IIT Madras partners with French varsity to offer course on sustainable biomanufacturing

Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is partnering with the University of Tours, France, to offer a course on ‘Sustainable Bio-Manufacturing of high-value Phytochemicals’.

This course is being offered through the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) program to promote collaboration with international universities.

What is the course about?

The IIT Madras course deals with sustainable biomanufacturing of high-value plant-derived natural products using plant and microbial bio-factories, which can also conserve nature while fulfilling the increasing market demand for phytochemicals for various commercial applications.

It will address the need for fundamental research on the identification of biosynthetic pathways and modern approaches that allow their acceleration as well as new developments in plant biotechnology approaches of rationally integrating bioprocess and metabolic engineering principles to maximize the yield of high-value phytochemicals from plant and yeast cell biofactories for economic feasibility in these bioprocesses.

What is the objective of the course?

The objective of this course is to introduce to the participants, current state-of-the-art available technologies to sustainably produce high-value plant metabolites (phytochemicals like drugs and cosmetics) as an alternative to natural plant extraction and total chemical synthesis. These techniques are based on the application of plant and microbial cell technology called ‘cell factory’ for sustainable biomanufacturing of phytochemicals

The course will address the need for fundamental research on the identification of biosynthetic pathways and modern approaches that allow their acceleration as well as new developments in plant biotechnology approaches of rationally integrating bioprocess and metabolic engineering principles to maximize the yield of high-value phytochemicals from plant and yeast cell biofactories for economic feasibility in these bioprocesses.

The course is in line with the vision of the Government of India’s recently announced ‘BioE3’ Policy, which aims to promote and facilitate large-scale manufacturing of bio-products for sustainable development with high-performance biomanufacturing.

Who can apply?

This course is also open for those outside IIT Madras. Researchers, industry professionals, students (BTech, MTech, MSc, PhD) in plant biotechnology/bioprocess engineering/biotechnology and faculty from recognised institutions can apply. Applicants are expected to have a basic knowledge of plant cell and microbial technology and fermentation.

There will be 30 seats available for in-person participation. Registration for the course is open till November 22, 2024. The course will be taught from December 2-14. Further details can be obtained here.

Highlighting the need for such courses, Prof. Smita Srivastava, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, IIT Madras, said, “For India to tap on the growing demand for plant-based natural products and phytochemicals in the domestic as well as 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 specialised domain.”

Prof Smita Srivastava, who is also the faculty-in-charge for IIT Madras bio incubator, said, “Such short courses can be extremely useful to create awareness and interest among the budding researchers, industry professionals and entrepreneurs to develop such sustainable technologies for huge socio-economical impact both nationally and internationally.”

Further, Prof Nathalie Giglioli-Guivarc’h, director, of the Biomolecules and Plant Biotechnologies Laboratory, University of Tours, France, said, “The Covid pandemic in 2020 has, among other things, highlighted the need for States such as those in Asia and Europe to secure production of certain vital medicines. Thus, the development of technologies for the production of active ingredients of plant origin, such as anticancer drugs, as alternatives to growing plants in fields, and as part of a sustainable development approach, is becoming one of the major challenges of the coming decade.”

About IIT Madras

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an ‘Institute of National Importance.’

The activities of the Institute in various fields of science and technology are carried out in 18 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary research academic centres. The Institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to BTech., MSc, MBA, MTech, MS, PhD and degrees in a variety of specialisations.