Monday, April 9, 2001		Article

IT tools combine with biotechnology
By Sumesh Raizada

THE rapidly growing revolution in Information Technology is not limited to the Internet or related applications alone but has also spread to several unrelated areas in which computers are doing wonders. Scientists and engineers in the field of space research, telecommunications or heavy engineering projects have been making full use of IT resources since decades.

However there is another extremely important area where these resources are assisting mankind and that is of biotechnology. It refers to advanced study of biological science with the help of latest engineering and IT tools. Besides, the subject covers various aspects of chemistry, physics and mathematics also. Biotechnology can be broadly defined as a technique through which micro-organic plants and animals cells are processed to produce medicines, fertilisers, chemicals or food products. The mechanism involves utilisation of natural chemical process in living organism to develop products for our benefit and consumption.

People across the world have been using elements and processes of biotechnology since ages but may be without formal understanding of the subject. Bread, yoghurt, vinegar, wine, beer, cheese that are regularly consumed by us are all result of this technology. The phenomenon of fermentation that occurs in living cells is used by biotechnologists to develop various products and by products for application in agriculture, medical science, and animal husbandry. Today professionals from varied disciplines like IT, engineering, and life sciences are working together to develop medicines, plants, fertilisers and a variety of other substances that could be of benefit to the society as a whole.

Genetic engineering, which made cloning possible, is another area where biotechnology is being widely applied. Because of its applications in day-to-day life, it has been predicted to be the most sought after career in near future.

The research and studies worldwide in the field of biotechnology generates numerous data that needs to be compiled and analysed quickly so that the results inferred may be put to immediate use. For this biotechnologists put to use latest computer-aided equipment and software. This is quite often referred as bioinformatics in which IT tools combine with biotechnology. Since India has a large pool of qualified manpower in disciplines like basic science, mathematics, computer programming, it has a tremendous business and job potential.

The USA is said to be among the pioneers in research, development and manufacturing of biotechnology products such as life-saving drugs, pesticides, healthier food products, insect resistant seeds, environmental and water cleanup techniques. In America alone it is estimated that there are hundreds of companies in the biotechnology industry employing thousands of qualified and trained professionals. With IT tools and techniques getting merged in the process, the demand for software and hardware professionals has grown proportionately. At present, this industry offers an attractive career potential for persons with science background and having proficiency in computer languages. Besides lucrative salaries, these multinationals, some of which operate in India also, offer several perks and benefits to their employees.

In health care, biotechnology has helped in development of such wonderful drugs like Penicillin and several other antibiotics. It has also helped in invention of vaccine for Hepatitis B and Vitamins like B-Complex. With the genetic engineering, scientists have been able to develop cure for several hereditary disorders that were till now incurable. In the field of agriculture and animal husbandry, biotechnology has helped in producing disease and herbicide resistant crops to improve nutritional contents of plants. Similarly it helps in finding out ways and means of utilising barren land for agriculture or growing vegetation in areas where water is highly saline. Farm animals that are genetically developed with the help of biotechnology are far more healthier and produce better yield.

In food processing, products like bread, vinegar, beer, etc. are now produced more nutritionally with the help of latest fermentation techniques. In environment and pollution management, the technology helps in efficient disposal of human and other wastes as well as control pollution due to petroleum products. Presently scientists and engineers are working all over the globe for developing alternate source of fuel that may be less polluting and renewable in nature.

As biotechnology encompasses important areas like health care, food and dairy products, animal husbandry, awareness has come at government level on utility of this industry. A separate department of Biotechnology exists under ministry of science and technology. Gujarat government has also constituted Council of Biotechnology for research and development in the field of marine, agriculture, horticulture and dairy.

India with its large population has immense opportunity for growth of Biotechnology industry as it offers a huge qualified manpower resource for the research and manufacturing companies. Besides, it also offers a big market for consumption of those newly developed biotech products like medicine and nutritional food. There are several important applications of biotechnology and if projects are properly implemented and resources effectively utilised, can do wonders for Indian society.

The biotechnology industry broadly offers job opportunity for IT professionals in departments like R&D, quality control, manufacturing and information systems. Scientific programmer analysts are required to design, develop, review or update software for scientific problems related to research projects. They are also required to determine system specifications, hardware and software compatibility for the developed programs. A quality control analyst conducts analysis of raw material as well as finished products with the help of computer-aided tools and equipment. They review data generated and check abnormalities. These are required to update operating procedures and are often involved in troubleshooting in case of any analytical or instrument problems. A system analyst is responsible for maintenance of operating systems and assists users on working with different programs and systems. He is also required to interact with vendors as well as customers.

The qualification required for the above jobs is generally graduation or post-graduation in science with MCA, Computer Engineering, B.Tech or M.Tech in biotechnology. A person should be proficient in programming, data processing and relevant system software. Number of universities and colleges in India and abroad are offering courses in biotechnology. Those who are interested in pursuing a career in this discipline can join these institutes.

Some leading foreign institutions are Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, Nottingham University. In India, Pune University offers an advanced diploma in Bio informatics. Those having done MCA, M.Sc in physics, veterinary sciences, mathematics, B.Tech or MBBS can apply for this course. For B.Tech course in biotechnology, JNU conducts entrance examination all over the country and minimum eligibility is +2 with science and mathematics. These examinations are conducted at different places including Amritsar, Delhi, Mumbai, Jammu and Jaipur. However a person needs to have strong logical and analytical skills as well as aptitude for research work.

Curriculum for B.Tech.or M.Tech. courses includes subjects like biochemistry, genetics, immunology and bioinformatics, besides regular engineering subjects of electronics, fluid mechanics. Various institutes and universities that are offering academic courses in biotechnology and related field are IIT Delhi and Kharagpur; Dr B.R. Ambedkar Regional Engineering College, Jalandhar; AIIMS, Delhi; GNDU, Amritsar; Punjab University, Chandigarh; Anna University, Centre for Biotechnology, Chennai; G.B.Pant University, Patnagar; etc. Research facilities are also available in some other institutes for those interested in advance research. Some of these are Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Calcutta; Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore; Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi:

Many Indian and multinational firms are offering growth oriented job opportunities in biotechnology or bioinformatics. In pharmaceutical industry major players are Bayer and Pfizer. Similarly firms like Godrej, SPIC, have a separate biotechnology division for R&D related jobs. Openings also exist in the aqua-culture and marine technology and in various government and privately sponsored research projects. Salaries earned by professionals in these firms generally range from Rs.20, 000 to 30,000 per month. However, in the USA and European countries pay package is much higher due to complexity of job and shortage of trained professionals.