Nanotechnology

Purdue Joins Researchers in India for Bionanotechnology, Pharmaceuticals Symposium

CCMB would send key researchers to Purdue to continue discussions that will lead to research projects of mutual interest

The Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad was joined by researchers from Purdue University, USA for a two-day symposium on March 13-14 in Hyderabad to discuss advancements in bionanotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

The two-day conference advanced the scientific discussion in the areas of bionanotechnology and pharmaceuticals, and how those two fields are coming together to address the challenges in healthcare delivery. For example, bionanotechnology offers many new approaches to the field of medicine, ranging from advanced engineering of tissues and organs to nanoscale drug-delivery that may target single diseased cells. The symposium highlighted laboratory advancements in microfabrication and nanofabrication and their roles in nanomedicine and drug delivery. Microfabrication technology allows construction of cellular sized or smaller devices made of new materials for what is known as cell land-tissue engineering. Nanofabrication is used to create nanoscale devices for advanced targeting and delivery of pharmaceuticals to individual human cells through the emerging field of nanomedicine.

"We are very pleased that Purdue partnered with CCMB for this event," said N Madhusudhana Rao of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology.

India and the US face many of the same challenges: healthcare, climate change and the environment, energy, improving manufacturing, development of adequate cyber infrastructure, and others. These challenges can be met more effectively when both countries work together to exploit new opportunities in life sciences and nanotechnology.

Pankaj Sharma, Associate Director, Operations and International Affairs, Purdue's Discovery Park and Associate Professor, Industrial Technology, said, "We recognise complimentary strengths at both the institutions. CCMB has world-recognised strengths across many areas of basic life sciences research. Purdue has clear strengths in engineering, science, agriculture and pharmacy. In addition, Purdue's interdisciplinary research complex, Discovery Park, provides tools and infrastructure to quickly translate and deliver discovery research to the global marketplace where it can save lives and contribute to prosperity. We also signed a mutual non-disclosure agreement to enable us to more freely share confidential information."

Goals of this association are three fold: to launch formal joint research projects together, to seek funding partners to support these research initiatives and create exchange opportunities for students, faculty researchers between our two countries and to create a sustainable, long-term relationship that will provide a foundation of projects to facilitate our efforts to address common grand challenges.

Soon, CCMB would send key researchers to Purdue to continue discussions that will lead to research projects of mutual interest, and to hold a second CCMB-Purdue research symposium at Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana.

EH News Bureau