IIT Madras Launches Program on Sustainable Bio-Manufacturing in Collaboration with University of Tours

IIT Madras: The program is also in tune with the ‘BioE3’ policy of the government toward manufacturing bio-products for sustainable development.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras, collaborating with the University of Tours, France, has launched a new programme in sustainable bio-manufacturing of high-value phytochemicals. The course is being presented under the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN), states an official release from IIT Madras.

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The proposed program is in line with the vision of the ‘BioE3’ Policy recently announced by the government, intending to promote and facilitate large-scale manufacturing of bio-products for sustainable development with high-performance biomanufacturing.

According to the IIT Madras, the program focuses on sustainable biomanufacturing of high-value plant-derived natural products using plant and microbial bio-factories, which could also be used to preserve nature in line with rising market demand for phytochemicals for diverse commercial applications.

As many as 30 seats are available in the course, which will conclude on November 22, for which classes begin from December 2 till 14, the IIT note added.

IIT Madras’s sustainable biomanufacturing program

The whole programme is designed to introduce the participants to the current cutting-edge available technologies to manufacture in a sustainable manner high-value plant metabolites – phytochemicals, which are drugs and cosmetics that can be manufactured instead of extracted from the natural plant and synthesised totally by chemical means. These technologies depend upon the application of plant and microbial cell technology, known as ‘cell factory’, for sustainable biomanufacturing of phytochemicals, the IIT Madras statement added.

The program is open to participants outside IIT Madras comprising researchers, industry professionals, and students from recognized institutes including BTech, MTech, MSc, PhD in plant biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, biotechnology, and faculty. The applicants must have basic knowledge of plant cell and microbial technology and fermentation.

For India to tap into the growing demand for plant-based natural products and phytochemicals in the domestic as well as the global market, and to become a global biomanufacturing hub in this niche segment, it is imperative to work around three pillars including Capacity Building, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in this specialisation,” said Professor Smita Srivastava, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, IIT Madras.

IIT Madras, partnering with the University of Tours, France, has initiated a sustainable bio-manufacturing program with a focus on high-value phytochemicals. It comes under the ambit of the ‘BioE3’ policy towards the promotion of bio-products for sustainable development.

Conclusion:

IIT Madras’s new program on sustainable bio-manufacturing aligns with the policy ‘BioE3’ to encourage innovation in bio-product manufacturing at the hands of the government. The course covers plant-based natural products with cutting-edge biotechnological methods to develop high-value phytochemicals sustainably. With this initiative, India will be positioned on the world map as a leader in the biomanufacturing sector. This course is open to any student, researcher, and professional for an exciting venture into sustainable solutions in the up-escalating demand for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other industries.