Vol. 02 NO 18
NEWS - PAGE 2
BHARAT BIOTECH COMMITS TO 1 CRORE
WORTH VACCINES IN TELANGANA
Twisty “Knot” DNA IN LIVING CELLS
TWISTY “KNOT” DNA
DISCOVERED IN LIVING CELLS
FOR THE FIRST TIME
Scientists have now discovered a new struc-
ture inside human cells: a never-before-seen
twisted “knot” of DNA. Dubbed the “i-mo-
tif,” this four-stranded knot looks totally dif-
ferent from the iconic double helix. This dis-
covery in living cells confirms our complex
genetic code is crafted with more intricate
symmetry than just the double helix struc-
ture everybody associates with DNA – and
the forms these molecular variants take affect
how our biology functions.
The twisted knot structure only occurs in
a relatively small region of a genome, like a
knot in the helical double strands of DNA.
In the twisted knot structure, Cs bind to Cs
instead of to Gs.
This phenomenon was first observed in labs
in the 1990s, but for a long time it seemed that
the structure could only occur under acidic
conditions that did not exist inside a living
cell. More recent work has shown the knots
could also occur in other environments. On
a hunch, Garvan Institute researchers devel-
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NEWS - PAGE 7
TEMPERATURE INFLUENCES FAT EPIGE-
NETICS: STUDY
oped an antibody that could sniff out i-mo-
tifs in the genome and identify them, tagging
them with an immunofluorescent glow.
This allowed researchers to see how fre-
quently and where these knots of DNA occur.
They found that the i-motifs are could fold
and unfold depending on the acidity of their
surroundings, and that the codes were gener-
ally found in areas of the genome involved in
whether or not a certain gene gets expressed.
This suggests the i-motifs may be some kind
of switch that can regulate gene expression.
“What excited us most is that we could see
the green spots – the I-motifs – appearing
and disappearing over time,” says Mahdi Ze-
raati, the first author of the paper. “It seems
likely that they are there to help switch genes
on or off.”
Rather shockingly, the I-motif doesn’t just
disobey the structural rules, it also disobeys
the normally strict base-pairing rules for
NEWS - PAGE 6
INDIAN GOVERNMENT
ENTERS BIOTECH-CHAMPIONING FINANCE
AGREEMENT WITH WORLD BANK
By Disha Padmanabha
DNA, which hold that adenine always binds
to thymine, and cytosine always hooks up
with guanine. In this instance, the structure is
formed by two cytosines pairing up.
Given that 98% of the genome does not
code for proteins, yet much of this DNA code
predicts health and disease, the push is on to
decode this information. “Its probably not
one dimensional but three or four dimension-
al”, says Mattick. As Dinger puts it, “These
findings will set the stage for a whole new
May 2nd, 2018.
SCHOLARSHIP/ADMISSIONS
PAGES 8-12
SCIENCE
GOES one step
FURTHER
IN DISCOVERING
This unusual DNA is typically present in
the wild and has *knot* been seen in living
cells hitherto. The traditional double helix
DNA occurring in living cells has now got
an upgrade- a twisted knot upgrade.
Human genome function is underpinned
by the primary storage of genetic infor-
mation in canonical B-form DNA, with a
second layer of DNA structure providing
regulatory control. I-motif structures are
thought to form in cytosine-rich regions
of the genome and to have regulatory
functions; however, in vivo evidence for
the existence of such structures has so far
remained elusive.
push to understand what this new DNA shape
is really for.”
In the future, Zeraati and colleagues will
attempt to learn what exact functions these
DNA structures serve inside our bodies. Also,
perhaps other alternative DNA conforma-
tions exist in human live cells, as well, such
as A-DNA, Z-DNA, triplex DNA, and cruci-
form DNA. Such discoveries might open the
gates for a new age of genetic research.
GIVE MISSED CALL TO
080-395-34707
1
May 2nd, 2018.
Bharat Biotech Commits
to 1 Crore Worth Vaccines
in Telangana
The pioneering Indian vaccine maker has
now announced that it will be supplying Rs.
1 crore worth of vaccines in the Telangana
region on its 20th year eve. The commitment
letter was handed over to the Hon’ble Minis-
ter Shri. KT Rama Rao, Cabinet Minister for
IT E&C, MAUD, Industries & Commerce,
Mines & Geology, Public Enterprises and
NRI Affairs, Government of Telangana.
The Genome Valley based biotech will be
undertaking the distribution of Rotavac and
TypbarTCV vaccines that have got global
recognition and endorsement from World
Health Organisation. Speaking at the logo
launch, Rama Rao said, “Bharat has been
instrumental in making Hyderabad a vaccine
capital of the world. We will soon be having
Genome Valley 2.0 to further strengthen our
position in the global biotech destination.”
“Our journey began 20 years ago and we
have demonstrated our expertise in all activ-
ities required for an integrated biotech com-
pany. Our focus is on preventing infectious
Chinese Biotech Could be
the Next Major Player in
Pharma
Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.,
a subsidiary of Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine
Co., Ltd, is a fully integrated pharmaceutical
company in China, with annual net sales of
over U.S. $1.4 billion. Hengrui’s products
and R&D span over multiple therapeutic ar-
eas, such as oncology and hematology, anes-
thesiology and pain management, cardiovas-
cular and metabolic diseases, contrast media,
and anti-inflammation.
Recognised as the top innovative Chinese
drug company, with about 20 new molecu-
lar entities entering clinical trials and dozens
more under pre-clinical development- it is
now pitched to the next Roche in the market,
Bloomberg reports.
Hengrui specializes in new medicines for
antineoplastics, endocrine system, cardiovas-
cular and the immune system. Last year, Hen-
grui achieved a breakthrough with the China
approval of apatinib, a small-molecule an-
ti-angiogenesis targeting agent for late-stage
gastric cancer. Apatinib is currently undergo-
ing phase II trials in China for liver and lung
cancer indications.
The company also has two simultaneous
trials under way in the U.S. and China. Py-
rotinib, an EGFR/HER2 inhibitor for HER2+
breast cancer is in phase II, and retgliptin,
a DPP-4 inhibitor for type II diabetes is in
phase III.
But in the last three years Hengrui has ded-
icated itself to biologics as well, Lianshan
Zhang, vice president and head of R&D at
Hengrui.
Formed in 1970 as a state-owned company,
it began investing in its own R&D in 2004
and has since cultivated an innovative drug
subsidiary that employs 2,000 people.
2
Vol. 02 NO 18
diseases and to reduce its public health im-
pact,” Dr. Krishna Ella said.
Since it began its operations 20 years ago at
Genome Valley, Bharat Biotech has emerged
as a trusted vaccine research, development
& manufacturing partner to governments,
public health agencies, healthcare providers,
delivering at global scale with highest degree
of indigenisation capabilities, and leveraging
advancements in new molecule research.
Led by over 50 patents, a strong pipeline
of vaccine brands that is accessible in over
100 countries Bharat Biotech is a uniquely
integrated company that has built strong in-
frastructure to consolidate its leadership to
make made in India vaccines for the world.
The announcement was made jointly with
the company’s decision to renew its corpo-
rate logo.
By Disha Padmanabha
Hengrui invests more than 10% of its sales
in R&D, “which is big by Chinese stand-
ards.” With sales of $1.6 billion last year,
Hengrui does most of its business in China.
The company may file for approval to market
its first biotech drug in the second half and
push out innovative drugs every two to three
years thereafter, reckons China International
Capital Corp.
There’s a caveat says Bloomberg- Hengrui
is one of the world’s most expensive large- By Disha Padmanabha
cap healthcare providers. Valued at 56 times
forward earnings, it’s outstripped only by
South Korea’s Celltrion Inc., whose pipeline
holds great potential as biologic drugs reach
their patent cliffs.
China wants to go big on biotech- something
that’s been long in the making and neither is
the country shy on the subject- the country
is the site of about a third of global trials of
chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T)
therapy, a type of immune treatment in which
cells are removed from a patient, armed with
proteins that allow them to recognize cancer,
and reinserted into the body.
Therefore, all this put together, for the time
being, investors are unfazed- so all’s going
well for Hengrui.
Vol. 02 NO 18
Gene Correction in
Transfusion-Dependent
Thalassemia Works
Wonders
β-thalassemia is an inherited blood disease
that can cause severe anemia, a condition
where there are not enough healthy red blood
cells in the blood. β-thalassemia is one of the
most common genetic diseases in the world,
and approximately 60,000 children are born
every year with a serious form of the disease.
Transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia, also
called β-thalassemia major or Cooley’s ane-
mia, is fatal within the first few years of life
if not treated. Treatment of transfusion-de-
pendent β-thalassemia includes frequent and
lifelong blood transfusions, which deliver
healthy red blood cells to the body to correct
the anemia.
However, blood transfusions can cause too
much iron to build up in the body. Because
iron build up cannot be eliminated naturally,
accumulated iron can damage vital organs
especially the heart and the liver – and cause
additional issues, such as abdominal pain,
weakness, fatigue and joint pain. Patients
Kerala Startup
Encashes on Azolla to
Crank Up Cattle Yield
Fifty-five million years ago, when scientists
believe the Earth was in a near-runaway state,
dangerously overheated by greenhouse gas-
es, the Arctic Ocean was also a very different
place. It was a large lake, connected to the
greater oceans by one primary opening: the
Turgay Sea.
When this channel closed or was blocked
nearly 50 million years ago, the enclosed
body of water became the perfect habitat for
a small-leaved fern called Azolla. Imagine
the Arctic like the Dead Sea of today: It was a
hot lake that had become stratified, suffering
from a lack of exchange with outside waters.
That meant its waters were loaded with ex-
cess nutrients.
Azolla took advantage of the abundant ni-
trogen and carbon dioxide, two of its favorite
foods, and flourished. Large populations
formed thick mats that covered the body of
the lake. When rainfall increased from the
changing climate, flooding provided a thin
layer of fresh water for Azolla to creep out-
ward, over parts of the surrounding conti-
nents.
Azolla bloomed and died like this in cycles
who receive ongoing blood transfusions must
also take medicines to remove the excess
iron. Those medicines, called iron chelation
therapy, also have side effects and can nega-
tively impact a patient’s quality of life.
Now, Swiss-US firm bluebird bio has re-
sults from two clinical studies showing its
LentiGlobin gene therapy is effective in treat-
ing patients with beta-thalassemia.
The results clearly indicate that the technol-
ogy could remove the need for patients with
beta-thalassemia to get regular blood transfu-
sions, which can cause iron to build up in a
patient’s blood, damaging the heart, liver and
other organs.
In this international clinical trial of Blue-
bird’s treatment, 15 out of 22 patients with
the disease were able to stop blood transfu-
sions entirely after receiving the therapy. The
other seven patients, the majority of whom
had the most severe form of the disease, now
need transfusions less often.
for roughly 1 million years, each time laying
down an additional layer of the thick blanket
of sediment that was finally found in 2004 by
the Arctic Coring Expedition.
Now, this mighty, legendary fern is aiding a
student startup at Kerala boost the production
of cattle milk.
As a solution to the country’s lacking poul-
try nutrition, students of MET’s School of
Engineering in Mala identified the impor-
tance of Azolla, an aquatic fern found com-
monly in India covering large water surfaces,
and used it to begin a startup venture.
21-year-old Nikhil VM, a third-year stu-
dent at the institute along with a bunch of his
friends started out by promoting variants of
dried and green Azolla- which in turn was
found to be extremely wholesome given
the fern’s ability to grow at lightning speed
across the water and provide wholesome nu-
trients thereby facilitating its use as a form
of livestock feed and come to the rescue of
poultry and dairy farmers.
“The idea came because there are a lot of
In the Bluebird Bio treatment, blood stem
cells are taken from patients and modified by
a virus that inserts a working copy of the gene
that is defective in people with beta-thalas-
semia. The patients receive chemotherapy to
remove the blood stem cells with defective
genes from their bodies, then the modified
stem cells carrying the proper gene are in-
fused to replace them.
“These interim data demonstrate the poten-
tial of LentiGlobin gene therapy to address
the underlying genetic cause of TDT and
increase production of functional red blood
cells,” said Dave Davidson, M.D., Bluebird’s
chief medical officer.
“Nearly all patients in the two studies with
a non-β0/β0genotype achieved freedom from
chronic blood transfusions and, important-
ly, several of these patients reached normal
or near-normal total hemoglobin levels and
sustained those levels throughout the interim
study period. We hope the refined manufac-
turing process implemented in our ongoing
pivotal trials of LentiGlobin will translate
into further normalization of total hemoglo-
poultry and dairy farmers near our college.
We see them every day. But they were using
ordinary livestock feed which had no micro-
nutrients at all. So we thought of experiment-
ing with Azolla,” says Nikhil, who took the
idea via his college professor to the Kerala
Startup Mission (KSM).
To convince KSM for funding to take the
product forward, the students built a tem-
porary tank on their college terrace to grow
Azolla. “Getting the seeds was the toughest
part. We couldn’t get them anywhere. Final-
ly, we found a farmer who had grown it in a
small tank. We bought some from him,” says
May 2nd, 2018.
By Disha Padmanabha
bin levels across genotypes.”
“We look forward to our first filing in the
European Union (EU) this year and continue
to work closely with investigators and regu-
latory authorities to complete our trials and
bring this important treatment option to pa-
tients as soon as possible,” Davidson said.
Nine of the twenty-two patients suffered
from severe beta thalassemia, and, after treat-
ment, the number of blood transfusions they
required fell by seventy-four per cent. Three
of the nine no longer need any transfusions
at all. The same is true of twelve of the thir-
teen patients with the less severe version of
the disease.
So far, the subjects of the trial have been ob-
served for a maximum of forty-two months,
but they will be monitored long into the fu-
ture, to insure that the benefits of the therapy
persist and cause no serious side effects. One
early concern—that the procedure could dis-
rupt the DNA of the stem cells, potentially
triggering leukemia—has not, fortunately,
come to fruition.
By Disha Padmanabha
Nikhil.
“We got really good feedback. The dairy
farmers said they could notice a rise of 20 per
cent in milk production from a cow after they
used our Azolla,” Nikhil told The Indian Ex-
press. “Farmers don’t know the importance
of Azolla. There’s no awareness. We want to
go and tell them about its benefits.”
Whereas the team is not looking at numbers
at the moment, they do intend toscale up pro-
duction, in order to help more dairy and poul-
try farmers in Kerala in the near future.
3
May 2nd, 2018. Vol. 02 NO 18

Monsanto’s BT Cotton
Patent Plea Snubbed by
Delhi HC
Cotton and other monocultured crops re-
quire an intensive use of pesticides as various
types of pests attack these crops causing ex-
tensive damage. Over the past 40 years, many
pests have developed resistance to pesticides.
So far, the only successful approach to en-
gineering crops for insect tolerance has been
the addition of Bt toxin, a family of toxins
originally derived from soil bacteria. These
toxins are effective against a variety of eco-
nomically important crop pests but pose no
hazard to non-target organisms like mammals
and fish. Three Bt crops are now commercial-
ly available: corn, cotton, and potato.
As of now, cotton is the most popular of the
Bt crops: it was planted on about 1.8 million
acres (728437 ha) in 1996 and 1997. The Bt
gene was isolated and transferred from a bac-
terium bacillus thurigiensis to American cot-
ton. The American cotton was subsequently
crossed with Indian cotton to introduce the
gene into native varieties.
When Monsanto wanted to introduce Bt
Cotton into India, it did so through a part-
nership with Mahyco, a well-known seed
company based in Maharashtra to form Mon-
santo-Mahyco Biotech (MMB). Monsanto
provided the technology and Mahyco would
produce local seeds and distribute them.
This way Monsanto ensures the spread of
the technology while it takes a share of prof-
its from each of the seed companies. Today
Monsanto has a clear monopoly in the Bt
Cotton market, which is why they can sell
each seed packet at the same price that they
do in the USA. However during the time of
crop failure the company is not around to
take on the liability in addition to all the har-
assment of farmers.
And in order to curb this unhealthy situa-
tion, the government cut royalties that local
seed companies pay to Monsanto, for the sec-
ond time in two years. This follows previous
attempts to defang Monsanto.
In a landmark judgment, the Delhi HC or-
der turned down Monsanto India’s patent
on Bt cotton technology- thereby ending a
prolonged row between the US agri-biotech
major and seed companies in India over the
issue of the patent over the plant material.
The court also said that the seed companies
will pay the trait value as ascertained by the
Government.
As a result, the patent held by Monsanto,
through its Indian arm Mahyco-Monsanto
Biotech Ltd (MMBL) over its Bollgard-II Bt
cotton seed technology, a genetically modi-
fied variant which resists the bollworm pest,
was decreed to be unenforceable in India.
The division bench of justices Ravindra
Bhat and Yogesh Khanna, however, permit-
ted MMBL to approach the Protection of
Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority
(PPVFRA) under the agriculture ministry for
registering the variety within three months,
following which the authority will decide on
a benefit-sharing mechanism. Currently, trait
fees on Bt cotton seeds are decided by a price
control committee under the agriculture min-
istry.
The court’s order came in a case filed in
2015 by Monsanto, through MMBL, against
Nuziveedu Seeds and its subsidiaries for
selling Bt cotton seeds using its patented
technology despite termination of a licence
agreement in November 2015. The order
and the court’s interpretation of section 3(j)
of the Patents Act, 1970, may prove to be an
impediment for entry of new technology in
Indian agriculture as technology developers
will lose pricing freedom.
By Disha Padmanabha
Reacting to the judgment, a spokesperson
for Monsanto India in a statement said: “As
a company focused on bringing relevant in-
novation to India’s farmers, MMB (Mahyco
Monsanto Biotech) is very disappointed with
today’s order by the Delhi High Court. Over
the years MMB has conducted its business in
adherence with all applicable laws of India
and all our patents were granted after due
review under these laws. Today’s order will
have wide-ranging, negative implications
for biotech-based innovation across many
sectors within India, and is inconsistent with
other international markets where agricul-
tural innovation has flourished.”
After the verdict was pronounced, Monsan-
to sought that the decision be kept in abey-
ance for a few weeks so that it could file an
appeal in the Supreme Court. The high court
declined to keep the operation of its decision
in Bench, but granted the US company a cer-
tificate of fitness to file an appeal in the apex
court.

Deep Buried Link between

Extrachromosomal DNA
and Tumors Unearthed
Cancer genomes are subject to continuous
mutagenic processes in combination with
insufficient DNA damage repair. Chemo-
therapy and ionizing radiation may further
enhance tumor evolution by eliminating cells
lacking the ability to cope with increased lev-
els of genotoxic stress, while targeted thera-
py may favor subclones in which the targeted
vulnerability is absent.
GBM, a World Health Organization (WHO)
grade IV astrocytoma, is the most prevalent
and aggressive primary central nervous sys-
tem tumor. GBM is characterized by poor
response to standard post-resection radiation
and cytotoxic therapy, resulting in dismal
prognosis with a 2-year survival rate around
15%.
The genomic and transcriptomic landscape
of GBM has been extensively described. To
evaluate how genomically heterogeneous tu-
mor cell populations are affected by selective
pressures arising from the transitions from
tumor to culture to xenograft, scientists at
the Henry Ford Health System’s Hermelin
Brain Tumor Center in Detroit and The Jack-
son Laboratory (JAX) have now performed
a comprehensive genomic and transcriptom-
ic analysis of 13 GBMs, highlighting the
evolutionary process of GBM cells, placing
emphasis on the diverging dynamics of chro-
mosomal DNA alterations and extrachromo-
somally amplified DNA elements in tumor
evolution.
A multi-institutional team led by Professor
Roel Verhaak, Ph.D., of The Jackson Labo-
ratory (JAX) and Ana C. deCarvalho, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor from Henry Ford Health
System’s Hermelin Brain Tumor Center in
Detroit, MI, conducted a detailed analyses
of the tumor cells from patient to culture to
mouse revealed that, for the most part, the
cells retained the same genomic lesions.
The primary caveat was the finding that in
a few cases, the numbers of oncogene copies
differed between tumors and the cultures and
PDX mouse samples derived from them. If
an oncogene is increased or amplified, that
can both cause and maintain cancer, so dif-
ferences in gene amplification can be very
important.
“The selective advantage conferred to tu-
mor cells by the regulation of oncogene copy
number in ecDNA has not been sufficiently
addressed in interpreting results in the lab-
oratory or in clinical trials. Using the GBM
patient-derived models carrying cDNA am-
plification of the most frequent oncogenes,
we are developing and testing novel combi-
nation therapies specific for each unique tu- By Disha Padmanabha
mor,” says de Carvalho.
appears to be far more random. Sometimes will survive severe stress, such as stresses
both daughter cells inherit DNA, but some- caused by a chemotherapy or radiation.”
ecDNA elements were first discovered
times all or most of it will end up in one cell “We think targeting DNA has huge poten-
when directly under microscopes in cancer
and not the other. tial for the development of new cancer treat-
cells more than 50 years ago, but it remains
ments,” says Verhaak. “We’re now working to
unknown how they arise in the first place.
“The process quickly creates important dif- develop sequencing-based protocols to iden-
Unlike chromosomal DNA, these “extras”
ferences between cells within the same tumor, tify DNA more efficiently. The bigger goal is
are inherited inconsistently as a tumor grows.
and it helps accelerate the evolution of can- to learn how and why DNA elements form. If
That is, when a cancer cell divides, the DNA
cer,” says Verhaak. “It provides the cells with we can block those mechanisms, we’ll have
on the chromosomes almost always gets ac-
more ways to evade stress. Therefore, there’s a way to prevent the evolution, and perhaps
curately duplicated and remains the same in
a better chance that at least some of the cells even the formation, of many cancers.“
the daughter cells. But ecDNA inheritance

4
Vol. 02 NO 18
Scientists Generate
“Essentialome” with the
Help of CRISPR Screening
Haploid cells allow genetic screening
through the generation of a highly enriched
hemizygous mutant library, owing to the sin-
gle set of chromosomes in these cells. Much
previous work on haploid genetics has been
carried out in unicellular organisms, but re-
cent developments have made it possible to
extend this field into mammalian cells.
Now, however, scientists at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem isolated haploid
human embryonic stem cells and performed
a genome-wide CRISPR–Cas9-based loss-
of-function screen on karyotypically normal
haploid hPSCs to define the genes essential
for normal growth and survival of human
PSCs and the genes that restrict their growth.
“Our screen revealed the essence of hP-
SC-specific genes and marked the major
pathways that regulate the growth of these
cells,” the scientists wrote in its published
paper in Nature Cell Biology. The results
also revealed opposing roles for tumor sup-
pressors and oncogenes, evaluated the role of
genes for hereditary diseases in early devel-
opment and growth in humans and showed
how carcinogenic genes could affect the
growth of the human embryo.
In a Moonshot for Biology,
Earth BioGenome Project
to Sequence all of the
Planet’s Eukaryotic
Biodiversity
Increasing our understanding of Earth’s bi-
odiversity and responsibly stewarding its re-
sources are among the most crucial scientific
and social challenges of the new millennium.
And powerful advances in genome sequenc-
ing technology, informatics, automation, and
artificial intelligence, have propelled human-
kind to the threshold of a new beginning in
understanding, utilizing, and conserving bi-
odiversity. For the first time in history, it is
possible to efficiently sequence the genomes
of all known species and to use genomics to
help discover the remaining 80 to 90 percent
of species that are currently hidden from sci-
ence.
Therefore, a new ambitious project dubbed
a moonshot for biological science- The Earth
BioGenome Project- aims to sequence the
DNA of all the planet’s eukaryotes, some 1.5
million known species including all known
plants, animals, and single-celled organisms.
The ambitious project will take 10 years to
complete and cost an estimated $4.7 billion.
The project stands to redefine our under-
standing of life on Earth, the researchers
claim and carve inroads in other fields such
as conservation, technology, genomics, and
medicine, among others. It might also lead to
the discovery of 10 to 15 million eukaryotes
“This study creates a new framework for
understanding what it means to be an em-
bryonic stem cell on it genetic level, “says
co-author Atilgan Yilmaz, Ph.D. “The more
complete a picture we have of nature in these
cells, the better chances we have for success-
ful therapies in the clinic.”
The researchers analyzed virtually all hu-
man genes in the human genome by gener-
ating more than 180,000 distinct mutations.
To produce such a vast array of mutations,
they combined a sophisticated gene-editing
technology (CRISPR-Cas9 screening) with a
new type of embryonic stem cells that was
recently isolated by the same research group.
This new type of stem cells harbors only a
single copy of the human genome, instead of
two copies from the mother and father, mak-
ing gene editing easier thanks to the need of
mutating only one copy for each gene.
The study found that a mere 9% of all the
genes in the human genome are essential for
the growth and survival of human embryonic
stem cells, whereas 5% of them actually limit
the growth of these cells.
The team could also analyze the role of
genes responsible for all hereditary disorders
species still unknown, the bulk of which is
believed to be single-celled organisms, in-
sects, or tiny marine life.
A goal as ambitious as this one requires the
help of many people. As such, the project will
gather citizen scientists and students around
the globe for help. Whatever data they gather
will end up being available for free for other
scientific uses.
EBP calls for scientists to sequence the ge-
nomes of 9,330 species, one from each plant,
animal and protozoan taxonomic family as
reference genomes in the first three years.
Then, the plan calls for sequencing the ge-
nome of one species from each genus—the
next taxonomic division finer than family—
during years four to seven, although in less
detail, for a total of about 150,000 genera.
The remaining 1.5 million species would be
sequenced in still less detail during the final
four years of the project.
“The partnership will construct a global
biology infrastructure project to sequence
life on the planet to enable solutions for pre-
serving the Earth’s biodiversity, managing
ecosystems, spawning bio-based industries
and sustaining human societies,” said Har-
ris Lewin, who chairs the Earth BioGenome
Project working group. Lewin holds appoint-
in early human development and growth.
Furthermore, they showed how cancer-caus-
ing genes could affect the growth of the hu-
man embryo.
“This gene atlas enables a new functional
view on how we study the human genome and
provides a tool that will change the fashion
by which we analyze and treat cancer and ge-
netic disorders,” said Prof. Nissim Benven-
isty, MD, PhD, Director of the Azrieli Center
for Stem Cells and Genetic Research and the
ments in the Department of Evolution and
Ecology and the UC Davis Genome Center.
Technology will be key to the project, such
as terrestrial and underwater robots, portable
genetic sequencers and instrumented drones
that can go out, identify samples in the field,
and bring those samples back to the laborato-
ry. When completed, the project is expected
to require about one exabyte (1 billion giga-
bytes) of digital-storage capacity.
The EBP, however, is not beginning its
massive task from scratch. It is building on
already-existing efforts to sequence the ge-
nomes of more specific taxonomic groups
such as the Global Invertebrate Genomics
Alliance (GIGA), which is targeting 7,000
non-insect/non-nematode species with an
emphasis on marine taxa, and the i5K Initia-
tive, which is sequencing the genomes of no
less than 5,000 arthropod species important
to agriculture and biological research.
So far, scientists from around the world,
individually and in various networks, have
sequenced the genomes of about 15,000 spe-
cies, less than 0.1 percent of all life on Earth.
The total cost for phase I of EBP is estimat-
ed at about $500 million. The total cost of
the 10-year project is expected to be roughly
$4.5 billion. EBP’s feasibility benefits from
the sharp decline in sequencing costs, down
from $10,000 per genome in 2001 to $1,000
today.
As a proof of concept project, Lewin and
May 2nd, 2018.
By Disha Padmanabha
Herbert Cohn Chair in Cancer Research at
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the
senior author of the study.
Another key finding of the study was the
identification of a small group of genes that
are uniquely essential for the survival of hu-
man embryonic stem cells but not to other
cell types. These genes are thought to main-
tain the identity of embryonic stem cells and
prevent them from becoming cancerous or
turning into adult cell types.
By Disha Padmanabha
partners have organized the Amazon Bank
of Codes initiative in the Amazon basin. The
pilot project aims to offer indigenous and tra-
ditional communities an opportunity to reap
a fair share of the economic value generated
from the use of biological data and natural as-
sets from their local biomes.
“Although a global enterprise of this scale
might initially seem technically challenging
or expensive, we are confident that we cur-
rently have all of the necessary tools and
knowledge to accomplish these audacious
goals through coordinated high-throughput
workflows that are replicated in ecosystems
throughout the world,” said Warren John-
son, a research zoologist at the Smithsonian
Conservation Biology Institute. “We are ful-
ly aware that the longer we wait to get or-
ganized and started, the more likely we are
to lose important biological insights of our
planet’s biodiversity.”
Natural history museums and botanical gar-
dens will serve a critical role in providing the
expertise on the classification of biodiversity
and the necessary genomic samples for anal-
yses to ensure the success of the Earth Bi-
oGenome Project. The National Museum of
Natural History’s Global Genome Initiative
(GGI) is already filling their liquid-nitrogen
tanks with samples provided by scientists
from around the globe.
5
May 2nd, 2018.
Indonesian “Sea Nomads”
are Aided by Genes for
Oxygen-Free Deep diving
Humans are the only mammals to have col-
onized all of Earth’s most extreme environ-
ments, from high altitude mountain chains to
the remote islands of the Pacific. Human phe-
notypic adaptations to extreme environments
have been the subject of much research, in
part because locally adapted populations pro-
vide an opportunity to study the genetic and
physiological consequences of environmen-
tal perturbations.
People in Tibet and Ethiopian highlands
have adapted to living at high altitudes, for
example. Cattle-herding people in East Af-
rica and northern Europe have gained a mu-
tation that helps them digest milk as adults.
Now, a team of researchers reported a new
kind of adaptation — not to air or to food, but
to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people
in Southeast Asia have evolved into better
divers.
For over 1,000 years, the Bajau people –
known as “sea nomads” have traversed the
seas in houseboats, hunting for food by free
diving with spears. As a result, the Southeast
Asian population has evolved a remarkably
ability to dive to great depths. Known for
their remarkable breath-holding abilities,
Bajau are capable of diving up to 70m with
nothing more than a set of weights and tradi-
tional wooden goggles.
But while the Bajau people’s talents have
long been known, it was unclear whether the
skill was the result of practice, as in the case
of the excellent underwater vision of Thai
“sea nomad” children, or the result of adap-
tations which have their roots in the Bajau
people’s DNA.
What wasn’t previously known was wheth-
er their preternatural diving skills have a ge-
netic basis, given that they may spend 60%
of their workdays underwater hunting for fish
and sea cucumbers.
“That doesn’t really compare to any other
humans. The closest thing to that is sea ot-
Indian Government
Enters Biotech-
Championing Finance
Agreement with World
Bank
The Central Government of India has now
reportedly entered a financial agreement with
the World Bank which will allow the latter
help India in developing an innovative biop-
harmaceutical and medical devices industry.
The USD 250 million agreement between
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance
Council, a PSU of Department of Biotechnol-
ogy, Department of Economic Affairs, Minis-
try of Finance and International Bank for Re-
construction and Development on behalf of
World Bank), which is intended for five years
6
ters,” said evolutionary geneticist Melissa
Ilardo, whose latest research focuses on a Ba-
jau community in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Previous work showed that in seals, ma-
rine mammals that spend much of their life
underwater, spleens are disproportionately
large. Study author Melissa Llardo from the
Center for Geogenetics at the University of
Copenhagen wanted to see if the same char-
acteristic was true for diving humans. During
a trip to Thailand, she heard about the sea no-
mads and was impressed by their legendary
abilities.
“I wanted to first meet the community, and
not just show up with scientific equipment
and leave,” she says of her initial travels to
Indonesia. “On the second visit, I brought a
portable ultrasound machine and spit collec-
tion kits. We went around to different homes,
and we would take images of their spleens.”
Over three trips in the summer of 2015, she
got to know people from the Bajau village of
Jaya Bakti in Indonesia. She explained her
work as a geneticist, went diving with them,
and learned about their lifestyles. On one trip,
she brought along an ultrasound machine,
and scanned the bodies of 59 villagers. That’s
when she realized that the Bajau have unu-
sually large spleens—50 percent bigger than
those of the Saluan, a neighboring group who
barely interact with the sea.
Ilardo took saliva samples from and per-
formed ultrasounds on 43 Bajau people and
34 Saluan people, who live on a nearby island
but are predominately farmers. She found
that while Saluan people had an average
spleen size of about 100 cubic centimeters,
Bajau spleens averaged 150 cubic centime-
ters—about the size of a tennis ball.
The spleen acts as a warehouse for oxy-
gen-carrying red blood cells. When mammals
hold their breath, the spleen contracts, expel-
with 50 percent funding through the World
Bank Loan, is aimed at the development of
novel, affordable and effective biopharma-
ceutical products.
This project will nurture next-generation
technical skills; provide companies with
advanced shared facilities to conduct clin-
ical validation; link clinical trial sites with
networks of expert advisors and interna-
tional bodies; and strengthen all institutions
involved in the facilitation and adoption of
global innovations, technologies, and licens-
ling those cells and boosting oxygen levels
by up to 10 percent. For that reason, the best
competition free divers tend to have the larg-
est spleens, as do the deepest-diving seals.
Ilardo suspected that the Bajau could have
genetically adapted spleens as a result of
their marine hunter-gatherer lifestyle, based
on findings in other mammals. “There’s not
a lot of information out there about human
spleens in terms of physiology and genetics,”
she said, “but we know that deep diving seals,
like the Weddell seal, have disproportionately
large spleens. I thought that if selection acted
on the seals to give them larger spleens, it
could potentially do the same in humans.”
Ilardo suspected that the Bajau could have
genetically adapted spleens as a resulet of
their marine hunter-gatherer lifestyle, based
on findings in other mammals. “There’s not
a lot of information out there about humen
spleens in terms of physiology and genetics,”
she said ”but we know that deep diving seals.
like the Weddel seal, have disproportionately
large spleens. I thought that if selection acted
on the seals to give them larger spleens, it
could potentially do the same in humans.”
Accordingly, and for the next stage of the
study, the researchers conducted a genetic
analysis. They uncovered over two dozen ge-
netic mutations, or variants, among the Ba-
jau people that were distinct when compared
to two other populations, the Saluan and the
Han Chinese. One marker, a gene known as
PDE10A, was associated with the enlarged
ing models.
This Programme of DBT would strength-
en the translational capability of academic
researchers; empower bio-entrepreneurs and
SMEs by decreasing the cost and risk during
early stages of product development and also
elevate the innovation quotient of the indus-
try.
The global experience of World Bank would
be instrumental in building sustained global
linkages, technical assistance and knowledge
flow between public-private partners for
Vol. 02 NO 18
By Disha Padmanabha
spleen. Scientists who work on mice are quite
familiar with this gene, as it regulates the thy-
roid hormone that controls the size of, you
guessed it, the spleen.
“Overall, our results suggest that the Bajau
have undergone unique adaptations associat-
ed with spleen size and the diving response,
adding new examples to the list of remark-
able genetic adaptations humans have expe-
rienced in recent evolutionary history,” con-
clude the authors in their study.
“The chance of finding evidence of popula-
tion-specific natural selection, even in a pop-
ulation as extreme as the Bajau, was pretty
slim,” says Ilardo. “It was very exciting to
find, and it just opens up so many possibil-
ities. I think it’s fascinating to see just how
extraordinary this population is, to think
that they’re almost like superhumans living
among us with these really extraordinary ca-
pabilities. But I also think natural selection is
a lot more powerful than we sometimes give
it credit for, and maybe we should be looking
for it in more places than we thought.”
More importantly, Ilardo’s team’s work
highlights the need to work with minori-
ty populations. “There’s incredible genetic
diversity [in Indonesia], and it’s really un-
der-characterized,” she says. People who
are not white are chronically omitted from
medical research, which leaves huge holes in
scientific literature.
By Disha Padmanabha
business promotion in the biotech sector.
This mission will mark the beginning of a
new partnership between DBT and World
Bank. It is envisaged that this programme
will revolutionize the Biotech market. It will
help deliver 6-10 new products in the next
five years, create several dedicated facilities
for next-generation skills, and hundreds of
jobs in the process.
Vol. 02 NO 18
Study Links Autism Risk
to Paternally Passed Down
Genes
A new study probing so-called noncoding
DNA has found that alterations in regions
that regulate gene activity may also contrib-
ute to autism. And surprisingly, these varia-
tions tended to be inherited from fathers who
aren’t autistic.
While de novo protein-altering variants
contribute to about a quarter of autism spec-
trum disorder (ASD) cases, researchers from
University of California, San Diego, suspect-
ed that variants affecting regulatory elements
could also contribute to risk of the condition.
UCSD’s Jonathan Sebat and his colleagues
searched for structural variants in cis-reg-
ulatory elements (CRE-SVs) within the
whole genomes of more than 9,000 people
from 2,600 families affected by ASD. The
researchers found that paternal-origin CRE-
SVs were more likely to be inherited by their
children with ASD rather than by their unaf-
fected children.
The newly discovered risk factors differ
from known genetic causes of autism in two
important ways. First, these variants do not
alter the genes directly but instead disrupt
the neighboring DNA control elements that
turn genes on and off, called cis-regulatory
elements or CREs. Second, these variants do
not occur as new mutations in children with
autism, but instead are inherited from their
parents.
“For ten years we’ve known that the ge-
netic causes of autism consist partly of de
novo mutations in the protein sequences of
genes” said Jonathan Sebat, a professor of
psychiatry, cellular and molecular medicine
and pediatrics at UC San Diego School of
Temperature Influences
Fat Epigenetics: Study
Cold stress is a major threat for warm-blood-
ed animals, and therefore adaptive thermo-
genesis to combat cold stress is crucial for
survival. Now, a new study has found a mo-
lecular mechanism that controls how lifestyle
choices and the external environment affect
gene expression.
The study by scientists at the University of
Tokyo and Tohoku University in Japan de-
momstrates how epigenome changes after
long-term exposure to cold temperatures,
and how those changes cause energy-stor-
ing white fat cells to become heat-producing
brown-like, or “beige,” fat cells.
Gene expression is regulated by epigenet-
ics – patterns of chemical signals that are
“above” the gene sequence. An individual’s
gene sequence is determined at conception,
but the external environment and an indi-
vidual’s lifestyle can change the epigenetic
sequence throughout a lifetime, continually
altering how genes are expressed.
“We believe that this is the first time that
anyone has collected data to prove that there
are two steps between the environmental
stimuli and epigenetic changes,” said Pro-
fessor Juro Sakai from the University of To-
May 2nd, 2018.
Medicine and chief of the Beyster Center for
Genomics of Psychiatric Genomics. “How-
ever, gene sequences represent only 2 percent
of the genome.”
The study is the largest yet to explore how
mutations outside of genes contribute to au-
tism: It is based on an analysis of 9,274 whole
genomes. And it focuses on ‘structural vari-
ants’—deletions or duplications in DNA—in
these noncoding regions. Once dismissed as
‘junk DNA,’ some of these regions are now
known to control the expression of genes.
Sebat and his colleagues sequenced the ge-
nomes of 311 families that have at least one
child with autism. They also analyzed the
genomes of 518 individuals with autism and
their unaffected parents and siblings. Sebat’s
team detected structural variants of 100 or
more DNA letters. They found an average
of about 3,700 such inherited variants in any
one person.
The researchers further analyzed structur-
al variants, deleted or duplicated segments
of DNA that disrupt regulatory elements of
genes, dubbed CRE-SVs. From the complete
genomes of families, the researchers found
By Disha Padmanabha
that CRE-SVs that are inherited from parents
also contributed to ASD.
some protein-coding variants are inherited these parent-of-origin effects, but he has pro-
predominantly from mothers, a phenome- posed a plausible model.
“We also found that CRE-SVs were inher-
non known as a maternal origin effect. The
ited predominantly from fathers, which was
paternal origin effect we see for non-coding “There is a wide spectrum of genetic vari-
a surprise,” said co-first author William M.
variants suggests that the inherited genetic ation in the human population, with coding
Brandler, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Se-
contribution from mothers and fathers may variants having strong effects and noncoding
bat’s lab at UC San Diego and bioinformatics
be qualitatively different.” variants having weaker effects“, he said. “If
scientist at HLI.
men and women differ in their capacity to tol-
Sebat said current research does not explain erate such variants, this could give rise to the
“Previous studies have found evidence that
with certainty what mechanism determines parent-of-origin effects that we see.”
kyo and Tohoku University, an expert in the
epigenetics of metabolism.
We have three types of fat- brown, white
and, now we are finding out, beige. Brown
fat, which is the fat we are born with that al-
lows babies at birth to go from a warm uterus
of 98 degrees Fahrenheit to room tempera-
ture of around 74 degrees. This fat is not as-
sociated with health problems. It got its name
because it looks brown under a microscope
due to its containing many mitochondria, the
powerhouses of cells that produce energy.
Mitochondria contain a protein called UCP1 By Disha Padmanabha
that breaks down fat to make heat.
The researchers explain that the process search team has discovered sites within the
Researchers in the study of mice at the
begins when the cold kick-starts a change protein sequence that are extremely specific
University of Tokyo found that long-term
in a protein called JMJD1A. When com- for controlling different activities of the pro-
cold exposure can actually stress the white
bined with other proteins, this altered protein tein. Manipulating those specific amino acids
fat cells into developing more mitochondria
changes the way a gene functions in produc- may provide precision drug targets.
and eventually becoming more efficient, cal-
ing heat. Subsequently, a chemical process
orie-burning beige cells.
called thermogensis is initiated which chang- “Understanding how the environment influ-
One group of mice was kept at 39 degrees
es epigenetic patterns so white fat cells are ences metabolism is scientifically, pharmaco-
Fahrenheit and another at 86 degrees Fahr-
transformed into beige fat cells, which func- logically, and medically interesting. Our next
enheit for one week. Without any change
tion like brown fat cells. experiments will look more closely at epige-
in diet, the mice that were kept at the lower
The JMJD1A protein is involved in a wide netic modifications within the thermogenesis
temperature had more thermogenic activity-
variety of other processes, including cancer, signaling pathway so that we may manipu-
meaning their cells were able to burn calories
infertility, stem cell renewal, and sex deter- late it,” said Sakai.
and stored fat to create heat.
mination of an embryo. However, Sakai’s re-
7
May 2nd, 2018.
SCHOLARSHIP & ADMISSIONS
Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Individual Fellowships (IF)
2018 @ CEFIPRA
Indian nationals are encouraged to apply
for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual
Fellowships (IF): European Fellowships
(EFs) and Global Fellowships (GFs). Can-
didates from all STEM fields are encour-
aged to apply for the Marie Skłodows-
ka-Curie Individual Fellowships. Check
out all of the details on the same below:
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fel-
lowships (IF): European Fellowships (EFs)
and Global Fellowships (GFs)
Individual Fellowships are aimed at individ-
ual fellows who already have a doctorate or
equivalent research experience. This fellow-
ship help experienced researchers to advance
their careers and gain new skills through ad-
vanced training, international mobility, and
optional intersectoral secondments. Europe-
an Fellowships are held in Member States or
countries Associated with Horizon 2020 and
are open to researchers either coming to Eu-
rope or moving within Europe. There are two
types of Individual fellowships: European
Fellowships and Global Fellowships.
European Fellowships | India → Europe:
European Fellowships are open to Indian
researchers currently within or outside Eu-
rope who want to work in an EU Member
State or Associated Country (MS or AC). The
mobility rule applies to the MS or AC (i.e.
the researcher must not have lived, worked,
or studied in the MS or AC for more than 12
months during the 3 years prior to deadline).
The duration of the fellowship is 12 to 24
months and primarily covers the salary of the
researcher.
Opportunities for India researchers :
European Fellowships may be attractive for
postdoctoral or more senior Indian research-
ers seeking positions and advanced research
and/or innovation training in Europe. Indi-
an researchers are eligible to receive fund-
ing under the MSCA European Fellowships
scheme.
Global Fellowships | Europe → India:
Global Fellowships are based on a second-
ment to a non-European country (e.g. India)
and a compulsory 12 month return phase in a
European host organisation. Global Fellow-
ships function in the same way of European
Fellowships, but include support for an ini-
8
tial 12 to 24 month secondment for training
at a “partner organization” in the Third Coun-
try (e.g. India) followed by a mandatory 12
month training period at the European host
organization. The researcher must be national
or long-term resident of a Member State or
Associated Country.
Global Fellowships | Europe → India:
Global Fellowships are based on a second-
ment to a non-European country (e.g. India)
and a compulsory 12 month return phase in a
European host organisation. Global Fellow-
ships function in the same way of European
Fellowships, but include support for an ini-
tial 12 to 24 month secondment for training
at a “partner organization” in the Third Coun-
try (e.g. India) followed by a mandatory 12
month training period at the European host
organization. The researcher must be national
or long-term resident of a Member State or
Associated Country.
Opportunity for Indian institutes : Global
Fellowships may be attractive for Indian in-
stitutions (universities, research institutes or
companies) as they could receive full fund-
ing (salary, travel and accommodation) to
host postdoctoral or more senior European
researchers at their laboratory to conduct re-
search for one to two years.
WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY?
You can diversify your competences and
acquire new skills at a multi- or interdisci-
plinary level through advanced training and
mobility.
WHO CAN APPLY?
This fellowship is for experienced research-
ers from across the world (including India).
Applicants need a doctoral degree or at least
four years’ full-time research experience by
the time of the call deadline
WHAT CAN BE FUNDED?
All research areas in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), can
be funded. MSCA Fellows come from a wide
variety of disciplines – from physics to lin-
guistics, and from health-sciences to mathe-
matical modelling.
WHAT THE FUNDING COVERS
The grant provides €4650/month (monthly
allowance, adjusted by country, plus a mobil-
ity allowance of €600/month and a family al-
lowance of €500/month), In addition, the EU
contributes to the training, networking and
research costs of the fellow, as well as to the
management and indirect costs of the project.
The grant is awarded to the host organisa-
tion, usually a university, research centre or
a company in Europe.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Proposals are submitted jointly with a
“host” organisation in Europe and you as the
researcher. You, the researcher, develop the
proposal in cooperation with a European or-
ganisation that would be willing to host you.
Host organizations can be universities, re-
search centres or companies.
HOW DO I APPLY?
You submit a research proposal, including
your CV. The proposal is written jointly with
your chosen host organisation(s). First, find
the right call on the participant portal:
https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurie-
actions/actions/get-funding/individual-fel-
lowship2018_en
Here you will find details of all active calls
for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. The in-
formation is linked directly to the EU’s Par-
ticipant Portal, which provides all you need
to start your application.
WHEN CAN I APPLY?
The 2018-MSCA-IF call is expected to
open on 12 April 2018 with a deadline on 12
September 2018 (17:00 Brussels time)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Guide on “How to Write a Winning Pro-
posal for Individual Fellowships (IF)”:
http://horizon2020.lu/content/down-
load/19636/181855/file/How%20to%20
write%20a%20winning%20MSCA%20pro-
posal.pdf
Individual Fellowships Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs) 2015:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/
portal/doc/call/h2020/h2020-msca-if-
2015/1650133-if-2015-faq_en.pdf
Call will be closing on 12 Sept. 2018
https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/
portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/top-
ics/msca-if-2018.htm
FOR ENQUIRY:
EURAXESS India | india@euraxess.net
EU DEL India | delegation-india-ri@
eeas.europa.eu
DAVV, Indore CET 2018
MSc Life Sciences
Admissions 2018
Notification
Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore
MSc Life Sciences Admissions Common
Entrance Test (CET 2018). DAVV, Indore
Life Sciences CET 2018. DAVV Common
Entrance Test 2018 MSc Life Sciences Ad-
mission Notification. Interested and eligi-
ble candidates are encouraged to apply for
the same, via the details given below:
DEVI AHILYA VISHWAVIDYALAYA,
INDORE (NAAC Accredited “A” Grade )
Vol. 02 NO 18
Common Entrance Test (CET) 2018 –
Admission Notice
Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore an-
nounces the registration for its Comput-
er Based (Online) Common Entrance Test
(CET-2018) for admission in the following
UG and PG courses being offered at Its Uni-
versity Teaching Departments for the session
2018-19:
Courses After 10+2 :
Group D : LL.M. (Business Law)/M.Sc.
(Life Sciences/Industrial Microbiology/Bio-
chemistry)/ M.Sc. (Electronics/Electronics &
Commun-2 Yrs/M.Sc.[Genetic Eng./Binfor-
matics / Biotechnology industry sponsored)
How to Apply:
Applyonline only through http://www.
dauniv.ac.in. The Computer based entrance
test for group A, B, C and D will be held
on May 22,2018 (in two shifts; Groups A &
C-10.00 to 11.30 AM, Groups B & D-2.00 to
3.30 PM). The application fee is Rs. 1550/·.
The application fee can be paid either by
Credit Card/Debit Cardi Net Banking/ Chal-
lan in SBI.
The online (Computer based) entrance
test will be held at Indore, Dewas, Bhopal,
Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, Sagar, Satna,
Rewa, Mandsaur, Khandwa, Ranchi, Patna,
Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Rai-
pur, Bilaspur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Kota,
Vadodara, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata,
Kochi, Bhuvneshwarcities. University has
the right to change the cities for entrance test.
After entrance test, counseling will be in of-
fline (manual) mode at Indore only.
Last date of online submission of applica-
tion form is Thursday, 10th May, 2018. The
details of eligibility, number of seats, fee
structure, dates for counseling etc. are in
CET-2018 brochure available on our website
www.dauniv.ac.in. All the Notices will be put
on the University Website only. Helpline: ce-
tdauniversity@gmail.com
M.P. Madhyam/89542/2018
Reference : Published on Friday, 20th
April 2018 in The Indian Express (epaper.
indianexpress.com//c/28055191)
Vol. 02 NO 18
The applicants under this category possess-
ing qualification as mentioned under the Cat-
egory I or the qualification for which Equiva-
lent Certificate obtained from Association of
Indian Universities, New Delhi are eligible to
apply. They will be required to produce Eligi-
bility Certificate from Pondicherry Universi-
ty, Puducherry, subsequently for recognition
of their qualification. Applications should be
routed through the employer or sponsoring/
nominating authority/organization. Appli-
cants with valid visa for the entire duration of
the study, only, will be admitted.
MSc PHE Admission With NO. OF SEATS: 12
Scholarship 2018-2020 @
ICMR-VCRC Category I : 8 (General 50.5%, OBC 27%;
SC 15% & ST 7.5%); Category IIA : 2; Cat-
egory IIB : 2
The official notification for MSc PHE
METHOD OF SELECTION:
Admission 2018-2020 at ICMR-VCRC.
ICMR-VCRC MSc PHE Admission 2018-
Selection of the candidates under Category
2020 admission notification. BSc Life
I will be based on their performance in the
Sciences MSc PHE Admission 2018-2020
common entrance test (Objective type test of
ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre no-
two hours duration). The common entrance
tification. Check out all of the details on the
test will be held only at Puducherry. Category
same below:
II A : Based on personal interview and Cate-
ADMISSION NOTICE – M.Sc., PHE (Ac-
gory II B : Based on a letter of recommen-
ademic year 2018-20)
dation/ reference from the Employer, marks
ICMR-VECTOR CONTROL RE-
obtained in graduation and experience in the
SEARCH CENTRE
relevant fields. The list of candidates selected
(Indian Council of Medical Research)
for admission will be published in the Insti-
Department of Health Research, Minis-
tutes’ website (http://www.vcrc.res.in).
try of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of
India Indira Nagar, Puducherry 605 006,
SCHOLARSHIP:
INDIA.
Candidates selected under Category-I will
Applications are invited in the prescribed
be paid a sum of Rs. 6,000/- per month and
format (downloadable from the website
candidates selected under Category-IIA will
http://www.vcrc.res.in) for admission to the
be paid a sum of Rs. 3,000/- per month, with
TWO year Post-Graduate Degree Course in
the approval of the Admission Committee.
Public Health Entomology affiliated to the
Pondicherry University, Puducherry.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR AD-
The envelope containing the application
MISSION:
form should be superscribed as: “APPLICA-
TION FOR ADMISSION TO M.Sc., PHE
Category I: Open Competition
2018” and sent by Registered / Speed Post
to: The Director, ICMR-Vector Control Re-
Candidates seeking admission under this
search Centre, Medical Complex, Indira Na-
category should have passed any one of the
gar, Puducherry 605 006. Applications from
following examinations of any University
Indian Nationals should be accompanied by
accepted by the Academic Council of Pondi-
(i) a Demand Draft to the value of Rs.100/-
cherry University, Puducherry: B.Sc., in the
(Rs.50/- in the case of SC/ST candidates)
discipline of Zoology / Botany / Life Scienc-
towards application fee, drawn in favour of
es / Medical Laboratory Technology/ Micro-
“The Director, ICMR-Vector Control Re-
biology / Ecology / Environmental Science
search Centre”, payable at Puducherry, and
/ Biochemistry, or B.V.Sc., or M.B.B.S., or
(ii) a self addressed envelope stamped to the
B.E., / B.Tech., degree with Biotechnology as
value of Rs. 50/-. Foreign nationals can pay
one of the subjects. Those who are appearing
the application fee at the time of their ad-
for the Under Graduate final examinations /
mission. For more details, including the fee
waiting for the results of the above courses
structure, please see the prospectus. Incom-
can also apply. However, they need to pro-
plete application in any respect will be reject-
duce evidence for the successful completion
ed and no communication in this regard will
of the course fulfilling the eligibility criteria
be entertained.
at the time of admission.
Please note the following important dates:
Category II: In-service (Self supporting /
Sponsored)
i) Last date for the submission of filled-in
application (a) Category I: 18th May 2018;
A. Indian Nationals
(b) Category II: 28th May 2018
ii) Common Entrance Test (Category I):
In-service candidates employed either in
17th June 2018
Government or Non-Government organiza-
iii) Date of Personal Interview (Category
tions and sponsored by the employer should
IIA): 18th June 2018
have passed the Degree examination in any
iv) Declaration of Results: 20th June 2018
of the disciplines indicated under Category I
v) Admission: 25th to 29th June 2018
from a recognized University accepted by the
vi) Commencement of Classes: 2nd July
Academic Council of Pondicherry Univer-
2018
sity, Puducherry. The in-service candidates
should send their application with a “No Ob-
Candidates are required to familiarize
jection Certificate” from their employer.
themselves with the rules and regulations
of the Pondicherry University (www.pon-
B. Foreign Nationals
diuni.edu.in)
May 2nd, 2018.
1. Ph.D in Sciences
Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in En-
gineering/ Technology, Medicine or Master’s
degree in Science with a keen sense of scien-
tific enquiry for pursuing advanced research
in frontier areas of Biological, Chemical,
Physical and Mathematical & Information
Sciences. The candidate should have a valid
National level fellowship (JRF/ SRF) from
any of the various funding agencies such as
CSIR, UGC, DBT, DST etc.), INSPIRE or
other equivalent fellowships.
AcSIR PhD Admissions
August 2018 Official 2. Direct Ph.D in Sciences
Notification
Undergraduate degree in Science or allied
subjects with at least 8.5 and/or 1st
rank holder in University/ Institution. Pos-
The official notification for the PhD Sci-
sible funding sources for students are IN-
ence Admissions 2018 (August Batch) at
SPIRE, CSIR-JRF, CSIR-UGC-NET or other
AcSIR. Admissions AcSIR for Biological
equivalent national fellowships.
Sciences area 2018. Interested and eligible
candidates can apply for AcSIR Admis-
3. Sponsored Ph.D (Sciences)
sions PhD August 2018. Check out all of
the details on the admission process given
Regular: Master’s degree in Science*
below:
Direct: Undergraduate degree in Science or
AcSIR, CSIR-Human Resource Develop-
allied subjects with at least 8.5 and/or 1strank
ment Centre (CSIR-HRDC) Campus, Sec-
holder in University/ Institution*.
tor-19, Kamla Nehru
* with endorsement from Industry, Aca-
Nagar, Ghaziabad – 201 002 | India
demic or Research Institutes for required ac-
Tel: +91-120-2783 009 (LL)
ademic leave and financial support during the
+91-9266600847, 9266600947 (Mob/
program.
WhatsApp)
Candidates whose final results are await-
Email: info@acsir.res.in
ed, but who are otherwise eligible as per the
screening criteria, can also apply. If selected,
WHY STUDY AT AcSIR?
they will be provisionally admitted to the
program. Their continuation in the program
The objective of AcSIR is pursuit of excel-
will be subject to securing required percent-
lence as well as doing something relevant.
age/ equivalent grade (depending on the cut-
We promote the culture of being singularly
off marks for screening for the specific pro-
dynamic and innovative. The Academy was
gram) and submission of marks-sheet of their
established by a Resolution of the Parliament
final result at the time of joining the program.
in 2010 and received recognition as an “Insti-
tution of National Importance” by the Acad-
ADMISSION PROCESS:
emy of Scientific and Innovative Research
(AcSIR) Act 2011. The Academy aims to
The candidates can exercise a maximum of
maximize the number of qualified research-
three preferences for CSIR Labs (which are
ers and professionals of impeccable quality
AcSIR centres). Candidates will be screened
in the domain of science and engineering; and
based on their preferences given. However,
to equip them with the skills to innovate and
it does not give any right to the candidate to
conduct seamless interdisciplinary research.
offered admission as per his/her preference/
choice, as the selection is purely based on
ABOUT PROGRAMS:
merit/ performance and/ or available vacan-
cies. Please visit AcSIR website (http://acsir.
The programs equip students to undertake
res.in) for details of online application form
interdisciplinary research by providing a
submission and additional details.
broad-based practical training in the best in
Short-listed candidates for the program will
the class national laboratories of CSIR. The
be intimated electronically and they will be
Programs are structured around academic
required to appear for interview for selec-
coursework (as per program requirement)
tion at the designated centers on the dates
and mandatory courses viz. one Project Pro-
announced. Details of date of interview at
posal & one Review Article writing; and So-
different laboratories/ centers will be posted
cietal Program; and research in frontier are-
on the AcSIR website (http://acsir.res.in). In
as of Science, Technology and Engineering
addition to their academic performance and/
leading to Ph.D degree.
or depending on the vacancies, final selection
will be based on performance of the candi-
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR AD-
date in the interview. Reservation shall be
MISSION:
applicable as per GoI rules.
9
May 2nd, 2018. Vol. 02 NO 18

Availability of Disciplines for PhD 2018 Availability of Disciplines for MSc 2018
Academic Session Academic Session
M.S.(Pharm.); M.Pharm.; M.Tech.
(Pharm.), M.B.A. (Pharm.) Departments/
Discipline of Chemical Sciences
Disciplines, Offering NIPERs and Eligibil-
ity Criteria.

Biotechnology M.S.(Pharm)

Offering Niper Ahmedabad, Guwa-

hati, Hajipur, S.A.S.
Nagar
NIPER JEE – 2018 Official
Notification For PhD & Eligibility B.Pharm;M.Sc.(Bio-
logical Sciences)
Masters Program
Pharmaceutical M.Tech.(Pharm)
NIPER JEE 2018 Official Notification is Technology
out for PhD and Master’s Program Admis- (Biotechnology)
sion. Depts. of Biological Sciences, Chem- Offering Niper S.A.S. Nagar
ical Sciences & Pharmaceutical Sciences,
MPharm have vacancies for Master’s and
PhD Program. Check out all of the details
Discipline of Biological Sciences
on the same given below: Eligibility B.Pharm;M.Sc.(Life
Sciences)
National Institute of Pharmaceutical
Education and Research (NIPER) (Ah-
medabad; Guwahati; Hajipur; Hydera- Pharmacoinfor- M.S.(Pharm)
bad; Kolkata; Raebareli; S.A.S.Nagar) matics
NIPER Joint Entrance Examination 2018
for Masters & Ph.D. Program Offering Niper Kolkata, S.A.S.
Nagar
1. ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES AND
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Eligibility B.Pharm;M.Sc.(Or-
The Doctoral research programme of the in- g a n i c s / P hy s i c a l /
stitute is classified into the following three Pharmaceutical
disciplines. Chemistry);M.
S c . / B. Te c h . ( B i o -
CHEMICAL SCIENCES : Includes depart- informatics);M.
ments of i) Medicinal Chemistry ii) Natural Sc.(Biochemistry/
Products iii) Pharmacoinformatics iv) Phar- Biotechnology/Mo-
maceutical Technology (Process Chemistry) lecular Biology/Mi-
crobiology)

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : Includes de- Regulatory M.S.(Pharm)

partments of i) Pharmacology and Toxicolo- Discipline of Biological Sciences Toxicology
gy ii) Biotechnology iii) Pharmacy Practice
v) Pharmaceutical Technology (Biotechnolo-
gy) Offering Niper Hyderabad, S.A.S.
Nagar, Raebarelli
PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE: In-
cludes departments of i) Pharmaceutical
Analysis ii) Pharmaceutics iii) Medical De- Eligibility B.Pharm; B.V.Sc.;M.
vices Sc.(Pharmacol-
ogy, Toxicology,
LifeSciences/Bio-
chemistry/Medical
Biotechnology/Zo-
ology); M.B.B.S.

Traditional M.S.(Pharm)
Medicine

Offering Niper S.A.S. Nagar

Discipline of Biological Sciences
Eligibility B.Pharm;
B.A.M.S.;M.Sc.(Bot-
any)

Pharmaceutical M.B.A.(Pharm)
Management

Offering Niper Hyderabad, S.A.S.

Nagar
Eligibility B.Pharm;B.
Tech(Chemical
Engg. or equiva-
lent);M.Sc.(Chemi-
cal/Life Sciences)

10
Vol. 02 NO 18
How to Apply :
• Applicants shall register online on
www.niper.gov.in as per instructions
given on the website. The process of
online registration shall commence on
12th April 2018 onwards and will con-
tinue till 15th May 2018, 5.00 PM.
• Instruction for Registration is available
on http://www.niperahm.ac.in/ website.
Registration Fee for :
1.Gen/OBC/PH : Rs. 3000/‐
2. SC/ST : Rs. 1500/‐
• Take Printout of the Registration form ,
put signatures at the bottom of the reg-
istration form and attach the following
(i) copy of award letter if any pertain-
ing to NET-JRF of CSIR/DBT/UGC/
ICMR, DST Inspire etc. (ii) Sponsor-
ship certificate from Industry / Gov-
ernment sponsored candidates (as per
format given at Annuxer-2 ) should
be sent to Chairman, NIPER Joint En-
trance Examination Ph.D, National
Institute of Pharmaceutical Education
and Research, NIPER – Ahmedabad,
Palaj, Opp. AirForce Station, Gandhi-
nagar, Gujarat -382355, (through speed
post/registered post/in person) so as to
reach on before 28 May 2018. The In-
stitute will not be responsible for any
loss or postal delay. Registration form
received after the due date will not
be considered. The Institute shall not
be held responsible for misplacement
of any loose sheet. Therefore, all the
documents are required to be submit-
ted properly tied together. Incomplete
forms which are not properly submitted
will not be accepted. No correspond-
ence/ inquiry in this regard will be en-
tertained.
• Candidates appearing for final qualify-
ing examination (including NET-JRF)
can also apply but they must produce
final result on the day of interview fail-
ing which their candidature shall be
rejected.
Online Admission Test:
Online test will be held on Sunday, the
10th June 2018 at AHMEDABAD, SU-
RAT, RAJKOT, BENGALURU, BHOPAL,
CHENNAI, CHANDIGARH, DEHRA-
DUN, GUWAHATI, HYDERABAD, JAI-
PUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI,
NAGPUR, NEW DELHI, THIRUVANAN-
THAPURAM, PUNE,AGRA, VIJAYAWA-
DA, COIMBATORE, PATNA, RANCHI,
RAIPUR and BHUBANESHWAR.
• Based on the performance in the online
test, list of candidates to be called for
interview will be displayed on the web-
site www.niperahm.ac.in. Interview
will be held on 16-7-18 and 17-7-18
at NIPERAhmedabad. No TA/DA will
be paid for attending online test and in-
terview. Candidates have to make their
own arrangement for stay during online
test and interview.
• Permission granted to the candidates to
appear in online test and interview is
merely provisional. Final consideration
of the candidature is subject to fulfil-
ment of the eligibility criteria to be ver-
ified at the time of Interview.
• There will be one objective type ques-
tion paper containing 170 questions of
85 marks, for each of the following ar-
eas i.e. Chemical Sciences; Biological
Sciences and; Pharmaceutical Scienc-
es.
• The question paper will be of the level
of M.S. (Pharm.); M.Pharm.; M.Tech.
(Pharm.); M.V.Sc.; M.D. and M.Sc. (in
relevant discipline) level.
• Each discipline will also have questions
from general Pharmaceutical Sciences
and general aptitude. Duration of the
examination will be 2 hours.
• There will be negative marking in the
entrance examination. 25% marks will
be deducted for each wrong answer.
• The qualified candidates in each disci-
pline shall have to appear for interview
May 2nd, 2018.
which will carry 15 marks.
Admission Procedure:
Admission to the Ph.D. Programme will be
based on the combined merit obtained by a
candidate in the entrance examination and in-
terview. Interview of the eligible candidates
for the Ph.D. Programme will be conducted
based on the merit in the entrance examina-
tion.
The candidates have to report to the institute
for Interview on scheduled date and time.
Candidates will be allowed to participate in PhD Life Science
Interview, only if they are carrying requisite Admission 2018-2019 @
documents as mentioned in Sec 8 “Docu-
ments to be submitted” of this brochure and
National Institute of
have to show proof of having passed the Advanced Studies
qualifying degree examination.
Candidates who are expecting a degree in
Documents to be Submitted:
July 2018, are encouraged to apply for a
Doctoral Programme Admission 2018-
The candidates will be required to submit
2019 at National Institute of Advanced
the following documents in original and a set
Studies, IISc Bengaluru. National Insti-
of photocopies of these certificates at the
tute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute
time of interview, failing which, the candida-
of Science Campus, Bengaluru, Doctoral
ture shall be summarily rejected:
Programme Admission 2018-2019 notifi-
• Matriculation Certificate as a proof of
cation is out.
age and correct name.
• Marksheets of all the semesters years
National Institute of Advanced Studies
of qualifying degree.
Indian Institute of Science Campus, Ben-
• Admit Card of NIPER online test.
galuru 560 012
• GPAT/GATE/NET Card wherever ap-
Tel. 080-22185000, Fax: 080-2218 5028
plicable.
URL: www.nias.res.in
• Award letter (if any) of NET‐JRF of
CSIR/UGC/DBT/ICMR, DST etc.
ADMISSION TO NIAS DOCTORAL
• Caste certificate, if applicable.
PROGRAMME 2018-19
• Certificate of disability, if applicable.
• Medical Certificate from a Registered
The National Institute of Advanced Studies
Medical Practitioner of a Government
(NIAS) is looking for exceptionally motivat-
Hospital to be provided in the format
ed students interested in pursuing interdisci-
given at Annexure‐1.
plinary research in natural and engineering
• Sponsorship certificate from the em-
sciences, social sciences, humanities and the
ployer in case of Government/Industry
arts. Unencumbered by the constraints of tra-
sponsored candidates as per form at-
ditional disciplinary PhD programmes, NIAS
tached at Annexure‐2.
PhD students have a unique opportunity to
• Affadavit to be provided by the candi-
broaden their intellectual horizons beyond
date against ragging in the format pro-
their narrow training during their thesis re-
vided at Annexure‐3.
search in one of the listed areas.NIAS not
• Undertaking to be given by the parents
only values such cross-pollination of ideas
of the candidate. Format provided at
but encourages and provides the necessary
Annexure‐4.
support to its students to develop interdisci-
plinary orientation to problem-solving. This
NOTE: All the documents required to be
interdisciplinary ethos is also reflected in the
submitted should be self attested by the
work of its faculty and research scholars.
candidates.
NIAS was established by the late J.R.D. Tata
Submission through speed post/regis-
to develop and train leaders with a multidis-
tered post/in person, of signedHard copy of
ciplinary orientation for problemsolving. The
application form along with documents as
Institute is recognized as a centre for research
mentioned in NIPER JEE brochure-2018,
by Manipal Academy of Higher Education
is essential for generating admit card .
(MAHE) and The Institute of Trans-discipli-
nary Health Sciences & Technology (TDU)
IMPORTANT : Candidate are advised to
from which students get their PhD degrees.
visit the website www.niperahm.ac.in regu-
A limited number of scholarships are avail-
larly for information regarding online regis-
able for exceptionally bright and motivated
tration, eligibility, availability of academic
postgraduate students. Candidates who have
programs, admission procedures and other
passed the NET/SET/GATE examinations
relevant information etc. Any subsequent Ad-
with good scores or qualified for JRF/ DST/
dendum/Corrigendum/Updates/Information
CSIR/ ICSSR/ JEST fellowships will also be
etc. will be uploaded/updated on the NIPER
considered for admission.
Ahmedabad website only.
If you are a post-graduate or expecting the
degree by July 2018, you can apply to one
Technical Helpline:
or more research areas represented by facul-
Call : 022 – 61087566
ty research interests and funded projects at
Email: helpdeskjee-2018@niperahm.ac.in
NIAS. For the 2018-19 academic year, we in-
Phone numbers are available till end of
vite applications from those interested in the
exam date 09:00 AM To 06:00 PM (Monday
following areas:
To Friday)
Program Related Queries:
• Primate Population and Behaviour-
Call : 079 66745555
al Ecology, Urban Ecologies, Cultural
Email : admissions@niperahm.ac.in
Studies in Theatre and Music
Timings : 09:00 AM To 06:00 PM (Monday
• Megalithic Burials, Landscape Archae-
to Friday)
Next Page>>>>
11
May 2nd, 2018.
ology and Experimental Archaeology
• Complexity Theories of Consciousness,
Causality Testing
• Behaviour and Cognition in Fishes
• Science Communication
• Primate Behaviour and Ecology, Human
Wildlife Conflict, Human Animal Rela-
tions
• Nuclear Power and Risk Communication
• Material Culture and Archaeology, Spe-
cifically Archaeomaterials Research and
Archaeometallurgy and Artisanal and
Crafts Studies and Art History
• Armed Conflicts and Security in South
Asia, Peace Processes South Asia
• Afghanistan and Pakistan, Science and
Diplomacy
• Gifted and Talented, Diversity and Cul-
ture
• Social Exclusion, Education, & Conflict
Zones
• Conflict Studies
• Landscape Archaeology: Geospatial
Analysis for Cultural Heritage
• Geopolitical dimensions of Maritime Se-
curity, Maritime Security and Maritime
Cooperation in International Politics
• Sustainable Energy Options’, ‘Human
12
Development and Policy
• Marginalised /Glorified History and So-
cial Identity
Applicants are advised to visit the NIAS
website for more information on faculty and
their research interests (www.nias.res.in)
Eligibility:
Admissions to the NIAS PhD Programme
are open to those who have completed/are
completing a Master’s/M.Phil., degree in any
relevant subject in the natural sciences, en-
gineering, mathematics, social sciences, hu-
manities or the arts, and with a consistently
proven academic record (minimum 55%
marks). Some research and/or field experi-
ence in the concerned areas will be preferred.
Candidates who have passed the NET/ SET/
GATE examinations with good scores or
qualified for JRF/ DST/ CSIR/ ICSSR/ JEST
fellowships are also encouraged to apply.
Financial Support:
A limited number of selected candidates
will be eligible to receive NIAS fellow-
ship, which will be available for a period of
four years on a yearly renewable basis. The
NIAS fellowship amount is currently fixed at
Rs.25,000/- per month for the first two years
and Rs.28,000/- per month from the third
year, with an additional 24% per month as
House Rent Allowance. Limited hostel seats
are available on campus for women.
Admissions are also open to those applying
under specific funded research projects, can-
didates with external support such as CSIR
fellowships and DST/INSPIRE fellowships,
candidates with employer sponsorship, and
self-funded candidates. Under no circum-
stances will NIAS financially support ex-
ternally funded candidates and self-funded
candidates. Candidates supported by project
will receive financial support only for the du-
ration of the project.
Selection Procedure:
Irrespective of the source of funding, admis-
sion to the NIAS PhD Programme will be
based on a common entrance test and two
levels of interview. Short-listed candidates
will be invited for a written test and inter-
views on 18 and 19 of June 2018.
Vol. 02 NO 18
How to Apply:
Please download the application form (http://
www.nias.res.in/content/doctoral-pro-
gramme) from our website. The completed
and signed application form should be sent
along with scanned copies of undergraduate
and post-graduate degree certificates and
mark sheets and a resume containing your
academic history, skills, interests, published
work, and accomplishments should be collat-
ed and sent as a single PDF file to the email
address: niasphd@gmail.com
Please note that the Institute will only ac-
cept applications submitted by email. The
deadline for receiving application with all
required documents by email is April 20,
2018.
For additional information, applicants
may contact: niasphd@gmail.com, ad-
min@nias.res.in