Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Researchers Develop
Synthetic Polymer Capable
of Vanquishing Superbugs
By Disha Padmanabha
With no effective and safe treatments avail- worldwide each year, and by 2050, it is esti-
able, multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections mated that 10 million people could die each Normal cells of the Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria before (left) and after (right) treatment with the polymers. Image on right showed that the cytoplasmic
substances within the bacterial cell membrane have precipitated, killing the bacteria. [Credit: Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology]
are quickly morphing into a global health- year if existing antibiotics continue to lose
care threat. Polymyxins remain the last line their effectiveness. Clearly, the medical com-
treatment for multidrug-resistant (MDR) in- munity needs more choices in treating these
fections. As polymyxins resistance emerges, patients. While research on synthetic poly-
there is an urgent need to develop effective mers for these purposes exists, challenges
antimicrobial agents capable of mitigating such as toxicity, non-biodegradability or lim-
MDR. ited ability to target multiple bacteria strains
have arisen.
“There is an urgent global need for new an- In this direction, this international team of
timicrobials that are effective against super- researchers brought together by Dr Yi Yan
bugs. The situation has become more acute Yang from IBN have developed a new class mers on mice with two types of systemic in- promise for the treatment and prevention of
because bacteria are starting to develop re- of antimicrobial polymers called guanidin- fections caused by superbugs: peritonitis (an multidrug-resistant systemic infections.”
sistance to the last-line antibiotics, which are ium-functionalized polycarbonates with a infection of the stomach’s inner lining) and “This study illustrates the potential for this
given only to patients infected with bacteria unique mechanism that can target a broad lung infections from Pseudomonas aerugi- new research field we denote as ‘macromo-
resistant to available antibiotics,” said Pro- range of multidrug-resistant bacteria. It is nosa. The polymers eliminated the bacterial lecular therapeutics’ to create entirely new
fessor Jackie Y. Ying, Executive Director of biodegradable and no significant toxicity to infections in both groups of mice with negli- classes of treatments for multiple diseases,”
IBN. human cells has been detected. gible toxicity. said Dr James Hedrick, Distinguished Re-
The team tested the polymers on mice in- search Staff Member, IBM Research – Al-
Now, an international research team led by fected with five hard-to-treat multidrug-re- Dr Yi Yan Yang, Group Leader at IBN said, maden, San Jose, California. “In 2016, we
the Institute of Bioengineering and Nano- sistant bacteria: Acinetobacter baumannii, “We have demonstrated the first example of a demonstrated the efficacy of synthetic pol-
technology (IBN) of the Agency for Science, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, me- biodegradable synthetic macromolecule with ymers to combat deadly viral diseases. The
Technology and Research (A*STAR) and thicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureu and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity in current research for treating bacterial infec-
IBM Research developed a synthetic mole- Pseudomonas aeruginosa. mice, unique killing mechanism and no tox- tions rounds out our ability to someday treat
cule that can kill five deadly types of mul- The results showed that the bacteria were icity. Once the polymer finishes its job of kill- a spectrum of infectious diseases with a sin-
tidrug-resistant bacteria with limited, if any, effectively removed from the mice and no ing the bacteria, it will be naturally degraded gle, new type of mechanism without the onset
side effects. toxicity was observed. The researchers then after three days and will not remain in the of resistance.”
Superbugs kill around 700,000 people further tested the effectiveness of the poly- body. This antimicrobial agent shows great
A Whole New
Classification of Diabetes:
Research Identifies Five
Distinct Types
Diabetes is presently classified into two results were confirmed using data from 5,795
main forms, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but other adult patients across another three fur-
type 2 diabetes in particular is highly heter- ther databases from Sweden and Finland.
ogeneous. A refined classification has now Based on their analysis, the team identi-
yielded 5 new subgroups of patients with fied five replicable clusters of patients with
adult-onset diabetes, representing a first step diabetes. These subgroups had significantly
toward precision medicine for the roughly different patient characteristics and risk of
425 million patients with the chronic condi- diabetic complications. Individuals in cluster
tion. 3, the most resistant to insulin, had signifi-
cantly higher risk of diabetic kidney disease,
“Current diagnostics and classification of compared to individuals in clusters 4 and
diabetes are insufficient and unable to pre- 5. However, cluster 3 had been prescribed
dict future complications or choice of treat- similar diabetes treatment. Retinopathy risk
By Disha Padmanabha
ment”, explains Professor Leif Groop, who was highest in cluster 2, which was insulin
initiated the study. deficient. Genetic associations in the clusters
differed from those seen in traditional type 2 it’s not yet clear whether patients can move diabetes subtypes. Larger studies, that in-
He believes that the results represent a par- diabetes. between clusters over time, and the authors clude additional variables and more diverse
adigm shift in how to view the disease in the Genetic analysis revealed that all five sub- say they can’t yet claim that their clustering populations, are still needed.
future. groups are genetically distinct. Researchers method is the best classification system for
At present, diabetes is classified into two say the groupings held both for those with
main forms, both of which have links to ge- newly diagnosed diabetes and those who
netics. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition had long had the disease, further suggesting
where the hormone insulin is not produced, the five categories are not simply down to
and which generally develops in childhood. different stages of the same form of diabe-
The more common form, type 2, in which tes – although further work is needed to ex-
little insulin is produced or does not trigger plore whether patients can move between the
glucose uptake by the body’s cells, generally types. It is also not clear if the different clas-
develops later in life and is linked to obesity. sifications have different causes.
In the present study, researchers describe The researchers say their classification
how they discovered the five sub-groups by system could be helpful for both newly di-
analysing information from 8,980 diabetics agnosed patients as well as those who have
diagnosed as adults in a Swedish registry. The had type 2 diabetes for many years. However, Today’s classification to the left and the new classification to the right.
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Vol. 02 NO 11 March 13th, 2018.
In a First, Scientists
Genetically Engineer Crop
to Take Up
25% Less Water
Demand for primary foodstuffs, that is, By altering a single gene, scientists coaxed
grains and seeds of our major crops, may tobacco plants — a model crop often used in
increase by 70–100% by 2050. And a ma- experiments — to grow to near normal size
jor barrier to meeting this large demand will with only 75 percent of the water they usually
be availability of water for crop production. require.
Crop productivity strongly depends on hav- By Disha Padmanabha
ing a sufficient supply of freshwater, and ag- “These plants had more water than they Stephen P. Long, a professor of crop sciences and of plant biology (center), with postdoctoral researchers Johannes Kromdijk, (left) and Katarzyna Glowacka,
riculture consumes 90% of total global fresh- needed, but that won’t always be the case,” developed crops that use water 25 percent more efficiently by boosting the level of a protein.
water. said co-first author Katarzyna Glowacka, the future.” two other proteins could improve photosyn-
A large proportion of global food crops de- a postdoctoral researcher who led this re- thesis and increase productivity by as much
pend on irrigation, which is depleting global search at the IGB. “When water is limited, By carefully tweaking PsbS expression, re- as 20 percent. Now the team plans to com-
groundwater, and putting the sustainability these modified plants will grow faster and searchers were able to improve the ratio of bine the gains from these two studies to im-
of global food production at risk. To capture yield more—they will pay less of a penalty carbon dioxide entering the plant to water es- prove production and water-use by balancing
atmospheric CO2 during photosynthesis, sto- than their non-modified counterparts.” caping (water use efficiency) by 25 percent. the expression of these three proteins.
matal pores need to stay open to allow CO2 The improvement demonstrated in field trials
diffusion into the leaf. However, stomatal “This is a major breakthrough,” said RIPE was achieved without sacrificing photosyn- “Making crop plants more water-use effi-
opening causes most of the water absorbed Director Stephen Long, Ikenberry Endowed thesis performance or yield. This was partly cient is arguably the greatest challenge for
by plant roots to be lost via transpiration. Chair of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences. made possible by the fact that humans have current and future plant scientists,” said
To remedy this, an international team of sci- “Crop yields have steadily improved over increased the CO2 concentration in the at- co-first author Johannes Kromdijk, a post-
entists lead by the University of Illinois, dis- the past 60 years, but the amount of water mosphere by 25 percent in just the past 70 doctoral researcher at the IGB. “Our results
covered that a specific protein called Photo- required to produce one ton of grain remains years. The higher CO2 content allows plants show that increased PsbS expression allows
system II Subunit S (PsbS) can be increased unchanged—which led most to assume that to absorb enough of the gas without fully crop plants to be more conservative with
to force a plant to partially close its stomata. this factor could not change. Proving that opening their stomata. water use, which we think will help to better
The stomata, tiny pores in a leaf, open and our theory works in practice should open distribute available water resources over the
close to either let carbon dioxide in or oxygen the door to much more research and devel- This research complements a previous work duration of the growing season and keep the
out, regulating the process of photosynthesis. opment to achieve this all-important goal for which described how increasing PsbS and crop more productive during dry spells.”
3
March 13th, 2018. Vol. 02 NO 11
23andMe’s
Direct-To-Consumer
Genetic Cancer Risk Test
Receives FDA Nod
The first direct-to-consumer DNA test for self-collected saliva sample, and the report
three BRCA1/BRCA2 breast cancer gene describes if a woman is at increased risk of
mutations has now received the federal ap- developing breast and ovarian cancer, and if a
proval. man is at increased risk of developing breast
The genetic testing powerhouse 23andMe cancer or may be at increased risk of devel-
is now all set to launch the testing kits. The oping prostate cancer. The test only detects
forthcoming kit, which will be made availa- three out of more than 1,000 known BRCA
ble without a prescription, tests for BRCA1 mutations. This means a negative result does
and BRCA2, which are linked to higher risk not rule out the possibility that an individual By Disha Padmanabha
of ovarian, break and prostate cancer. carries other BRCA mutations that increase
cancer risk. giving them direct access.” that increase or decrease cancer risk,” he
“Being the first and only direct-to-consum- Studies suggest that some 1 in 40 people added.
er genetics company to receive FDA author- of Ashkenazi descent has one of these three “The test provides information to certain
ization to test for cancer risk without a pre- variants, Shirley Wu, 23andMe’s director of individuals who may be at increased breast, The FDA announcement stresses that the re-
scription is a major milestone for 23andMe product science said, and women with one of ovarian or prostate cancer risk and who sults of the tests are limited in scope, do not
and for the consumer,” the company’s CEO the variants have a 45 percent to 85 percent might not otherwise get genetic screening, mean other cancer-causing gene mutations
Anne Wojcicki said in a release tied to the chance of developing breast cancer by age and is a step forward in the availability of are not present, and should not be used to de-
announcement. “We believe it’s important 70. The genes also suggest a higher risk of direct-to-consumer genetic tests. But it has a termine treatments without other testing and
for consumers to have direct and affordable ovarian cancer in women, and breast cancer lot of caveats,” said Donald St. Pierre, act- genetic counseling.
access to this potentially life-saving infor- in men. ing director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnos- Still, 23andMe’s new testing kit could serve
mation. We will continue pioneering a path tics and Radiological Health in the F.D.A.’s to show the potential benefits and risks of at-
for greater access to health information, and “Traditionally you only would get tested for Center for Devices and Radiological Health. home testing, and it may serve as an important
promoting a more consumer-driven, pre- BRCA if you have a family history of cancer” stepping stone on the path to comprehensive
ventative approach to health care.” said Wu. “We are providing a test people at “The test should not be used as a substitute tests to determine a person’s risk of develop-
risk that otherwise would have been missed. for seeing your doctor for cancer screenings ing cancer and other health conditions.
The test analyzes DNA collected from a This is a giant step forward for consumers in or counseling on genetic and lifestyle factors
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Vol. 02 NO 11 March 13th, 2018.
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March 13th, 2018. Vol. 02 NO 11
turnover rate of 0.3 to 1% per year, with most time, the adult cells were able to start divid-
renewal events reported to occur in the first ing again and regenerated heart tissue,” said their heart function after three months and a birth, their state is really locked down—
decade of life. Tamer Mohamed, scientist at Tenaya Thera- reduction in the size of the scar tissue com- which might explain why we don’t get heart
peutics and former postdoctoral scholar in pared to mice that did not receive the injec- tumors,” said Srivastava. “Now that we
“Because so many adult cells can’t divide, Srivastava’s laboratory, who is first author of tion. know our method is successful with this diffi-
your body can’t replace cells that are lost, the study. “We also showed that, after heart The team was able to further refine their cult cell type, we think it could be used to un-
which causes disease,” explained Deepak failure, this combination of genes significant- method by replacing two of the four genes lock other cells’ potential to divide, including
Srivastava, MD, president of the Gladstone ly improves cardiac function.” with chemical inhibitors that had similar nerve cells, pancreatic cells, hair cells in the
Institutes and senior investigator. “If we functions. Throughout the process, the team ear, and retinal cells.”
could find a way to get these cells to divide This 4F strategy worked in mouse and rat did not observe the development of heart tu-
again, we could regenerate a number of tis- cardiomyocytes and also was successful in mors caused by the 4F treatment. They attrib- This could lead to a powerful regenerative
sues.” stimulating cell division in 15%-20% of hu- uted this fact to the short-term expression of approach to treat not only heart failure, but
man cardiomyocytes. When they injected 4F 4F in the cardiomyocytes. also brain damage, diabetes, hearing loss, and
In the new study, Srivastava and his team into the hearts of mice that had suffered heart blindness. And one day, the human might just
finally reached this long-sought goal. They attacks, they observed an improvement in “Heart cells were particularly challenging outperform the salamander.
because when they exit the cell cycle after
Impaired “Epigenetic
Landscape” Hallmark of
Alzheimer’s : Study
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most They therefore profiled the epigenomic
common cause of dementia in the el- landscape of AD brains, specifically in one
derly. A complex interaction between genetic of the regions affected early in AD, the lat-
and environmental factors likely contributes eral temporal lobe. They compared these to
to the molecular processes that drive AD. both younger and elderly cognitively normal
Although genetic variation in specific genes control subjects. The team described the ge-
increases the risk of AD, age is the strongest nome-wide enrichment of a chemical modi-
known risk factor. How molecular processes fication of histone proteins that regulates the
of aging predispose to AD, or become dereg- compaction of chromosomes in the nucleus
ulated in AD, remains to be understood. (called acetylation of lysine 16 on histone
It is seen in animal models, that epigenetic H4, or H4K16ac for short).
By Disha Padmanabha
marks such as histone acetylation are asso-
ciated with learning and age-related mem- “This is the first time that we have been able
ory decline. Histone acetylation is reduced to look at these relationships in human tis-
at memory genes in mouse models for AD, sue by using donated postmortem brain tis-
and treatments with nonselective histone sue from the Penn Brain Bank,” said Shelley
deacetylase inhibitors aiming to reverse loss Berger, PhD, a professor of Cell and Devel-
of acetylation have shown promising results opmental Biology in the Perelman School of
in restoring synaptic and cognitive plasticity Medicine and a professor of Biology in the
in mouse models of AD. School of Arts and Sciences. “Our results
Among the histone acetylation marks, establish the basis for an epigenetic link be-
H4K16ac is a key modification because it tween aging and Alzheimer’s disease.”
regulates chromatin compaction, gene ex-
pression, stress responses and DNA damage A three-way comparison of younger, older,
repair. In model organisms, modulators of and AD brain tissue revealed a specific class
H4K16ac play a role in whole organism ag- of H4K16ac changes in AD compared to
ing and cellular senescence. Also, senescent normal age-established changes in the brain.
cells display H4K16ac enrichment over pro- This finding indicates that certain normal Coronal section of human brain indicating the lateral temporal lobe (red circle) used in this study. Credit: The lab of Shelley Berger, PhD, Perelman School of
Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
moter regions of expressed genes. aging changes in the epigenome may actu-
Therefore, the scientists at the Perelman ally protect against AD and when these goes that AD is not simply an advanced state of fellow in Berger’s lab.
School of Medicine at the University of awry, a person may become predisposed to normal aging, but rather dysregulated aging
Pennsylvania hypothesized that epigenetic AD. that may induce disease-specific changes to The team next hopes to discover the phys-
regulation by H4K16ac may be involved the structure of chromatin – the combination iological changes that cause the decrease of
in aging of the human brain and perhaps “These analyses point to a new model of of histone proteins and DNA.” said first au- H4K16ac specifically in AD brains, but not
in the progression of AD. Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically it appears thor Raffaella Nativio, PhD, a postdoctoral in normal-aged brains.
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Vol. 02 NO 11 March 13th, 2018.
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March 13th, 2018. Vol. 02 NO 11
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Vol. 02 NO 11 March 13th, 2018.
been done entirely in India. All fellows will be hosted in an APC aca-
iii) For Young Category Award: Citizens demic host organisation (University College
of India should have made significant and Cork, Teagasc Moorepark or Cork Institute
outstanding contribution in the areas of bi- of Technology) and will be required to com-
osciences/biotechnology during last 5 years plete a mandatory secondment in a relevant
and the work must have been done entirely industry host.
in India. The aim of APEX is to develop the next
iv) The senior category award is for excel- generation of scientific leaders who will gain
lence in research (and not for governance/ hands on experience developing cross-disci-
promotion of Science) and not for age and plinary and entrepreneurial skills through in-
thus there is no age limit. For the young cate- dividual research projects.
gory, the candidate should be below 45 years Applicants choose their research area (with-
of age as on the 31st December of the year in the remit of APC), APEX supervisor, and
of Award. APEX Postdoctoral secondment organisation in the non-academ-
National Women ic sector.
Fellowship 2018 : Marie
Bioscientist Awards Nominations :
Sklowdowska-Curie Duration Of The Fellowship
2017-2018
Women scientists working in the area of Cofund
biosciences/biotechnology can be nomi- The total duration of each fellowship is two
nated by members of the SAC(O), DBT; years, commencing October 2018 and Octo-
Apply for the DBT India National Wom- Vice-Chancellors of Universities/ Deemed 2018 INDICATIVE CALL SCHEDULE ber 2019.
en Bioscientist Awards 2017-2018. Noti- Universities; Chairman, UGC; DGs of CSIR,
fication is out for DBT National Women ICAR, ICMR, DRDO; Directors of National • Call 1 announcement - 12th January, Eligibility Criteria
Bioscientist Awards 2017-2018. Research Laboratories etc; Presidents of ap- 2018
proved scientific societies and academies of • Deadline for proposal submission - 9th To be considered eligible, applicants must
Government of India All India Nature; Secretaries of S&T Depart- April, 2018 fulfill the following criteria:
Ministry of Science & Technology ments / Ministries such as DST, DBT, DSIR, • Call outcome - July, 2018
Department of Biotechnology MES, MOEF, Atomic Energy, Department of • Fellowship start date - October 1st • Applicants may be of any nationality.
NOMINATIONS FOR NATIONAL WOM- Space, New and Renewable Energy, Com- 2018 • Applicants must be fluent in English
EN BIOSCIENTISTS AWARDS: 2017 & merce, Industry, Health & Family Welfare (written and spoken)
2018 and Human Resource Development and Ad- A new intersectoral training, career devel- • Applicants must be Experienced Re-
visor/ Member (Science) Niti Aayog. Nomi- opment and mobility fellowship which focus- searchers.
Objective: nations will have to be sent in the prescribed es on the research strengths and expertise of
proforma (Annexure). the Institute in the area of gut microbiota and An experienced researcher must at the ap-
To recognize outstanding contributions their role in human health and disease. plication deadline (1st call:9th April, 2018;
of women scientists in basic and applied Nomination from individuals sponsoring APEX is a postdoctoral fellowship Marie 2nd call: 9th April, 2019), be in possession of
research in the areas of biosciences and bi- their own names will not be considered. Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) CO- a doctoral degree or have at least four years
otechnology including agricultural, biomed- FUND programme, based at APC Micro- of full-time equivalent research experience in
ical and environmental sciences with poten- Selection : The selection of candidates for biome Ireland at University College Cork academia or industry.
tial for application/product and technology the award will be made on the basis of rec- (UCC), and cofunded by H2020. Full-Time Equivalent Research Experience
development. ommendations of Selection Committee. Only The APEX programme will offer 20 pres- is measured from the date when a research-
nominations complete in all respects as per tigious two-year postdoctoral fellowships for er obtained the degree entitling him or her to
National Women Bioscientist Award proforma will be considered. incoming mobility across two calls over the embark on a doctorate, either in the country
(Senior Category) (one) 60 months duration of the programme. Fel- in which the degree was obtained or in the
Presentation of the awards : The awardees lowships will be targeted at experienced re- country in which the researcher is recruited,
The National Women Bioscientist Award will receive the awards at a formal function searchers. (An experienced researcher must even if a doctorate was never started or en-
(Senior Category) is awarded to senior wom- organized by DBT. at the application deadline (1st call: 9th April, visaged.
en scientist for life time contributions, who 2018; 2nd call: 9th April, 2019), be in pos-
has done excellent research in the country Payment of TA/DA : TA/DA to the awar- session of a doctoral degree OR have at least • Mobility Requirements:
and has applied the results for benefit of stu- dees for attending the award ceremony will four years of full-time equivalent research
dents and society. The Award carries a cash be paid by the Department of Biotechnology experience in academia or industry). International mobility is a core element of
prize of Rs 5.00 lakh along with citation and as per Govt. of India rules. All fellows will be hosted in an APC aca- the APEX programme. Applicants must be
a gold medal. demic host organisation (University College incoming fellows to Ireland and fulfill the
How to Apply : Cork, Teagasc Moorepark or Cork Institute mobility requirements:
National Women Bioscientist Award of Technology) and will be required to com-
(Young Category) (Two) The details of the Award, eligibility criteria, plete a mandatory secondment in a relevant Applicants may not have resided or carried
and proforma for nomination are given be- industry host. out their main activity (work, study) in the
The National Women Bioscientists Award low. The nominations (2 copies) neatly typed Fellowships will be offered in the four the- Republic of Ireland for more than 12 months
(Young Category) is given for outstanding in double space on plain paper in the pre- matic APC research areas of ‘Microbes to in the 3 years prior to the Call deadline.
contributions of women scientists below 45 scribed proforma complete with enclosures Molecules’, ‘Diet and Microbes at the Ex- For Career Restart and Reintegration: Ap-
years of age in basic and applied research in should reach on or before 15th April, 2018 to tremes of Life’, ‘Brain-Gut-Microbiota Axis’ plicants may not have resided or carried out
the areas of biosciences and biotechnology Mr. J.K. Dora, Under Secretary, Department and ‘Host-Microbe Dialogue’. Adhering to their main activity in the Republic of Ireland
including agricultural, biomedical and envi- of Biotechnology, Room No. 518, 5th Floor, the MSCA principle of ‘individual-driven for more than 3 years in the 5 years immedi-
ronmental sciences with potential for appli- Block-III, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New mobility’, APEX applicants will have the ately prior to the call deadline.
cation/product and technology development. Delhi – 110 003 and a soft copy in MS-Word freedom to choose their research topic (with-
Contributions made during last 5 years would .doc file to be e-mailed to jagadish.dora@nic. in the remit of the APC), their supervisor and • Secondment Eligibility
be the main consideration. The Award carries in. their secondment organisation. Secondments
a cash prize of Rs 1.00 lakh with citation and will be relevant to the fellows’ research pro- Eligible secondment hosts are research per-
a gold medal and Research Grant of Rs 5.00 ject and their career development. forming non-academic organisations located
lakh per annum for a period of 5 years. There will be two calls under the APEX anywhere in the world.
programme, with application deadlines of Secondments must be 3 to 6 months in du-
Eligibility April 2018 and April 2019, for start dates of ration and can be a single period or split into
October 2018 and October 2019 respectively. short stays.
i) Any Citizen of India who is engaged in There will be 10 fellowships awarded in this Secondments must be relevant to the fel-
basic and applied research in the areas of bi- call. low’s project and career development.
osciences and biotechnology in the country.
The work for which nomination is made must Fellowship Details: Project Eligibility:
have been carried out in Indian institutes and
acknowledged in the publications. The APEX Fellowships are open to experi- Proposals must describe a research project
ii) For Senior Category Award: Citizens of enced researchers of any nationality, resident to be implemented during a 2-year period.
India should have made life time significant anywhere in the world (provided the mobility Adhere to the ethical standards as stated in
and outstanding contribution in research eligibility criteria are met), seeking a pres- the programme documentation.
in the areas of biosciences/biotechnology tigious career development fellowship in re-
and has applied the results for the benefit of search of the gut microbiota and their role in
students and society and the work must have human health and disease.
Next Page>>>>
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March 13th, 2018. Vol. 02 NO 11
Include a secondment in the non-academic Select the SMART Interdisciplinary Re- ary 2018 to 13 April 2018, Singapore time.
sector. search Group (IRG) you would like to con- The status of your application will be sent by • A PhD, or near to completion, in a med-
The topic must fall within the broad APC duct your research in. The proposed research email on or before 23 May 2018, Singapore ical/biological subject, together with
research themes : project should align with one of the SMART time. relevant experience.
IRGs: FM, LEES, AMR or DiSTAP. • Be no more than 3 years post PhD at
• Microbes to Molecules, There is also an opportunity to work with the start of the fellowship. This condi-
• Diet and Microbes at the Extremes of the Innovation Centre. Here, scholars will tion will be relaxed proportionately for
Life, have the opportunity to research the Innova- applicants who have had a career break.
• Brain-Gut-Microbiota Axis tion Centre’s processes, assess the centre’s • A strong CV, having published in high
• Host-Microbe Dialogue. strenghts and weaknesses, and provide rec- impact journals and presented at inter-
ommendations for improvements. national meetings.
Application Process: • An enthusiastic interest in diabetes and
2. MIT Mentor metabolic research.
• The application process starts with the
publication of the call for proposals. Identify the MIT faculty member who be- The key selection criteria for the Clinical
Call 1 open since 12th January, 2018. longs to SMART that you feel could best Research Training Fellowships are:
• All applications will be emailed to the provide mentorship and guidance on your
APEX address APEX@ucc.ie, with proposed research. SMART 2018 Scholars • Have prior research experience (typ-
the subject heading: Call 1. Programmea Novo ically a BSc), a medical degree and
• The application system will close 3. Research Statement some specialist experience, typically
on the submission deadline, at 23.59 Nordisk – Oxford having obtained MRCP or equivalent,
(GMT) 9th April, 2018. Submit a 1-3 page description of the re- Fellowship Programme – but not CCT or consultant status.
search project you propose to conduct at 2018 @ Singapore • Have a strong academic record (eg
Application Deadline – 9th April, 2018 SMART, including some background/con- prizes, first class degree etc).
text, technical approach and anticipated re- • GMC registered Medical Practitioner
Candidates with PhD Bioscience Degree,
sults. or ability to obtain GMC requirements
Life Science PhD Degree and are looking
and practice in the UK (please see the
for Biotech Fellowship / Life Science Fel-
4. Objective General Medical Council website for
lowship can apply for Novo Nordisk – Ox-
further details).
ford Fellowship Programme – 2018.
Provide a brief description of why you want • A strong CV, as evidenced by publica-
to conduct your research at SMART in Sin- tions in international journals.
The Novo Nordisk – Oxford Fellowship
gapore. Include some indication of how the • Committed to a career in diabetes or
Programme aims to support the development
proposed research might benefit from being metabolic medicine, clinical practice
of a new generation of exceptional young di-
conducted in Singapore, and how it might and research.
abetes researchers, who will become future
promote collaboration between the SMART
leaders in the field. The programme also aims
faculty member from MIT, the Nanyang How to Apply :
to further develop scientific excellence with-
Technological University (NTU), the Na-
in diabetes and ultimately improve the lives
tional University of Singapore (NUS), and Call For Application
of patients. We support both postdoctoral re-
the Singapore University of Technology and
search fellows and clinical research training
Design (SUTD). The 2018 call for applications is now
SMART 2018 Scholars fellows. This ensures that the research in our
open, with a closing date of midday on Fri-
programme spans the translational spectrum,
Programme @ Singapore 5. Career Goals
from basic biological research through to
day 23 March.
clinical application.
Describe your long-term career goals and • Apply for Novo Nordisk Postdoctoral
role of this postdoctoral experience in achiev- Research Fellow in Diabetes and Me-
SMART 2018 Scholars Programme at What they Offer ?
ing them, including future plans for collabo- tabolism (3 posts)
Singapore. Singapore-MIT Alliance for rative activities. • Apply for Novo Nordisk Clinical Re-
Research and Technology (SMART) Cen- We offer fellows a cutting edge research
search Training Fellow in Diabetes and
tre in Singapore 2018 Notification. Check project based at the University of Oxford,
6. CV Metabolism (2 posts)
details on the same below: which is supervised by world-leading re-
searchers in the field of diabetes and metabo-
Curriculum Vitae not to exceed 2 pages. If you would like to apply for a fellowship
We will be accepting qualified applications lism. In addition, each fellow is given a men-
position, you must list up to three research
for the SMART 2018 Scholars Programme. tor at Novo Nordisk. As part of their project,
7. List of Publications projects as part of your supporting statement,
These awards will provide a unique opportu- fellows will spend a period of time in the labs
in your application.
nity for recent or soon to be Ph.D. graduates of Novo Nordisk in Copenhagen. Fellows
Provide a complete list of publications. In We advertise fellowship positions each
to participate in the Singapore-MIT Alliance will therefore get an insight into research in
addition, also include copies of not more than spring, with an expected start date in autumn
for Research and Technology (SMART) Cen- both academia and industry.
3 publications, combined in a single PDF file, of the same year. We recruit between three
tre in Singapore, and to become members of The postdoctoral research fellowships are
that you consider to represent your best work. and six fellows in each recruitment cycle. We
an alumni network that we anticipate will aimed at early career researchers with a ba-
will have subsequent calls in Spring 2019 and
continue to evolve and expand over the years. sic science background. The clinical research
8. Optional Spring 2020.
The awards, to be given annually, are open to training fellowships are aimed at clinicians
those with less than three years post doctoral who wish to undertake a DPhil (PhD) and
Provide the Selection Committee any other Please check Research Projects on:
experience and provided they have received who aspire to a career in academic medicine.
information you feel will be helpful in ac- https://www.biotecnika.org/2018/03/
their doctoral degree by 1 August 2018. The Our prestigious fellowships are fully funded
cessing your application. novo-nordisk-oxford-fellowship-pro-
fellowship recipient would be able to conduct for a three year period and provide the fel-
gramme/
research of his/her own choice in Singapore low’s salary, a generous travel allowance and
9. Referees
within, but not necessarily tied closely to, a consumable support for the lab in which they
current project in one of the SMART Inter- are based. Our fellowships are open to out-
Provide 3 professional names of your ref-
disciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) and or standing candidates of any nationality.
eree. One must be your doctoral supervisor
the SMART Innovation Centre. It is antici- and the other 2 persons must be qualified to
pated that the recipients will take up their ap- Eligibility & Selection Criteria
comment on your scholarly achievements.
pointments at SMART by 1 September 2018. Your referees must submit their recommen-
The fellowship programme is international
dation online together with your application
Award : The awards provide a fixed annu- and therefore applicants from any country
through our online application. A reminder to
al salary of S$120,000 per year (not eligible are eligible to apply. However, please note
your referee to prepare the letter using their
for 13 month bonus or annual increment), a that while we will consider all applications,
official institution or organization’s letter-
research grant of up to S$20,000 per year, the funding provided for the clinical research
head.
computer purchase grant of up to S$1,000, a training fellowships will only cover home/
travel grant of up to S$2,500 per year, and el- EU DPhil fees. Find out information on stu-
NOTE: For questions regarding the
igible for a six-month stay at MIT with funds dent fees at the University of Oxford.
SMART Scholar Fellowship, send an email
up to S$15,000.. We aim to recruit fellows with the potential
to smart_scholar@smart.mit.edu.
to become leaders in the field of diabetes in
Application Requirements: subsequent years.
Application Period and Timeline:
10
Vol. 02 NO 11 March 13th, 2018.
JOBS
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES GOVT JOB @
NATIONAL DOPE TESTING LABORATORY
WITH RS. 60,000/- PM SALARY
Apply for a high paying govt job at testing and data analysis. Desirable – Specialized experience in re- details of all the qualifications & experience
NDTL – National Dope Testing Labora- search & development in the field of drug possessed in the relevant field over & above
tory. National Dope Testing Laboratory Name of the Position : Scientist – ‘B’ (on analysis / sports dope testing / quality man- the minimum qualifications/experience pre-
is hiring MSc & PhD candidates for Rs. Contract basis) agement system as per ISO 17025 / industrial scribed along with attested photocopies of
60,000/- per month Scientist position as / scientific organization mark sheets/ certificates.
per the details given below: No.of.Posts : 05
How to Apply: The Laboratory Director
NATIONAL DOPE TESTING LABORA- Remuneration : Fixed Monthly remunera- National Dope Testing Laboratory
TORY (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports) tion of Rs. 60,000/- will be payable. Eligible and willing candidates may submit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Complex
J N Stadium Complex their applications in the prescribed Perfor- CGO Complex, East Gate,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003 Qualifications: ma attached at Annexure – II on or before Lodhi Road,
02/04/2018 (05:00 PM) by post and by e-mail New Delhi – 110003
National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) Essential – M. Sc (Chemical Sciences/ Bi- to The Laboratory Director on following ad- ndtlindia@nic.in
an autonomous organization under the Minis- ological sciences/Pharmaceutical sciences / dress.
try of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government applied sciences in relevant fields from rec- Applications incomplete in any respect Application Deadline – on or before
of India invites applications for engagement ognised university or equivalent with 2 years (i.e. unsigned, without photograph, without 02/04/2018 (05:00 PM)
of Scientist –‘B’ on contract basis initially for experience) required documents/certificates etc.) will e
a period of one year extendable upto a max- summarily rejected.
imum three years for routine dope sample Or Ph. D The applications, should, therefore, furnish
Apply for Programme Associate position and the Engineering and Physical Sciences shall be reckoned as on 01.03.2018. communication shall be made through
at INSA. Indian National Science Acade- Research Council (EPSRC) and Econom- • Candidates are required to possess a the email ID only given by the Candi-
my hiring for Programme Associate posi- ic and Social Research Council (ESRC), valid active email ID and Mobile Num- dates. Final selection will be made on
tion for which applications are open. Its a as part of the Research Councils UK ber which is to be filled in the appli- the basis of performance in the Inter-
Life Sciences Job @ Indian National Sci- (RCUK)” cation form correctly and legibly. In- view.
ence Academy , Go through the details giv- timation to shortlisted candidates for • The envelope containing the appli-
en below: Educational Qualification : Interview will be sent through email cation form must be superscribed as
only. The Academy will not be respon- “Application for engagement as Pro-
Name of the Position : Programme As- Ph.D. Degree in Basic Sciences / Life sible for bouncing of any email sent to gramme Associate / Executive Assis-
sociate Sciences / Engineering / Pharmacy from the candidates. tant on Contract Basis”.
any recognized University or Institute. Can- • Candidates who wish to apply for more
No.of.Posts : 02 didates who have submitted their thesis can than one category should submit sepa- Applications in the prescribed format with
also be considered rate application forms. necessary self attested documents may bersj.
Age Limit : • Applications received incomplete in jwels_1892@yahoo.in sent to “Deputy Exec-
How to Apply: any respect, wrongly filled-in or un- utive Director-II (F&A), Indian National Sci-
Not exceeding 35 Years (as on 01.03.2018) signed or without supporting self at- ence Academy, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
• Candidates must apply in the pre- tested photocopies of educational New Delhi-110002″ so as to reach the Acad-
Consolidated Remuneration : scribed application form which should certificates, mark sheets, age, caste emy latest by 20 March 2018 (5.00 p.m.).
be downloaded from the Academy’s certificate (wherever applicable) and
Rs. 40,000.00 per month website: www.insaindia.res.in. Appli- experience certificate (wherever appli- The last date for the receipt of applica-
cations received in any other format / cable) or without photograph will not tions is 20 March 2018. Applications re-
Name of the Project : “India-UK Energy form shall be summarily rejected and be entertained in any case. ceived after the last date will be summarily
Demand Reduction in the Built Environ- no correspondence shall be made in • Selection Procedure: Shortlisted can- rejected.
ment Programme involving India‟s De- this regard. didates shall be called for Interview to
partment of Science & Technology (DST) • The age, qualification and experience make an assessment for selection. All
11
March 13th, 2018. Vol. 02 NO 11
Biocon is recruiting for Msc and PhD • Support Clinical and commercial man- tions: Root cause investigations for Therefore the candidate must have
candidates for research positions. MSc & ufacturing (for process, analytical, deviations and OOS, Trending and strong documentation skills. She or He
PhD Biochemistry and Biotech job open- equipment, facility related activities) analysis of data from clinical batches must value accurate, thorough and de-
ing at Biocon. Check the details on the • Support Process Validation with pro- onwards, Regulatory support, Process tailed documentation practices.
same below: tocol, reports and support functions of improvements initiatives, Studies sup- • Investigative spirit and technical cu-
cleaning and hold time validation. porting alternate raw materials sources, riosity is a must. The candidate must
Job Title : MSAT Formulation Biosimi- Support Process Validation, Support have a drive to “dig” until the root
lar SCIENTISTS/Engineers: Engineering and Instrumentation. cause is found.
• MSAT person will also have access to
Location : Bengaluru Area, India • Looking for Candidates with formula- TECHNICAL / FUNCTIONAL & BE- large body of data. Hence the candidate
tion and fill finish for sterile injectable HAVIORAL SKILLS: must be well organized and methodical.
Job Functions : Research experience. • Since the position involves interacting
• Hands on experience on formulation, Technical Skills with QA, QC, Manufacturing, Instru-
Job Description : MSAT provides tech- lyophilization, mixing processes, ster- mentation and Engineering, strong In-
nical support for products manufactured at ile filtration process development and/ • Strong knowledge of Lyophilization, terpersonal skills are required.
microbial and mammalian facility at Biocon. or process scale-up required. sterile filtration, stability studies, con- • Good communications skills required
• Understanding of workflow for Bio- tainer closure interactions.
Key responsibilities of the team are listed similar process and product develop- • Hands on experience in formulation Behavioral skills:
below: ment with the perspective of Reference • Strong concepts in Protein Biochemis-
Product Quality Attributes is desirable. try. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
• Responsible for monitoring, trouble- • Strong concepts of drug product devel- • Understanding of the concepts of in-
shooting and improving upstream, opment such as DP specifications, con- strumentation associated with the pro- • Experience: 4- 8 years hands on expe-
downstream and formulation unit op- tainer closure design and interactions, cess function rience with process development and/
erations as well as related analytical sterile filtration operations, stability • Knowledge in HPLC related work- or scale up. Experience with processes
in-process and release testing starting studies (shelf life extrapolation), in use flows is a plus run at production scale is preferred
from vial thaw to the finished drug studies (infusion studies), shipping and • The core function of MSAT is docu- • Qualification: M.Pharm/M.Sc./ MTech
product. excursions studies and Extractables mentation of manufacturing activities or PhD with specialization in any of the
• Root cause investigations of deviations and Leachables program is a must. to Quality assurance regulatory agen- following Biochemistry, Biotechnolo-
and OOS • The job involves the following func- cies, both national and international. gy, Chemistry, Chemical engineering.
12