bio chat
creation of start-ups that
are tech savvy.
Why is nano-
biotechnology
research so
important? What
are the latest trends
globally?
Prof Hodgson: So,
there has been a large
focus on straight
nanotechnology for the
development of devices,
targeted drugs etc. But in
some cases there are also
risks associated with this.
In the nano-bio space it is
all naturally synthesised
and there are no adverse
impacts. It is also an area,
particularly in agriculture,
that has largely been
neglected. Through this
initiative we have a chance
to profile and highlight
this type of research and
to quickly have an impact.
How can the solutions
created through nano-
biotechnology research
address the issues related
to agriculture, climate etc,
especially in the Indian
context?
Dr Adholeya: Resource
use efficiency is a major
challenge in agriculture
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BioVoiceNews | June 2017
and TDNBC is focusing
on these issues besides
innovating new avenues in
farming with technologies
and products.
How will the $100
million Australia-
India Strategic
Research Fund solve
our problems?
Prof Hodgson: The
AISRF fund between the
two countries is allowing
us to jointly tackle major
problems of importance
to both countries as
well as internationally.
For example we have
two projects under this
scheme at present. One
is looking at the next
generation of batteries
for energy storage and
the other is looking at
a completely new alloy
that can be 3D printed
to make components
for very demanding
applications. There are
also a range of biotech
and agriculture projects
that will impact on both
communities. There are
also major flow on effects
that go beyond the specif