Structure:

Introduction: (up to 30 words) Write about the importance of Biotechnology in general

Body: (up to 100 words) Write about some of the challenges faced by Biotechnology Sector and the way forward.

Conclusion: (up to 30 words) Write about the applications/scope and any measure taken by the government.

Supporting Points:

Biotechnology is the technologies applied to biology, molecular biology, genetics, and many other subfields of biology. Biotechnology utilizes cellular and biomolecular processes to create technologies and products that help improve our lives and the nature. By making useful food, such as bread and cheese, and preserving dairy products, we have done these for many years by now. Recent biotechnology develops breakthrough products and technologies to fight diseases, reduce our environmental harm, feed the hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial manufacturing processes.

 Biotechnology health care products and vaccines have been made available to patients, many for previously untreatable diseases. More than 13.3 million farmers around the world use agricultural biotechnology to increase yields, prevent damage from insects and pests and reduce damage done on environment due to farming. Biorefineries are being built across North America to test and refine technologies to produce biofuels and chemicals from renewable biomass, which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Challenges:

1. Biotechnology research often requires access to laboratories, with high-end and sensitive scientific infrastructure, the supply of expensive chemicals and reagents, refrigeration – electricity supply, long term funding – The human genome project cost 3 billion USD and 13 years.
2. Over the years, the focus of research has slowly shifted from fundamental to applied research. Many protests are involved when it comes to real life application
3. Compared to the developed economies, biotechnology research in India is mainly funded by the public exchequer.
4. Low wages of scientists (compared to the developed economies) and a few institutional research base have not helped create more jobs in biotechnology.
5. Biotechnology products and solutions often require ethical and regulatory clearance, making the process long, expensive and cumbersome.
6. As the nature of the work in the biotechnology sector is specialised, most jobs are filled with experienced and skilled scientists leaving the demand for young and inexperienced ones low.
7. Difficult to obtain patents due to stringent measures when it comes to Biotech
8. Societal concerns and environmental harm due to unauthorized use.
9. Bioterrorism

Way Forward:

1. While continuing and increasing the share of funding in basic research, the government should encourage and incentivize the private sector to invest substantially in applied research.
2. In this context, initiatives like Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), which aim is to play a transformative and catalytic role in building a US$ 100 billion Indian bio-economy, is a step in the right direction.
3. There is a need for sustained innovation and product development model in the biotechnology, like the one followed by Boston and Silicon Valley in the U.S.
4. Along with the availability of funding, infrastructure and skilled workforce, the presence of top-notch research institutions and universities in the vicinity of the Biotech industry, makes these regions the most attractive locations for biotech startup companies.
5. Therefore, India needs to provide an academia-industry linkage in the biotech sector.
6. Recently, the Society of Biotechnology of India (SBPI) was launched by former biotechnologists and technocrats of the Union Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.
7. It is a non-profit organisation.
8. It would complement India's efforts towards enhancing research funding of “gap areas” in infrastructure, human resources, regulatory frameworks and converting research and development leads into applications.

Conclusion:

There are many challenges in biotech sector such as dealing with multiple regulatory bodies typically results in serious delays. To overcome this, the government has proposed to set up the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) through an act of the Parliament.

Scope and Applications:

1. Agriculture
2. Medicine
3. Forensic science
4. Environmental
5. GMOs and Hybrid variety