ICRISAT launches centre of excellence in genomics

Hyderabad, Mar 20 (UNI) The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has launched a Centre of Excellence in Genomics (CEG) at its global headquarters at Patancheru in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.

ICRISAT also announced the launch of a Bio-Food Knowledge Center (BFKC) in its Agri-Science Park with financial support from the Andhra Pradesh Government.

The CEG, through financial support of DBT, strengthens the existing molecular breeding facilities at ICRISAT to a high throughput, cost-effective facility, which could be used for crop improvement research.

The facility, which was fully operational, was available for researchers from agricultural research institutes throughout India and globally via ICRISAT's network of partners.

The BFKC, for which the Andhra Pradesh Government made the first tranche of funding available, would be a platform for R&D and innovation in food processing with focus on cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables and medicinal and aromatic plants.

Director General of ICRISAT, Dr William Dar, said in a statement the collaboration with the Indian Government for the CEG and the Andhra Pradesh Government for the BFKC were examples of ICRISAT's strengthening relationship with the national and the state governments in India and other countries.

''Though these projects are funded by national and state governments, their impacts will flow to all the 55 countries that ICRISAT works in,'' he said UNI BR GM SR HT2052