Why In News?
National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) scientists discovered CNGC13 (Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Channel 13), a plasma membrane calcium channel vital for systemic plant defense signaling.
About CNGC13
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What it is: It is a plasma membrane-localized, vascular-expressed calcium-permeable channel (protein) found in plants.
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The "Alarm System" Mechanism: Plants lack a nervous system and cannot move to escape danger. When an insect chews on a leaf, CNGC13 activates within minutes.
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It facilitates the rapid propagation of calcium (Ca²⁺) signals and waves through the plant's vascular tissue (phloem) to warn distant, undamaged leaves.
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Immunity & Chemical Defense: The calcium signals triggered by CNGC13 activate the accumulation of jasmonates (plant defense hormones) and stimulate the breakdown of glucosinolates into toxic metabolites (like isothiocyanates) to ward off herbivores.
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Scientists tested this on Arabidopsis thaliana (a mustard-family weed commonly used as a laboratory model for plant biology) against Spodoptera litura (a notorious leaf-eating caterpillar crop pest).
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Plants lacking the CNGC13 gene showed significantly weaker defenses, and the pests gained weight much faster on them.
What Is the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC)?
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Origin: Created in November 2023 with Cabinet approval.
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Legal Status: An autonomous body registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
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Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Science and Technology, through the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
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Institutional Structure: It was established by subsuming 14 autonomous institutions under DBT into a unified institutional framework.
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Governance: It provides centralised administration while allowing individual research institutes to retain their distinct research mandates.
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Funding Mechanism: DBT provides core funding through institutional grants, including support for salaries, infrastructure and intramural research.
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Headquarters: New Delhi.
Objectives
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Unified Governance: To consolidate the administration of DBT's autonomous research institutions under one apex body.
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Research Integration: To promote multidisciplinary research and collaboration across institutional boundaries.
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Resource Optimisation: To improve the utilisation of existing laboratories, infrastructure, scientific expertise and research facilities.
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Research Translation: To strengthen the movement of scientific discoveries from basic research towards practical applications.
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National Priorities: To develop indigenous technologies and strengthen India's biotechnology capabilities under Atmanirbhar Bharat.
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Scientific Leadership: To nurture young researchers through advanced research programmes, interdisciplinary training and doctoral education.
Which Institutions Have Been Brought Under BRIC?
The original institutional restructuring covered 14 autonomous institutions of DBT:
|
Institution |
Location |
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National Institute of Immunology (NII) |
New Delhi |
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National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) |
Pune |
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Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) |
Bhubaneswar |
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Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) |
Thiruvananthapuram |
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Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) |
Hyderabad |
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National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) |
Manesar, Haryana |
|
National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) |
New Delhi |
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Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) |
Imphal |
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National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) |
Hyderabad |
|
Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) |
Bengaluru |
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National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) |
Kalyani, West Bengal |
|
Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) |
Faridabad |
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National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) |
Mohali |
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Centre of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB) |
Mohali |
What Are the Major Research Areas Supported by BRIC?
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Healthcare and Biomedical Research: Immunology, infectious diseases, cancer biology, genomics and translational medicine.
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Agricultural Biotechnology: Plant genomics, crop improvement, food biotechnology and agricultural productivity.
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Animal Biotechnology: Animal health, disease research and biotechnology applications in livestock.
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Bioresources: Biodiversity-based research, bioresource conservation and sustainable utilisation.
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Emerging Biotechnology: Stem-cell research, regenerative medicine, computational biology and advanced molecular technologies.
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Industrial Biotechnology: Bioprocessing, biological products and development of indigenous technologies.
Source: THEHINDU
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. With reference to the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1, 2 and 3 only (c) 2, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 3 only Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: The Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) was established by the Government of India to rationalize autonomous bodies by subsuming 14 Autonomous Institutions under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) into a single apex autonomous body. Statement 2 is correct: BRIC is formally registered as an autonomous society under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. Statement 3 is correct: BRIC functions under the administrative oversight of the Department of Biotechnology, which falls within the Ministry of Science and Technology. Statement 4 is incorrect: Under the BRIC restructuring, the individual research institutions have not lost their mandates; they continue to maintain their distinct research mandates and identities while benefiting from centralized governance, shared infrastructure, and interdisciplinary collaboration. |
