Ocimum Biosolutions announces Genomic Pioneer Awards

Ijsselstein/Hyderabad, Aug 14 (ANI/Business Wire India): Ocimum Biosolutions has announced a first of its kind award that recognizes the trailblazing research innovations in the genomics space.

The award would be known as the Genomic Pioneers Award.

The purpose of the Genomic Pioneers Award is to recognize excellence and outstanding contribution to the field of genomics using integrated state-of-the-art approaches.

The first recipient of the award will be announced in September 2008.

The first edition of the Genomic Pioneers Award focuses on excellence in using oligonucleotides in advancing genomics research. Synthetic DNA oligonucleotides now have wide spectrum of applications ranging from being used in fundamental research, as diagnostic reagents to discovery of pharmaceutical compounds, making it an integral part of any scientific research.

The first edition of this award will recognize the work of practicing scientists, who have demonstrated excellence in their novel use of oligonucleotides in Functional Genomics.

The award will carry a prize of ?3000 (EU). INR 1,00,000 (India), USD 3000 (Asia Pacific).

The deadlines for applications from EU and Asia Pacific is September 20. Applications from India are due on August 30.

Anu Acharya, CEO, Ocimum Biosolutions said, "Through the first version of Genomic Pioneers, we intend to elucidate the wide ranging utilities and applications of oligonucleotides and how it happens to be a bridge between basic research and target discovery. We hope this award will be a trend setter and would encourage new avenues of industry-industry and industry-academia collaboration."

"We hope that this will also inculcate new practices in industrial social responsibility and this is our way of reaching out to the community which we all belong to," said Ashwin Sivakumar, Director- Marketing and Outreach at Ocimum Biosolutions.

ANI