the goan I network
PANAJI
A state-of-the-art 3500 sq ft BITS BIRAC BioNest Innovation Lab,set up by BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus with financial support of Rs three crore from Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, was inaugurated by Prof Varun Sahni, vice-chancellor of Goa University.
In his inaugural address, Prof Sahni emphasised on the role of interdisciplinary research in creating innovations and welcomed joint research by Goa University and BITS faculty members and researchers.
This Innovation Lab would provide incubation support to the entrepreneurs in the verticals of healthcare and environment by providing them equipment, space and supporting facilities to test their ideas, prototype in the lab and take it to the market. In his introductory address, the director of BITS Pilani Goa Campus, Prof Raghurama G stated that this facility would lead to innovations in terms of affordable healthcare and sustainable solutions to solve the pressing environmental problems of the country.
Prof Mridula Goel, In-charge of the Incubator, invited scientists and startups from across the state to use the facility to take their ideas to proof of concept. She informed that the incubatees would be provided technical guidance by the technical directors of the BioNEST, Prof Sunil Bhand, professor of Chemistry and dean of Sponsored Research and Consulting Division and Prof Srikanth Mutnuri, head of Biological Sciences dept. Students and faculty were invited to participate in regular training on equipment like spray dryer, TOC, RT PCR, PCR, gel-doc system installed in the lab.
Dr Manish Diwan, head of Strategic Partnership and Entrepreneurship Development, BIRAC, explained how the journey from ideation to commercialisation involves solid teamwork and harnessing mutual advantages from within India and abroad. Inauguration was followed by an illuminating panel discussion on ‘Opportunities in Healthcare’ with Dr N Sriram, director of Molbio Diagnostics, Dr Shekhar Salkar, head of department of Oncology, Manipal Hospitals, Dr Praveen Khullar, head of Global Development Center, Sanofi-Synthelabo India Pvt Ltd and Vibhav Joshi, the co-founder of Sattva Medtech along with Dr Diwan.
