Abhinav Singh
In August 2024, the Union cabinet approved the BioE3 policy-Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment, a framework policy to leverage biotechnolog)- for India’s economic growth, environmental sustainability and employment generation. It prioritises bio-manufacturing initiatives in various sectors like biopolymers, smart proteins, bio-therapeutic^ dimate-resilient agriculture. and marine and space research.
A key goal is to utilise biomass as a sustainable fuel source. India produces a vast amount of biomass, much of which is wasted or burned, causing pollution. Dr Jitendra Singh, minister of state for science and technology and earth sciences, feels that the BioE3 policy has been giving a much-needed boost to the biotechnolog)- sector. According to him. converting biomass into bioethanol can help India reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels and contribute to its net-zero carbon emission goals.
Singh also says thp grnnnrihreaking mpmnran- dum of agreement signed in October 2024 between the department of biotechnology and the Indian Space Research Organisation has paved the way for advancements in space biotechnology. A key initiative under this Moll focuses on the impact of micrograv- ity on edible micro-algae grown in wastewater aboard the International Space Station. Researchers at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Delhi are trying to utilise the algae to capture carbon dioxide, recycle wastewater (including urine), and provide astronauts a sustainable food source with vital nutrients. This research aligns with India’s goals for its space programme and the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station, a proposed modular space station to be operated by ISRO.
Researchers at the department of biotechnology are also collaborating with ISRO, NASA and the European Space Agency on various space phys-iology and bio-manufacturing projects. They are also investigating ways to mitigate muscle loss in astronauts through nutritional supplements and increased mitochondrial function.
In an exclusive interview, Singh spoke at length about how these initiatives and collaborations were
transforming India’s biotechnology and space technology sectors. Edited excerpts:
Q. How will the BioE3 policy bring In change In the biotechnolog)- segment?
A. India is one of the first countries to have come out with a dedicated policy for biotechnology and bio-economics. It is based on the understanding that the next industrial revolution will be driven by biotechnolog)- and bio-economy on the lines of the IT revolution in the 1990s. It also means that the global economy will gradually shift from a manufacturing culture to a culture based on regenerative processes and recycling. Hence, to be part of that global world and keep pace with other nations, it was important for us to bring out this policy.
Q. How has the department of biotechnology and India’s bio-economy grown in the past one decade?
A. The department of biotechnolog)’ got a big boost in the past ten years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We were just around S10 billion a decade go, but today we are around $150 billion. We hope to be around $300 billion by 2030. A decade ago, we had just 50 biotech start-ups; today, we have 9,000-some of them truly world-class.
Q. What are the areas that these 9,000 startups are working In?
A. Life sciences, agriculture, recycling-all of them are diversely placed. We have an interface known as BioRRAP (Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal), which is a very successful model to track regulatory approvals for research proposals.
Q/ What are the key aspects of the Moll between 1SRO and the department of biotechnology?
A/ Human beings may not have the same physiological condition they would have on the surface of the earth, or when they are at zero-gravity zone or are up in space. Conditions might also vary when they are pushing out of the earth’s orbit or entering another planet’s orbit. To better understand the physical or health-related support needed in space, we have an emerging area known as space biology.
The purpose of the MolJ is to establish a cooperative framework between the department of biotech-nology and ISRO in priority areas such as space biotechnology, space bio-manufacturing and bioastronautics. Biotechnology has traditionally been confined to laboratories, but is now reaching the vast expanse of space. This MolJ represents a pivotal step towards practical applications of biotechnology.
Q. What are the key challenges of space missions? And how is this collaboration going to address them?
A. When a human being is made to stay in space for a very long time, he may not be expected to depend on food packets from the earth. He may be in a position to produce his own vegetables or other eatable stuff using biotechnological techniques that help plants grow in space. So it is going to be very fascinating for biotechnology and space technology to work together.
Broadly, the key challenges of space missions are ensuring a continuous availability of nutrients, preserving food, and dealing with microgravity, radiation, physiological changes and health hazards. It has been projected that, by 2050. commercial space travel is going to become a reality, and we need to be future-ready. To this end. DBT and ISRO will jointly take up mission pro-jects focusing on space bio-manufac- turing demonstration experiments. For example, one mission is to test the resilience of a novel micro-algae and cyanobacteria in space conditions. and their ability to produce nutraceuticals, vitamins, etc.
Q/ Could you elaborate on the potential projects for Joint partnership under this .MolJ?
A. Ihe first project is testing the impact of microgravity on edible micro-algae, which have the ability to grow in waste water and undiluted urine. These micro-algae, if found resilient to space conditions, can be a sustainable food source for astronauts.
The second proposal delves into the growth and proteomics responses of cyanobacteria growing on urea in microgravity. The third proposal is about the adverse effects of space condition on the physiology of the astronauts and how to mitigate them. Astronauts experience up to 20 per cent muscle loss in space flights lasting five to 11 days. On the other hand, muscle loss, or sarcopenia, takes decades to develop on earth. By using nutritional supplements in a muscle cell culture model, researchers are attempting to increase the mitochondrial function, which is emerging as an important component in this condition.
Q. What are the areas where bio-technology is increasingly finding applications?
A. It is into health sector, life sciences and agriculture in a big way. For instance, in the health sector, India was among the first to come out with a DNA vaccine during the pandemic. India has also designed its first in-digenous antibiotic. Nafithromycin, which has been found to be effective in treating resistant respiratory infections.
Similarly, we are the first to have carried out a successful trial of gene therapy for haemophilia. The first phase of clinical trials, which proved to be very successful, was conducted at Christian Medical College Vellore.
Q. How is the training for Ga- ganauts for the Gaganyaan programme progressing?
A. The training for the Gaganauts is now almost over. It had got delayed because the Gaganauts had gone to the Yuri Gagarin Training Centre in Moscow during the lockdown and had to be called back Now everything is in place. By the end of this year, we should have the final trial mission-the robot mission ‘ Vy-ommitra,’ where a female robot will go into the space and come back.
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