellular & mo-lecular), biochemistry and other related fields. How do you see this changing edu-cation landscape?Many of the initially launched courses recognized the application of the principles of modern biology in many fields and focussed on essential basic principles. Those are still just as important. In fact, these basic subjects like Bioprocess Engineering, Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics form the core of many of the specialized courses being offered now.The specialized courses have emerged with the growing ground-level applications in almost every field from food to marine and livestock. There has also been a confluence of Biotechnology with many other engineering areas like Electronics, Instrumentation control, Nanotechnology and Computer Science for varied applications. Armed with the expertise gained from new researchers trained in India and abroad, the number and type of courses have expanded to meet the market demand.While we are all heading towards specialized applications, it is always a good idea for undergraduate students to gain a broad-based understanding of the subject in a generalized course, so that they understand all the principles and techniques. Once students get exposure to all the applied areas like health, environment and agriculture ­they can choose their interests and specialization.Biotechnology is an expensive field and effective infra-structure requires considerable investment. Without the appropriate resources and infrastructure, it can be hard to teach the subject matter properly. How can this challenge be addressed? There is no doubt that sophisticated machinery and well-designed laboratories are essential for Biotechnology education both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Now there are a large number of very generous infrastructure grants from Government funding agencies to Universities for supporting Biotechnology research and education. The development of Government centralized instrumentation facilities and the entry of private players has also eased the situation. Many supercomputing facilities have also been made available to ease scientific computing.Even while the funding agencies have been proactive in providing funds to Universities to develop their resources, it needs a further boost. While the availability of indigenous equipment is necessary, it also requires better quality control to ensure user satisfaction. That said, it remains to be acknowledged that there is a lot of ground-level innovation in terms of formulating viable solutions that power research and teaching at every level. This is what led to the term "Garage Biotechnology" ­ low-cost innovation by individual DIY bio-scientists.As biotechnology is a highly research-oriented field and it requires exposure to research activities. Lack of research focus can be a major roadblock in understanding and in-terpreting biotechnology. What are your thoughts on this?There is a lot of high-impact research being done in premier Institutes all across the country. According to recent news reports, India is one of the fastest-growing research hubs and currently fourth in terms of research output. Some of the highest-cited scientists are from India. A very large proportion of this is life sciences and medicine, powered by the sheer talent and skill of Biotechnology professionals trained in Indian Universities. This is a direct outcome of the long-term planning and sustained encouragement LEADING INDIA INTO THE NEW BIOECONOMYSonika Bhatnagar, Head, Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, Netaji Subhas University, of Technology in an exclusive interview with Higher Education Review magazine, shares her insights on specialised courses in biotechnology, the need for effective infrastructure, high-impact research, the requirement of skilled faculty, and more.IN MY VIEW
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