With regard to the advancement in bio-technology field and to find a sustainable way to combat the energy crisis, five Indian Institutes of Technology Institutes have come together to create a virtual center of excellence for bio-energy. The participating institutions are the IITs from Bombay, Kharagpur, Guwahati, Jodhpur and Roorkee. A total of 32 researchers from the various campuses will collaborate on projects about advanced bio-fuels including cyanobacterial biofuels.
Known as the ‘DBT-Pan IIT Centre for Bio-energy’, it is a joint initiative of the institutes along with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology. The DBT-IIT plan shall be coordinated by IIT Bombay. This virtual centre shall focus on areas of research for more advanced bio-fuels.
The press release posted, “The main objective of this centre is to develop advanced technologies in the area of bio-fuels, paving the way for a sustainable solution to the energy crisis.”
The DBT plan is as important for combating the energy crisis as it is for the students of biotechnology, as it will give them profound hand-on experience.
The seeds of this collaboration were sown in January 2015, and it includes 32 investigators who have been working on bio-energy and will jointly undertake research activities in the following thematic areas: Cyanobacterial Biofuels, Biofuels from micro-algae, Ligno-cellulosic biomass to Biofuels and Techno-economic and Life Cycle Analysis.
No doubt this is a giant leap forward in the field of sustainable bio-energy fuels. But, more importantly this would prove as a profound stepping stone for the Biotechnology academia. Students who happen to underrate this field, would now see it worth pursuing. The exposure through the interactive and investigative approach that the students of Biotech Deptartments in various universities shall get, will prove to be fruitful. The research along with investigators, professors and scholars of biotechnology, will undoubtedly enhance the academic credentials of the students.
Collaborations among scientists of participating institutions can supplement fellowships for various students to work across institutions and get formal access to technology platforms across institutions. The DBT plan is as important for combating the energy crisis as it is for the students of biotechnology.