India shares the predicament of many developing countries: despite a vast research force, it has the training and infrastructure of pre-genomics days, and has little experience of the research skills required for post-genomic biology.

In this letter to Nature, R M Ranganath of Bangalore University argues that in order to become a champion of biotechnology, India needs a paradigm shift in the organisation of its research and training.

Two aspects need urgent attention, he says: establishing functional-genomics centres for biotechnology and related basic science research — as is done in China — and training researchers in state-of-the-art skills.

Link to letter in Nature

Reference: Nature 422, 802 (2003)