RGCB News

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 16: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh will address around 300 beneficiaries, including artisans and farmers, from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) communities who have received support from various projects launched by Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (BRIC-RGCB) and Swadeshi Science Movement-Kerala (SSM-K) at RGCB campus here on October 17.
The 'SC/ST Farmers and Artisans Meet' under the Science and Technology Innovation Programme, to be held at 12.15 pm, is jointly organized BRIC-RGCB, SSM-K and Vijnana Bharathi. Dr Chandrabhas Narayana, Director, BRIC-RGCB, will preside over the function.
The event will see convergence of 100 beneficiaries of BRIC-RGCB's Tribal Heritage Project and 200 SC artisans of SSM-K's SC Hub project. Both these projects are funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, to document the traditional knowledge of tribals and empower their livelihood.
An expo featuring 50 wild tuber varieties from forest and 60 paddy varieties from Wayanad will also be held. RGCB had launched Tribal Heritage Project to support the traditional enterprises of tribal communities in Idukki, Wayanad and Thiruvananthapuram districts, as part of the Government of India's Science Heritage Research Initiative (SHRI) to preserve the country's rich tribal heritage and ethnic knowledge. The major objective of the project is to protect the tribal heritage through various scientific interventions with the participation of tribal communities.
On the occasion, Dr Singh will do online launch of six community enterprise units under BRIC-RGCB's project, besides launching three ethnic food processing units. The Minister will also release the books, titled "The Taste of the Wild- An Inventory on Ethnic Food and Wild Edibles" and "Revitalizing tribal traditions: Initiatives for Sustainable Vikasit Bharat" at the function. The Tribal Heritage Project focused on value addition and fortification, developing products from underutilized locally available resources like tubers, fruits, and medicinal plants.
As part of the project, around 20 community enterprises based on traditional skills and wisdom integrated with modern science have been established. The groups are producing and selling more than 40 different products including plant saplings, NTFP products, food products, and medicinal products. It also includes ethnic food processing units making value-added products from wild tubers and fruits.
The project has made a significant impact on tribal communities in Kerala by focusing on the preservation of traditional knowledge, empowerment of tribes, conservation of indigenous flora and practices, economic growth, and the promotion of indigenous practices and products.
Through extensive fieldwork and interventions, the project has successfully documented and revitalized tribal traditions, resulting in the establishment of community enterprises and the empowerment of over 425 tribal families.

Union Minister of State for Tourism, Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Suresh Gopi today said he would take up with the Centre the need to expedite the ambitious projects of the campus-II of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) at Aakkulam here as a hub of advanced medical research and medicine development.

After a visit to the campus and extensive interaction with the Director and senior scientists, Shri Suresh Gopi said he would take up with the ministers concerned the need to fast-track the path-breaking projects undertaken by RGCB's campus-II, including that of setting up a referral hospital for cancer patients needing palliative care.

RGCB is an institute under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

"I came here for a 30-minute session with the institute's scientists. But it went on for two-and-a-half hours. Many people do not know about the advanced scientific research projects taken up by the institute and its competence and efficiency," Shri Suresh Gopi said.

Shri Suresh Gopi said he would take up issues relating to the development of the campus with Union Minister for Science and Technology & Minister of Health Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh.

Also, he will take up with Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri J P Nadda the RGCB's proposal to set up a referral hospital and request Union Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman to provide adequate funds for the project.

The minister also recalled the service rendered by RGCB during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially as a leading swab testing facility from which the society benefited significantly at the time.

Emphasising that the campus needs to be a green one, the Minister also planted a flower-tree and named it 'Kasturba.' He assured adequate support to plant more trees on the campus.

RGCB's campus-II, located about 10km from the campus 1 in the city, is the hub for research on vaccines and immune-therapeutics, molecular diagnostics, biomarkers, chemical and nano-biotechnology, and tropical disease biology. It is a unique knowledge centre for mid and high-level innovation founded on deep and advanced-level technical platforms.

RGCB Director Dr Chandrabhas Narayana said the interaction with the Union Minister was highly engaging and fruitful.

Shri Suresh Gopi showed keen interest in various pioneering projects of the campus that will benefit the society and pledged his support for their realisation.

He said the Minister was briefed on the RGCB's proposal to develop a 150 to 200 bed referral hospital in PPP model for cancer patients, especially those needing palliative care. The project, envisaged as a facility with ICU-convertible beds, is estimated to cost Rs 400 crore.

Prof Narayana said the Minister also promised to look into a proposal to develop the campus as an international medical tourism hub with advanced facilities to hold international medical events and conferences.

"Medical tourism concentrating on traditional medicine can be augmented by testing of patient samples from the baseline test like regular blood parameters to high-end proteomics, metabolomics, genomics etc. The Ministry of Tourism could extend all the support for carrying forward this initiative," Prof Narayana said.

The institute is developing facilities like an amphitheatre with a seating capacity of 2500 to conduct national and international events.

Another major project that came up during the interaction was that of intervention in the health of tribal communities to address genetic health issues found among them. For this, RGCB has a project of preparing a health card for tribal people with genetic features recorded in them.

While stroke has emerged as one of the leading causes of death globally, the genetic factors of different ethnic groups and regional disparities in comorbidities play a critical role in influencing the burden of the disease, says a study conducted by RGCB here.

"The underlying genetic factors are very critical in determining and defining the regional variations in influencing the stroke and its comorbidities which, in turn, can define the burden of stroke," observes the study conducted by researcher Moinak Banerjee, who is associated with Neurobiology Division of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (BRIC-RGCB).

The research, published in the prestigious biomedical publication eLife, demonstrated that metabolic risk in America and Europe and vascular risk in Asian and African regions are the major drivers for stroke risk, in a proof that the stroke and its comorbid factors show strong regional disparities and ethnic and region-specific genetic factors. Comorbidities in stroke can amplify the risk of stroke and its outcome.

The findings of the study, one of the largest ever performed globally covering 204 countries, were based on the data collected from 2009-19 for stroke and its major comorbid risk. A total of eleven diseases were studied, and these included overall stroke, its subtypes ischemic stroke (IS), intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), along with its comorbid factors like ischemic heart disease(IHD), diabetes type 1 &type 2, chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, high body mass index (BMI), and high LDL cholesterol.

Stroke affected over 101 million people worldwide and caused over 6.55 million deaths in 2019, making it one of the leading causes of mortality.

RGCB Director Prof Chandrabhas Narayana said it is an important study that can significantly contribute to the prevention and management of the stroke, as it views the disease from population point of view.

The study points out that majority of the public health researchers interpret the burden of stroke from socio-economic perspective while biomedical researchers investigate stroke in isolation.

"We demonstrate that the stroke and its comorbid factors show strong regional disparities. Comorbidities in stroke can amplify the risk of stroke and its outcome. Thus, prevention of stroke needs to mainly focus on the management of its comorbid factors and reduce the burden of these factors," it points out, signifying population-specific risk.

The study stressed the need for understanding the epidemiological observation for major condition or its comorbid conditions from its genetic viewpoint, which can help health policymakers to understand the areas of concern.

The last of the series of event organized on the occasion of the International Women's Day (IWD) was celebrated at RGCB on 20^th April 2024. In recognition of the fact that breast cancer is the leading cancer site in women of our country today, and early detection will help us save lives, the changing lifestyle remains an important risk factor RGCB focussed on education and self-awareness around these themes. With the support of Snehita Women's Health Foundation, a Thiruvannathapuram-based non-profit voluntary organization, breast awareness and a clinical breast examination camp were arranged at the main campus of RGCB. The camp saw active participation from women across all strata; a total of 125 participants benefited from this drive. The camp was well appreciated by the participants.

Kerala Academy of Sciences conferred an honorary fellowship (honoris causa) to Professor Chandrabhas Narayana, Director RGCB. This was conferred by Shri. Arif Mohammad Khan, the honorable Governor of Kerala, in a function held at NIIST auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram, on 25^th October 2023. KAS recognizes the scientists who have made outstanding contributions to science with the honorary fellowship.

Six-day workshop organized by RGCB in association with IUIS, IIS, and FIMSA "Immuno-India 2023: Epigenetic Regulation of Immune Responses" started on 1 ^st October,2023 with an inaugural lecture by Dr. Shekhar Mande, Former DG, CSIR. Professor Chandrabhas Narayana, Director RGCB welcomed the gathering and introduced the speaker.

The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) opened a Science Museum at Meppadi in Wayanad district, carrying forward the Union government’s objective to promote scientific approach among the students as well as local communities.

RGCB Director Dr Chandrabhas Narayana handed over the state-of-the-art facility to the Principal of the Government Higher Secondary School, Shri Moncy Joseph. It is among the 75 such museums the Centre has planned as part of nation-wide Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav which also promotes public awareness about scientific intervention through bio-resources.

The museum, which was developed and guided by Dr Narayana with core focus on biotechnology, has been conceived to reach out to students to inspire them for a career in science while celebrating the history and future of research as well as innovation in the country. With a view to providing updates on new scientific discoveries, the museum has the potential to attract students to the field of research in science and technology.

Dr Narayana said Covid-19 has kindled unprecedented interest among common people on biotechnology. Noting that the new museum goes beyond conventional features, he pointed out that "it, for instance, features the model of a body to show all its functions," at the function in Meppadi on Wednesday. "Our idea is to inculcate scientific temper among the public at large, with the Department of Biotechnology cooperating with RGCB in the project."

The function was followed by a science workshop for students. It was led by experts Dr T.R. Santhosh Kumar, Dr Sabu Thomas and Dr Tessy Thomas.

The museum, besides displaying a variety of research equipment, will host lectures, seminars, scientific camps and outreach programmes at its premises. The highlights of the facility include videos, posters and graphic representations of research findings, global research scenario and bio-resources management including plant tissue culture and GM crops. It also displays instrument used in biotechnology applications and research, lending the ambience of a well-equipped laboratory.

The RGCB, headquartered in the state capital, is an autonomous institute under Union government’s Department of Biotechnology. With ‘Discoveries for a better tomorrow’ as its mission, the centre strives for sustainable use of resources through biotechnological interventions for the socio-economic growth of the region.

Inauguration of Science Museum

The state-of-the-art Science Museum developed by the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) at the Government Higher Secondary School at Meppadi in Wayanad district will be dedicated on January 18, which is one of the 75 such museums planned as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav across the country to promote scientific temperament among students.

RGCB Director Prof Dr Chandrabhas Narayana will hand over the museum to the school authorities at a function on the campus at 9.30 am, which will be followed by a science workshop for students. The project has been envisaged and implemented by RGCB and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, with the objective of promoting a scientific approach among the students and the local community, besides creating general awareness about scientific intervention through bio-resources.

Conceived and developed under the guidance of Prof Narayana, the museum, which has its special focus on biotechnology, will reach out to students to inspire them for a career in science and technology while celebrating the history and future of research as well as innovation in the country. "Wayanad is one of the prime biodiversity hotspots of the Western Ghats. It is also an important region of tribal population where ethnic culture and invaluable traditional knowledge are preserved. This is why Wayanad was chosen under the project," said Prof Narayana.

Besides displaying a variety of research equipment, lectures, seminars, scientific camps and outreach programmes will be organised as part of the activities of the museum for the benefit of students, teachers and the local community. The highlights of the museum include video screening, display of posters and graphical representations of research findings, global research scenario and bio resources management including plant tissue culture, GM crops.

Every instrument used in Biotechnology applications and research are exhibited, most of which are in working condition, giving the museum the ambience of a well-equipped laboratory. This museum will be instrumental in fostering scientific temperament among students in the region, where RGCB will make several outreach activities to promote it in all aspects. The RGCB, Thiruvananthapuram, is an autonomous institute under Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, with the mission on 'Discoveries for a better tomorrow' and their sustainable use through biotechnological interventions for the socio-economic growth of the region.

Director's Message

Dr. Karthika Rajeeve, Scientist EI, Pathogen Biology Program RGCB, recently featured in She Sight magazine
Dr. Chandra Vadhana interviewed Dr. Karthika and the link to the YouTube interview is here

Dr. Karthika Rajeeve, Scientist EI, Pathogen Biology program, was selected for the Ben Barres Spotlight Award 2022.
Ben Barres Spotlight Awards
The Hindu

Dr. Priya Srinivas, Scientist G, Cancer Research program, selected for the Short Term ICMR-DHR International Fellowship for Senior Scientists (2022-23)

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announces India's first indigenously developed vaccine, "Ceravac" for the prevention of cervical cancer The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) is contributing significantly to determining the efficacy of Cervavac, India's first indigenously developed vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer, the second-most prevalent cancer among women in the country. Cervavac was developed by the Serum Institute of India in coordination with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). "RGCB, as the scientific partner and stakeholder in this effort, has made significant contributions to the country's determined efforts to eliminate cervical cancer," its director Prof Chandrabhas Narayana said. "The RGCB laboratory for HPV testing facility is qualified as per international standards set by the WHO."

At the launch function in the national capital, Dr. Devasena Anantharaman, the scientist who is heading the project at RGCB was invited as an expert to discuss the current status of HPV diagnostics and the future directions for academic research in this area. Dr. Anantharaman said vaccination against HPV is the most effective intervention for preventing cervical cancer. "Vaccines mimic natural infections resulting in the development of specific antibodies. In the case of the qHPV vaccine also, the efficacy is measured by the development of antibodies against each type of HPV present in the vaccine," she pointed out. Various online and print media gave wide coverage to the contribution by RGCB

Various online and print media gave wide coverage to the contribution by RGCB.

Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) is an innovative Pilot Project launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). It ushers a novel intervention programme for promoting gender equity in science and technology.Project GATI was one of the three initiatives of DST announced on 28 February 2020, the National Science Day, by the Hon’ble President of India at a celebratory programme dedicated to Women in Science held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.RGCB is one among the 30 institutions in the country to be selected to implement GATI charter in the first phase.

RGCB conducted an awareness program on GATI ( Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions) initiative. The morning lecture was delivered by Dr. Navjot Khosa IAS, The Hon. District Collector of Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier, Professor Chandrabhas Narayana welcomed the gathering, and Dr. Devasena Ananatharaman, co-ordinator RGCB-GATI, briefly explained the program.The afternoon lecture was delivered by Dr. Divya S.Iyer IAS, The Hon. District Collector of Pathanamthitta. Earlier, Dr. Priya Srinivas, Scientist and member of the RGCB-GATI team welcomed the gathering. Mr. Rajasekharan K, Deputy General Manager proposed the vote of thanks.

RGCB GATI news on Media

The Hindu United News of India

On June 27^th, World Microbiome Day Professor Chandrabhas Narayana, Director of RGCB (DBT, Govt. of India) released the first copy of the Book on Human Microbiome: Clinical Implications and Therapeutic Interventions Edited by Dr. Sabu Thomas and team- Drs. Aparna Shankar, Lekshmi N, Karthika S & Ms. Merin Paul, in the presence of Dr. T.R. Santhosh Kumar (Dean) and Mr. S. Mohanan Nair (Chief Controller).

27^th June is celebrated as world microbiome day. The Theme for World Microbiome Day 2022 is "Celebration of The Microbial World" (https://worldmicrobiomeday.com/). On this occasion Dr. Sabu Thomas, Scientist F, RGCB wrote an editorial to create awareness in the general public.
Click Here

Eight students of the RGCB M.Sc Biotechnology program cleared the DBT-BET 2022

Dr.Rakesh Singh Laishram, Scientist E-II and Swarnajayanti Fellow, Cardiovascular Biology Program selected as a member in the prestigious Guha Research Conference (http://115.111.90.204/node/1)

'Gau Mitra' app is developed by Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology with the grant in aid support from DST, Govt. of India under its SHRI program. This app is intended to help farmers to identify primary health problems in cattle and their treatment based on Ethno-veterinary practices. The formal launching of the app was held at Paramoola Kurichya Tharavad, Peechamkode, Wayanad by Prof. Chandrabhas Narayana, Director RGCB on 8th May 2022. The tribal farmer Shri Balan received the logo of the app 'Gau Mitra' app can be downloaded from Playstore. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rgcb.app). Dr. Archana S, Manager, Veterinary services, RGCB explained the usage of the App to the Farmers during the meeting.

More Details on APP

Ethno-veterinary practice (EVP) by plant species has been utilized for centuries as a primary source of prevention and control of livestock diseases. The knowledge, skills, methods, practices and beliefs of botanicals have been chaotic, semi formalized and transferred vocally among various ethnic communities for traditional animal health care. The day-to-day practices of traditional knowledge revolve around the remarkable innovations of new herbal formulations that become an integral part of ethno-veterinary management among farmers. Many livestock owners in Kerala, who are poor and live in remote areas, use Ethno-veterinary Medicine (EVM) for the primary health care (as a first aid) of their animals.

To promote the ethno veterinary medicine among dairy farmers RGCB's tribal heritage project team conducted extensive field survey and documented ethno veterinary practices of various tribal communities in Idukki and Wayanad districts. From the documented ethno veterinary medicine we selected 16 major diseases that affecting livestock and conducted rapid assessment of different traditional treatments and identified most effective traditional remedies for the treatment of these diseases. Mobile application is available in both English and Malayalam. Cow information, health condition assistant, herb and raw drug finder are the 3 major modules present in mobile application. Symptoms of each disease were prepared with the assistance of a veterinary doctor. In this application dairy farmers can choose a list of common symptoms. Then system will provide appropriate health condition based on selected symptoms. System will also provide details of ethno veterinary treatments used for that particular disease. It includes image of herbs or raw drug used for Ethno veterinary medicine, method of preparation, dosage and method of administration. 'Gau mithra' is available in playstore/ Appstore. Dairy farmers can download and use this mobile application for cattle disease identification and treatment.

Professor Mamannamana Vijayan, the doyen of crystallography research in India passed away today. He was born in Cherpu, Thrissur district of Kerala on 16 October 1941. He completed his studies at Kerala Varma College and Allahabad University. He then joined IISc Bangalore for his Ph.D. program in X-ray crystallography under the guidance of Professor MA Viswamitra. He joined the laboratory of Nobel laureate Dr. Dorothy Hodgkin at the University of Oxford. During his stay at Oxford, he has involved in the landmark paper describing the structure of insulin, which was published in nature in the year 1960. Later in 1971 and joined the Molecular Biophysics Unit of IISc and continued there to date. Undoubtedly he established protein crystallography research in India. His major areas of research were structural studies involving lectins, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and other mycobacterial proteins. His studies have opened up several avenues for structure-based inhibitor design. He has been the President of the Indian Biophysical Society, Indian National Science Academy, and founder President of the Indian Crystallographic Association. He is a member of all the three science academies in India. He received numerous awards in his career including the SS Bhatnagar award, the first GN Ramachandran Medal by INSA, Distinguished Alumni Award by IISc, Ranbaxy Research Award, Kerala Sastra Puraskaram, etc. The Government of India conferred him with Padma Shri in the year 2004. He was closely associated with KSCSTE and Kerala Biotechnology Commission and was involved in formulating the Kerala Biotechnology policy. His autobiography "A Life among Men, Women, and Molecules: Memoirs of an Indian Scientist" was published by INSA in 2020. Professor Vijayan associated with several capacities at RGCB since its beginning. His untimely demise leaves a large void in the field of Indian Science and Protein crystallography. The Director, faculties, and staff of RGCB express their great gratitude to Professor M Vijayan expresses deep sadness and sorrow for his demise and conveys deep gratitude to the bereaved family.

Dr. Malini Laloraya, Scientist G, Molecular Reproduction Division of RGCB gets the first DBT supported the project in the country on creating patient-derived endometrial organoids to use them as a tool to understand "Recurrent Implantation Failure" as embryo implantation is defined as the black box of human reproduction and is a major challenge for clinicians.

Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, an Indian computer scientist, educationalist, and brain behind the development of Param supercomputers gave the inaugural lecture on the topic "Use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Health Care" during the 16^th Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting of RGCB.

The students of the RGCB M.Sc Biotechnology program cleared the CSIR/UGC examination, 2022. Hearty congratulations to all the successful candidates.

The students of the RGCB M.Sc Biotechnology program cleared the GATE-2022 examination. Hearty congratulations to all the successful candidates.

Dr. Sabu Thomas, Scientist F, Pathogen Biology Program, was selected for the Best Scientist Award of UTOCA (University Teacher's Orthodox Christian Association). The award will be conferred on 30th March 2022.

RGCB Director Professor Chandrabhas Narayana is recently featured in the FAQ program of Tatwamayi News. The interview is in Malayalam and link to the video

Tatwamayi News

RGCB MLS started a nodal laboratory unit in the Taluk Hospital, Pala. The unit was inaugurated by Mr. Jose K. Mani MP in presence of professor Chandrabhas Narayana, Director RGCB. This is the first center of MLS outside the Thiruvananthapuram district

Malayala Manorama
Kairali

Professor Chandrabhas Narayana, Director RGCB was given the plenary lecture during the International conference "Frontiers in Chemical Sciences, FCS-2022" organized by the Department of Chemistry, the University of Calicut on 3rd March 2022 followed by interaction with participants.

Dr.S.Asha Nair Scientist F, Cancer Research Program, RGCB has been selected to be the "mentor" for the prestigious Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) provided by DBT-BIRAC awarded to BioDimensions Technology Private Limited

Dr. Radhika Nair, Program Scientist, Cancer Research Program, RGCB featured in the coffee book table "75 under 50 scientists shaping today's India", published by DST.

A family of harmful bacteria that causes diseases like TB and leprosy has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics, and the alarming situation warrants novel strategies to control evolution of drug resistance in mycobacteria, says a study by Dr. Krishna Kurthkoti, a scientist and researcher at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB).  The study, published in Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, reveals that application of antibiotics results in a two-phase killing of bacteria, with a significant part of the population being killed rapidly while a smaller sub-population of bacteria called ‘persister’ endures the antibiotic and persist in the environment for extended periods. The persisters also get killed because they remain susceptible to antibiotics, but the killing rate is much slower. Non-compliance with the duration of antibiotic therapy results in a relapse of infection caused by the persisters. Recent reports also suggest that antibiotic persisters (APs) of mycobacteria develop resistance upon treatment with lethal doses of ciprofloxacin or rifampicin. 

The research conducted in the laboratory of Dr  Krishna demonstrated that the persister population of M. smegmatis generated by antibiotic treatment showed high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which consequently resulted in the rapid emergence of drug resistance to single and multiple antibiotics. Strategies to tackle drug-resistant strains include identification of new antibiotics or targeting the bacterial mechanisms that reduce the rate of evolution of resistance. “We took the second approach as identifying new and potent antibacterial antibiotics takes time and should pass rigorous safety standards before using human therapy,” said Dr  Kurthkoti. The study tested the efficacy of Suramin, a WHO-approved drug used for treating Trypanasomal (sleeping sickness and river blindness) infections. It showed that a combination of Suramin during antibiotic therapy reduced the emergence rate of drug resistance in M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis under laboratory conditions. Since Suramin is already an approved drug, its repurposing to control the emergence of drug resistance would increase the life expectancy of existing drugs providing valuable time to develop and approve new antibiotics. RGCB director Dr Chandrabhas Narayana said it is a significant study as it highlights suramin's novel application as a broad-spectrum agent in combating the development of drug resistance. It will bring into focus the need to discover new antibiotics to counter the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which has become a major global health concern compelling the WHO to declare that the crisis needs immediate attention. A group of six virulent and drug-resistant pathogens, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp (ESKAPE), have been identified as the biggest threat to public health. In a recent report published in Lancet, 1.27 million deaths were directly linked to AMR bacteria, significantly more than the deaths caused by HIV/AIDS or malaria. Also, TB caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis continues to be a leading cause of death, with nearly a million cases dying annually. To complicate matters, the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains resistant to frontline drugs isoniazid and rifampicin makes the course of treatment much longer. According to the WHO report on TB, India adds the maximum number of reported cases (around 2.5 million) and 124,000 cases of MDR TB. With the Central Government taking an aggressive policy to control TB, developing new therapeutics and understanding the mechanisms that cause drug resistance in mycobacteria become necessary. 

Researchers at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) here have identified Cyclophilin A, a protein which is a known player in several human diseases, as a potential drug target for reducing risk of heart disease in patients with diabetes. Heart attacks result from rupture of cholesterol plaque deposited on walls of arteries. A tear or rupture in the plaque would activate a repairing mechanism resulting in a blood clot. Such clots can completely block blood flow to the heart muscle and cause a heart attack.
"Patients with diabetes mellitus have increased risk of vascular disease and are prone to ruptures. Our research has shown that Cyclophilin A plays a major role in increasing the risk," Dr. Surya Ramachandran, a program scientist with the Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes Biology lab, RGCB, said in a press release here on Sunday.
Inhibitors of Cyclophilin A would have potential use in reducing the vulnerability to heart attacks due to plaque rupture, she said, adding: "It is also being developed as a clinical serological marker of detecting vascular inflammation in patients with diabetes".
RGCB Director Prof. Chandrabhas Narayana said the research findings with regard to the role played by Cyclophilin will provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases. "It will help in risk detection and development of novel pharmacological therapies," he pointed out.
The findings of the research were recently published in Cells, an international, peer-reviewed, open access, Journal of cell biology. "The protein Cyclophilin A impairs the process of prompt and efficient clearance of cells that have been programmed to die, resulting in rapid progression of plaque formation in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus," said Dr. Ramachandran, explaining the science behind their research. The clearance of dead cells and debris is critical for inflammation resolution in patients with cardiovascular risks.
Just like leaves that fall off a tree when they die, cells in human body are also programmed for death and the process is known as apoptosis, derived from a Latin word which means 'to fall off', she said.
As in the case of every death, the dead cells need to be taken to their graves. The dying cells express 'eat-me' signals on their surface to attract macrophages, a type of white blood cell that removes dead cells. Cyclophilin A can induce programmed cell death of macrophages, which interferes with the natural process of burying of dead cells.
Globally, drug research on cyclophilin inhibitors and clinical trials have confirmed their treatment utility in cancer, viral infections and neurodegeneration. "Our research findings are significant since it can lead to reduction of the risk of heart disease in patients with diabetes," Dr Ramachandran said.

Dr. Pradeep Kumar G, Scientist G, Reproduction Biology Program, awarded Prof. G. P. Talwar Gold Medal Award - 2022. The award will be conferred during the forthcoming International Conference on Reproductive Healthcare & 32nd Annual Meeting of the Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility (ISSRF-2022) scheduled to be held during 11^th - 13^th February 2022, virtually.

Dr. Malini Laloraya, Scientist G, Reproduction Biology Program, selected for Prof.P.Govindarajulu Gold Medal Oration 2020. The award will be conferred during the forthcoming annual meeting of the Society for Reproductive Biology and Comparative Endocrinology (SRBCE), to be held from 28^th to 30^th December 2021 at Mysore.

In a path-breaking genetic study that could significantly reduce the risk of organ rejection and other medical complications, scientists of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) here have formulated a method to predict the optimal dose of an immunosuppressant drug given to kidney transplant patients.

The dose prediction study was focused on the immunosuppressant drug tacrolimus, which is given to a kidney, heart or liver transplant patient to lower the body's immunity and thereby considerably reducing the chances of organ rejection.

For maximum effectiveness, the drug level has to be maintained at an optimum concentration in the blood, especially during the initial period after transplantation.

Dr. Radhakrishnan Nair and Dr. Lekshmy Srinivas of the Division of Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Diagnostics, RGCB, conducted the pharmacogenetic study involving patients who have undergone kidney transplantation at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, and those who received tacrolimus as their immunosuppressant. They studied the effect of the genes and their variants which are involved in determining the drug concentrations in patients' blood.

"We developed an equation/technique that can be used by nephrologists to predict the starting dose of tacrolimus, which has to be administered to patients to attain optimal drug level in the initial period after the surgery, based on their genetic profiles," Dr. Radhakrishnan Nair said.

"This equation is specific to patients from Kerala who undergo kidney transplantation. The molecular-based method uses testing the DNA of patients for a specific variation, before transplantation surgery," Dr. Lekshmy Srinivas added.

This variation, along with their body weight, can be used to calculate the optimal starting drug dose for the patient. It will help the patients achieve optimal Tacrolimus levels post-transplantation and thus prevent the adverse effects due to overdose and rejection.

At present, the dose is calculated based on the patient's body weight. This approach can lead to a lot of variations in the drug levels.

To attain this, blood levels have to be closely monitored and drug doses adjusted, as lower levels can lead to rejection of the transplanted kidney, while higher levels can lead to undesired medical complications. Not only is this trial-and-error method of dose adjustment time-consuming and costly, but it also causes a lot of complications among the patients "Though there have been similar studies in other populations before, the predictive value of pharmacogenetic factors identified were insufficient and not much of clinical use. The new development would help prevent the adverse effects of overdose and thereby help a lot of patients," said Prof. Chandrabhas Narayana, Director, RGCB.

The pioneering study was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Noble Gracious of the Department of Nephrology, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The group also discovered the genetic variants which increases the chances of rejection and adverse effects associated with the drug.

The research, which has the potential to save lives of kidney transplant patients significantly, was jointly funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), and RGCB and was published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.

A vaccine testing and research facility for a host of ailments, including cancers and infectious diseases, will be set up on the second campus of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) here, Union Minister of State (Independent charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh announced on Friday. Addressing the annual general body meeting of the RGCB held in New Delhi, he said the centre would be equipped with a BSL 3 facility for handling airborne viruses, including the one that spawned the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility would be the first of its kind in southern India. The second campus of the RGCB, to be named as "Shri Guruji Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar National Centre for Complex Disease in Cancer and Viral Infection," is expected to be ready for dedication to the nation in the next few months. The campus is coming up at Akkulam in the city. Dr. Singh, who is also the president of the RGCB Society, said the RGCB would be developed as a hub for research and testing of multiple vaccines such as cancer vaccine and those for infectious diseases, including COVID-19. The Minister lauded the RGCB's model of supporting both innovative research and biotechnology incubation facility. RGCB Director Chandrabhas Narayana explained the new facilities that would be created on the new campus. He said the centre would have cutting edge technologies, therapies, clinical trials for cancer vaccines, and immune therapeutics. It would also have facilities for therapies such as stem cell replacement, gene therapy, molecular tumour, targeting, and imaging. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Vishvajit Sahay, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, DBT, Sunil Kumar, Joint Secretary, DBT, Sundeep Sarin, Scientific Coordinator for RGCB at DBT, and Shekhar C. Mande, Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, were among those attended the meeting.

The country must acknowledge the role of scientists who worked against the odds imposed during the two centuries of English rule that focussed on de-nationalising India more than colonizing it, National organizing secretary of Vijnana Bharati, Jayant Sahasrabudhe said here on Sunday. History has largely neglected the contributions of scientists towards the freedom struggle since the 1757 Battle of Plassey that gave the British East India Company a decisive victory in the subcontinent, till 1947 when the country earned Independence, he said, while delivering the 'Sir C V Raman lecture' at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB). "Those scientists strived to regain the identity of India from the hands of the invaders," Mr. Sahasrabudhe noted in his speech on 'Freedom Struggle and Science' organized on the occasion of the 133rd birthday of physicist Dr C.V. Raman. "We stand on their shoulders in our continuing efforts towards progress," he said. At the function coinciding with the 75th year of the country's Independence, Mr. Sahasrabudhe noted how the patriotic fervour exhibited by several scientists in imperial India added to the spirit of the nationalist movement. "The British implemented scientific studies in India primarily as a tool to consolidate their rule. They belittled our culture, reiterated that Sanskrit was a dead language that promoted superstitions through its literature centred around mythology," he said. He however said western thinkers such as Werner von Braun and Noam Chomsky had reiterated the richness of India's contribution to global heritage, including language and science. RGCB Director Chandrabhas Narayana presided over the function.

A compound, Uttroside-B, isolated from the leaves of a perennial shrub and a nightshade, Solanum nigrum, by a team of researchers at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology has been found to be an effective chemotherapeutic agent against liver cancer. The drug molecule Uttroside-B was isolated from the leaves of "Manathakkali", found growing wild in the backyards of houses in Kerala, by Ruby John Anto and Lekshmi R. Nath of the RGCB. The compound has received the designation of orphan drug from the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, a release issued by the RGCB said here. Orphan drug designation supports development and evaluation of new treatments for rare diseases and allows fast track approval of the drug. The technology, patented by Dr. Anto and Dr. Nath, has been bought by the U.S. pharma company QbioMed, which has already handed over the first milestone payment. The technology transfer was done through the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF).

RGCB Director Chandrabhas Narayana said the research could prove to be a major breakthrough in the treatment of liver cancer, the incidence of which had been growing in recent times. Dr. Ruby and her team are currently studying the mechanism of action of Uttroside-B and evaluating its efficacy against fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic Steato Hepatitis (NASH), and liver cancer. They have teamed up with L. Ravishankar of CSIR-NIST, who has developed a novel method to isolate the compound from the leaves of Solanum nigrum. Dr. Anto said Uttroside-B had been found to be more effective in treating liver cancer than the lone FDA-approved drug available now. Toxicity evaluation in human volunteers had shown that the compound was also effective in treating fatty liver. Recent results from her lab also indicated that the therapeutic efficacy of Uttroside-B against liver cancer could be enhanced, if used in combination with Chloroquine phosphate, a drug already in use against malaria, the release said. The research work was published in the Nature group of Journal, Scientific Reports 6:36318 doi: 10.1038/srep36318, 2016

The mechanism to crack down on corruption in India is still in a nascent stage, which needs to be strengthened with proper legislative and legal provisions to ensure probity in all domains, said Dr K Radhakrishnan, former DGP of Tamil Nadu.

He was addressing a webinar held by Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) as part of the Vigilance Awareness Week programmes, coinciding with the 146th birth anniversary of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The theme of this year’s Vigilance Awareness Week observance, which concluded today, was “Independent India @75: Self Reliance with Integrity”, to mark the 75th anniversary of the nation’s Independence.

Fr Dr Mathew Thengumpally CMI, Principal, Christ Nagar School Kowdiar, was the chief guest at the valedictory function, presided over by Professor Chandrabhas Narayana, Director, RGCB, Dr.S. Asha Nair, Chief Vigilance Officer and Nandkumar Nair ( Senior Manager, Security & Vigilance) were present .

The staff members of the RGCB, an autonomous research institution under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, took a pledge to work tirelessly to combat corruption.

Speaking on the topic “Vigilance Mechanism in Government of India,” Dr Radhakrishnan said the cancer of corruption is rampant in the country and the youth should come forward to wage a relentless battle against the affliction.

“The awareness against bribe should start from home and school. It should be pursued in institutions. We have to inculcate moral and ethical values among kids and change should come from one’s surroundings,” he said.

Citing the 2020 report of Berlin-based Transparency International on corruption in nations, Shri Radhakrishnan said India’s rank is 86 out of 180 nations with a score of 40.It uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero signifies the highest level of corruption and 100 is very clean. New Zealand and Denmark rank first with a scores of 88.

As part of the week-long programmes, an essay writing competition for RGCB staffs and students and interactive section for school students on the theme of the Vigilance Awareness Week was also held. Prizes were distributed for the winners of each category. The winners of the various competitions held in connection with the event were presented the prizes and certificates.