VIT signs new MoUs to explore biosciences

Chancellor of VIT University G. Viswanathan exchanges an MoU at the VIT Biosummit on Wednesday. —Photo: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

VIT University has signed agreements with 10 industries in the field of biosciences and healthcare during the fourth edition of VIT Biosummit 2015.

With these 10 pacts this year, the university’s School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST) has signed Memorandum of Understanding with a total of 50 companies so far.

C. Ramalingam, Dean of SBST, said they have already started collaborative research work with the 40 companies. “We have student exchange through the agreements in which our students go and utilise the labs in industries. The scientists from the industries come to our institution and utilise the facilities here,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

In fact, VIT along with the industries was submitting joint research proposals to national agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology and Indian Council of Medical Research, he said.

“These agreements also help in placing students. A number of students are placed in IT related to healthcare,” he said. Some of the industries the university has entered into a MoU include OmniActive Health Technologies, Mumbai, Central Council for Research in Siddha, Ministry of AYUSH and Metropolis Healthcare Ltd. The Biosummit was a platform to facilitate institution-industry interaction, he said.

VIT Chancellor G. Viswanathan said the university had entered into MoU with the 10 leading industries to take up research activities in bioscience. The university had been placed third in the Scopus Index Publication for its research papers.

T.S. Sarangarajan, chief technical officer, Cognizant Heathcare, said with DNA-based data of patients, one could quickly identify the disease and find proper healthcare to be given by reducing the ‘life-cycle’ of taking medicine over a longer period, a release said.

R.S. Ramaswamy, Director-General, Central Council for Research in Siddha, Ministry of AYUSH, said there was plenty of scope for students to take up researches in the field of Siddha.

Sanjaya Mariwala, Managing Director of OmniActive Health Technologies, Mumbai, said they were looking at broad areas of research, including the use of natural raw materials, with VIT university.

“The role of natural raw materials in human biochemistry and how biomass could be used to create alternatives can be looked into,” he said.

S. Narayanan, Pro Vice-Chancellor, VIT, was present.