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Biotech expo showcases Indias talents |
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Friday, June 11, 2004 |
 The fledgling biotechnology industry is already reinventing itself -- as an economic booster in emerging countries.
To this end research scientist Kiran Sharma expects India will develop an edible vaccine against cholera within five years.
And Weiping Yang is working on "biochip" technology at a new company in China to wed molecules with computers in systems to detect infectious viruses like SARS.
India and China are among 59 foreign countries and 16,000 scientists, executives and government officials crowding into three big meeting halls for the BIO 2004 Annual International Convention in San Francisco. The forum, which first began in 1993, ends Wednesday.
"We always had strong international representation from Canada, Great Britain, France and Germany, but nothing like we have now," said Dan Eramian, a spokesman for the Biotechnology Industry Association, which organizes the conference. The number of countries attending has doubled since 1999.
"More countries now see building biotech industries as a way to strengthen their economies." Eramian added.
The global biotechnology industry posted about $47 billion in revenues last year, according to a study by the Ernst & Young accounting firm.
"We have two goals here," said B.P. Acharya, secretary of Industries and Commerce in the Andhra Pradesh government in India: "Showcase what is happening in biotechnology in India to change the view that the industry is all U.S. and Europe. And take advantage of the networking opportunities for new business."
Acharya, who is promoting "Genome Valley" in southeast India as the nation's biotech hub, attended the 2001 convention in San Diego alone. At this week's conference, however, he has 30 colleagues to help him scout for new business and take part in scientific presentations. India's total delegation numbers 89.
VACCINE IN A PEANUT
Indian scientists with the International Crops Research Institute are linking life sciences and agriculture to develop edible vaccines against polio, cholera and other diseases that could be delivered in peanuts or other plants at greatly reduced costs, said Sharma.
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta has expressed interest in the work, said Acharya.
Yang said four biotech companies from China attended the San Francisco meeting and "visa problems" prevented four more from showing up. This was the first year that China had its own "pavilion" on the convention floor to present technologies.
Beijing-based three-year-old Capital Biochip Corp., part of China's National Engineering Research Center, is developing a range of medical detection systems founded on biochips -- electronic devices that use organic molecules and form a semiconductor.
The technology can examine tens of thousands of genes in a scanning system in 10 minutes versus years in conventional detection systems, Yang said.
"We have developed some interesting leads from companies in the US and Europe who are interested in our overall technology," he said.
This year's conference also signed up 11 new member nations -- Algeria, Armenia, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Peru, Romania, Slovenia, Uganda, Ukraine and Yemen.
Wales also had nine biotech companies and research organizations represented at its pavilion.
Bioscience in Wales is developing healthcare diagnostic systems, clinical trials for cancer drugs and chronic wound treatments, medical devices and instruments, and doing research in grassland-based livestock agriculture, said Bob Wallis, research manager for the Welsh Development Agency.
Closer to home, 28 US states set up pavilions to vie for business leads, contracts and jobs.
Source:Sify.com
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