A recent breakthrough in China, where a diabetic woman regained insulin production through a stem cell transplant, highlights India’s urgent need to reflect on its own human stem cell research. Despite global advances, India lags behind in innovation and infrastructure. A nationwide survey now seeks to uncover why—and how to fix it.
Posted on in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology & Ethics
In this conversation, Srikanta K Rath, Chief Scientist & Professor at Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) and Head, Division of Toxicology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CSIR-CDRI), Lucknow, shares insights into the field of regulatory toxicology, its implementation from research to risk management, related key issues, and the role of researchers/scientists.
Posted on in Biochemistry, Health & Medicine, Other & Ethics
Madhurima Kahali, marketing team head at Taylor & Francis Group, talks about her experience transitioning from academia to the publishing industry. In this '10 Women, 10 Questions' interview, Kahali discusses her career trajectory, starting from being an editor at a leading global publisher to becoming the head of a marketing team.
Posted on in Other, Science Communication, Women in Science, Career Development & Ethics
As artificial intelligence (AI) enables the transformation of biology into an engineering discipline, an effective governance model that uses threat forecasting, real-time evaluation, and response strategies is urgently needed to address accidental or deliberate misuse. This article talks about the risks at the interface of AI and biosecurity and what could India do to better prepare for potential AI-biorisks.
Sabuj Bhattacharyya is the Research Ethics and Integrity Officer at the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council-Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (BRIC-inStem), Bengaluru. In this interview, he speaks to Bharti Dharapuram, an ecologist and science writer, about the multiple facets of research ethics, the joys and challenges of teaching it, and building a more mindful research culture.
Open science, particularly through preprints, is gaining global traction and is integral to India's Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy. While preprints offer accessibility benefits, their adoption in India lags, highlighting the need for recognition and incentives at various career and funding assessment levels. In this article, Sudeepa Nandi, an ASAPbio fellow and a PhD student at TIFR Mumbai, discusses the barriers to the preprint model in India and offers some key recommendations.
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill 2023 in India aims to enhance research funding in universities and colleges, yet concerns persist regarding its autonomy and operational effectiveness. In this article from our current conversation series, Joel P. Joseph discusses the 'what' and 'how' of the NRF bill.