Indian Biotech Bazaar: a swot analysis

Biotechnology is a life science-based technique especially used in agriculture, medicine and food sciences. It is generally defined as the manipulation in organisms to generate products for the welfare of the world. Biotechnology combines disciplines such as genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, and cell biology along with information technology, chemical engineering, robotics etc. It includes basic industries such as food processing, tissue culture, plant development and other sophisticated ones such as recombinant therapeutics and diagnostics. Biotechnology, globally recognized as a rapidly emerging and far-reaching technology, is aptly described as the "technology of hope" for its promise of food, health and environmental sustainability. In India, biotechnology employs more than 10 000 people and generates roughly US$ 500 million in revenue annually. The biotechnology market has increased its sales from Rs. 50 billion in 1997 to Rs.70 billion in 2000, and is expected to cross Rs. 240 billion by the year 2010. In India, the human health biotech products account for 60% of the total market; agribiotech and veterinary 25%, medical devices, contract research and development (R&D), reagents and supplies constitute the remaining 15% Moreover, to facilitate foreign investment, capital and government policies are being revised. Other important industries include industrial enzyme manufacture, bioinformatics, and medical devices. Biotechnology has had limited appeal so far on our capital markets, and we have less then a dozen biotech companies listed on the public markets.     

Biotech in the financial crisis

Cover illustration: Biotech in the financial crisis. This special issue of Biotechnology Journal covers how the current financial turmoil creates problems but also chances for biotech. Forum articles and biotech highlights ask whether biotech can rescue economy and environment (green growth). Image © PhotoDisc, Inc.     

转基因生物技术育种: 机遇还是挑战？

转基因生物技术是一项全新的育种技术, 也是当前国际上进展最快、竞争最激烈的研究领域之一。自20世纪90年代生物技术育种诞生以来, 转基因作物的商品化应用及由此引发的一系列问题就引起公众的广泛关注。该文就世界上转基因生物技术育种及产业化现状、几个主要转基因作物安全性案例及最终结果, 以及如何科学推进我国转基因作物的产业化等提出了自己的思考, 以期帮助公众科学地理解和面对转基因生物技术所带来的育种技术上的革命。     

Current trends in biopharmaceuticals production in Escherichia coli

Biotechnology Letters - Since the manufacture of the first biotech product for a fledgling biopharmaceutical industry in 1982, Escherichia coli, has played an important role in the industrial...     

Hearts and minds

The nonprofit Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology is closing, but the need for an independent and neutral body to facilitate dialog on US biotech policy has never been greater.     

2014 年热门生物技术公司的研发动态

FierceBiotech 网站报道了2014 年最热门的16 家生物技术公司,其涉足生物制药、体外诊断以及医疗器械研发等热门医疗领域,其中多家公司与包括葛兰素史克、罗氏、拜耳、默克等公司在内的制药巨头展开合作,值得医疗行业的投资者关注。对这16 家热门生物技术公司的研发重点、主打产品的适应证/ 用途、合作伙伴、并购交易信息进行归纳总结,旨在为新一代生物技术药物的深入研发提供参考。     

Special highlight: Korean biotech

Government R&D investment in biotechnology Biotechnology in Korea – R&D policy and activities Molecular nutrition in Korea The BK21 project for Functional foods and Nutrigenomics at Yonsei University Korean Biotech facts and figures Institut Pasteur Korea Korean company profiles Korean biotech news     

The identity of Vincetoxicum in Norway

Norwegian Vincetoxicum has previously been referred to V. hirundinaria in standard floras but partly to an aberrant form, called var.fuscatum or ssp. fuscatum . Our comparative morphological and allozymatic data unambiguously relate present day Norwegian Vincetoxicum populations to V. rossicum as circumscribed in standard European floras, i. e. with brown corollas, dark purple coronas, and twining stems up to 2 m in height. However, specific status of this taxon is questionable and varietal rank has been suggested, e. g. V. hirundinaria var. rossicum . Present Norwegian occurrences probably represent descendants from introductions by man prior to 1865 (first Norwegian record). The species has established itself as a permanent member of the Norwegian flora and although restricted to relatively small areas in Oslo (Oslo Co.) and Drammen (Buskerud Co.), it shows invasive tendencies at present.     

Can biotech deliver new antibiotics?

The evolution of support for the discovery and development of antibacterial (or antibiotic) agents from the larger pharmaceutical companies to the entrepreneur-like small biotechnology companies has been an experiment in the making for the past 15 years. The word 'experiment' is precisely chosen as the outcome is not certain. Many of the antibiotic biotech organizations that were most likely to undertake the task of picking up where large pharmaceutical companies left off have failed to survive, despite their use of outstanding science and their novel approaches to the development of discovery platforms. So this leaves one with the question of 'can biotech deliver the new antibiotics?'.     

A light-controlled cell lysis system in bacteria

Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology - Intracellular products (e.g., insulin), which are obtained through cell lysis, take up a big share of the biotech industry. It is often...     

Aspects of reproduction in Pulsatilla pratensis in Norway

Breeding system and pollinator activity were studied in two Norwegian populations of Pulsatilla pratensis : a small outpost population, on Hovedøya in Oslo, and a large population located centrally within the main area of this species in Norway, on Sandøya in Tjøme, Vestfold. One objective was to assess, if possible, the chance of survival of the outpost population. Pulsatilla pratensis is not completely self incompatible, since artificial selfing produced a small amount of seed. However, spontaneous selfing does not occur. Pollination is accomplished by insects, almost exclusively bumble bees ( Bombus spp.). Nectar thievery resulted when the bumble bee inserted its proboscis from outside the flower in between the tepals (base working). A comparison between the two populations indicates that pollinator scarcity at the time of flowering possibly might constitute a limiting factor for recruitment in the outpost population.     

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel: a description of the sample and program of research.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo has an ongoing program of twin research using population-based cohorts of twins. The current database includes information on twins identified through the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and born from 1967-1979, altogether 15,370 twins. This is a longitudinal study with a cohort sequential design whereby new cohorts are recruited into the study at 5-6 year intervals. Sub-samples of these twins have participated in questionnaire studies and clinical assessment sub-projects. These projects include national and international collaborations. Our primary areas of interest include mental health and psychological well-being, obesity, asthma and allergies, health behaviors and health perceptions, comorbidity, and perinatal influences on health outcomes. This paper provides a brief overview of the data, sample, and the various research projects associated with this twin program of research.     

Algae as depth indicators in the Silurian of the Oslo region

Specimens of Girvanellu sp. are described for the first time from the Oslo region, Norway. The specimens discussed here occur in Lower Llandoverian biomicrites in the central part of the Oslo region (Bærum/Asker). The distinct association between Girvanella sp. and other faunal elements in the succession provides important new information on the depth ranges of Lcwer Silurian brachiopod communities.     

我国生物医药企业发展建议

近年来,国外生物医药产业发展迅速,在发达国家,生物医药产品在药品市场中已占有了重要地位,哺乳动物细胞表达的产品已经占据生物医药的主流地位。相比之下,我国生物医药品种主要采用简单的大肠杆菌、酵母表达技术,技术难度较高的哺乳动物细胞药品与国外差距显著,因此,哺乳动物表达的生物药品将成为国内生物医药企业的重要发展机会。多年来,鉴于我国从发达国家获得生物技术转让少,国内生物医药发展需立足于自主研发,建立高效的研发技术平台,选择合适的开发项目,促进企业的发展。     

Meeting report: Symbiosis in Barcelona

The European Congress on Biotechnology brought together the top European and International scientists, biotechnologists, innovators and key biotech policy and decision makers in an unprecedented international meeting. The Congress was established in 1978 by and remains the main activity of the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB). Taking place in Barcelona, September 16–19, 2007, the ECB 13 attracted over 1500 leading scientists and other senior participants, over 500 posters and more than a hundred exhibitors, from over 50 countries across Europe and beyond. From over a 150 presentations in 5 and more parallel sessions, only a small fraction can be highlighted in the scope of this short meeting report.     

Biotech round the world: Australia

Facts and Figures Regulation of research in Australia Green biotechnology Some Australian biotech companies     

How many patents does a biopharmaceutical company need?

Young biotech companies may not need extensive patent portfolios to survive or grow.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this issue. Okland, R. H. Vegetation Ecology: Theory, Methods, and Application to Fennoscandia . 1990. 233 pp. Som-merfeltia Supplement 1, Botanical Gardens and Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. ISBN 82–7420–006–3. Price: NOK 180.     

Public biotechnology 2005--the numbers

Although investors remained cautious of public biotech companies in 2005, acquisitions and research partnerships were on the up.     

Biotech in India

Cover illustration: The Taj Mahal in Agra is one of the brilliantly outstanding buildings in India. This special issue on “Biotech in India” is edited by Pushpa M. Bhargava and Narayanan Suresh. It features highlights, reviews and research articles on numerous aspects of Indian biotech such as drug development, plant breeding and biotech companies. Image © Corbis Digital Stock