2 CIMAP scientists get this year's Biotalent award

Lucknow, May 8 (UNI) Dr D U Bawankule and Dr Ashutosh K Shukla, scientists of the Genetic Resources and Biotechnology Division of the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), a premier institute of Council of Scientific&Industrial Research (CSIR), have bagged the prestigious Biotalent Award at the Walkway of Discovery Poster Session of Bangalore Bio 2008.

This is in line with the Biotalent Award bagged by Dr Shukla at the Walkway of Discovery Poster Session of Bangalore Bio 2007 last year, where he was awarded the first prize for his work titled ''EST-based tissue-specific transcriptome analyses in Catharanthus roseus'' by Ashutosh K Shukla, Ajit K Shasany and Suman P S Khanuja, sources said today.

This year, Dr Bawankule won the award for his work titled ''Designer formulation against rheumatoid arthritis based on scientific validation and traditional usage of plants'' by D U Bawankule, Anirban Pal, DN Mani, D Chanda, Amit Srivastava, Karuna Shankar, M P Darokar, N P Yadav, M M Gupta and Suman P S Khanuja.

Dr Shukla won the award this time for his work titled'' Molecular tagging of specific chemotypes of Papaver somniferum using functional genomics approach towards development of non-narcotic poppy'' by Ashutosh K Shukla, Vanee Birtharey, Nidarshana Chaturvedi, Raj K Lal, Ajit K Shasany and Suman P S Khanuja.

Bangalore Bio, hosted by Department of I T and Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka and organised by Vision Group on Biotechnology, has emerged as the largest congregation of India's Biotech community generating tremendous interest and response worldwide. Bangalore Bio 2008, held during 24 to 26 April, 2008 at Bangalore, was India's biggest Biotech show and had GLOBAL PARTNERING as its focal theme. Prof Sidney Altman, Nobel Laureate and Sterling Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, the US, delivered the keynote address at the inauguration of the event.

Over the years, the Walkway of Discovery Poster Session of Bangalore Bio has become highly popular and prestigious. It is a major highlight of the function, which provides a platform to young scientists and innovators to present their work at an international level.

At Bangalore Bio 2008, a committee of experts screened and selected 60 posters for presentation out of numerous applications that were submitted. An eminent jury evaluated the posters on the basis of innovation, problem solving approach and socio-economic significance of the research. Five of the posters were chosen for the Biotalent Award. Two of the five topmost posters belonged to CIMAP, Lucknow, which is a premiere CSIR laboratory well known for its cutting edge research in medicinal and aromatic plant science.

The awards were given at the Bio Awards Nite by Smt Vatsala Watsa, Additional Chief Secretary, Karnataka government. Mr Ashok Kumar C Manoli, Karnataka Principal Secretary for ITBT and Science and Technology was also present at the award ceremony.

UNI MB JAS KD HT1910