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The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) announced a joint call for Proposals on Bio-AI for establishing hubs under BioE3 Policy for Biomanufacturing.

What is the BioE3 Policy?

The BioE3 Policy, which stands for Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment, aims to make India a global leader in biomanufacturing.

Approved in August 2024, by the Union Cabinet, it focuses on using biotechnology to create sustainable products and processes.

Biomanufacturing means producing things like medicines, eco-friendly chemicals, and food using living organisms like plants, bacteria, or enzymes instead of harmful chemicals or fossil fuels.

The policy covers   

• Health: Developing advanced medicines like cell and gene therapies, mRNA vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies for precise disease treatment.
• Agriculture: Creating climate-resilient crops, biopesticides, and smart proteins (like plant-based or lab-grown proteins) to improve farming and food security.
• Environment: Producing bio-based chemicals, bioplastics, and enzymes to reduce pollution, capture carbon, and promote a circular economy (recycling resources).
• Futuristic Research: Exploring biotechnology for marine life and space missions, like ensuring astronaut health or developing medicines in space.

What is the Bio-RIDE Scheme?

In September 2024, the Union Cabinet approved the Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio-RIDE) scheme, by merging two earlier Department of Biotechnology (DBT) programs: Biotechnology R&D and Industrial & Entrepreneurship Development.

A new component, Biomanufacturing and Biofoundry, was added to align with the BioE3 Policy. With a budget of ₹9,197 crore from 2021 to 2026, Bio-RIDE supports research, product development, and startup growth in biotechnology.

What does Bio-RIDE do?

• Funds Research: Supports scientists to innovate in areas like health, agriculture, and environment.
• Boosts Startups: Helps biotech companies scale up and sell their products, bridging the gap between lab research and market.
• Builds Infrastructure: Creates biomanufacturing hubs and biofoundries (factories for bio-based products) to produce sustainable goods.
• Promotes Biomanufacturing: Encourages eco-friendly production of chemicals, enzymes, and proteins.

What are Bio-AI Hubs?

A key part of the BioE3 Policy is establishing Bio-AI hubs across academia (universities) and industry. These hubs combine Artificial Intelligence (AI) with biology to solve complex challenges in health, agriculture, and the environment.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) issued a Joint Call for Proposals to invite teams to set up these hubs, called मूलांकुर hubs (meaning "seedling hubs" in Hindi).

Bio-AI hubs use AI’s power to analyze massive biological data, predict outcomes, and design solutions. For example, AI can study DNA to create new medicines or optimize crops to withstand drought. 

These hubs aim to deliver data-driven, advanced research by bringing together experts in:

• Synthetic Biology: Designing new biological systems, like bacteria that produce biofuels.
• AI and Machine Learning (ML): Using algorithms to find patterns in biological data.
• Computation: Running simulations to test solutions before trying them in labs.

The hubs focus on five key areas:

• Biomolecular Design: Creating new proteins or enzymes for medicines or industrial use.
• Sustainable Agriculture: Developing crops or biopesticides that need less water or chemicals.
• Synthetic Biology: Engineering organisms for tasks like cleaning pollution or producing bioplastics.
• Ayurveda: Using AI to modernize traditional Indian medicine, like finding new herbal remedies.
• Genome Diagnostics: Analyzing DNA to detect diseases early or personalize treatments. 

Must Read Articles: 

Bio-RIDE Scheme 

BioE3 - Pioneering Sustainable Biomanufacturing

Source: 

PIB