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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EFFORTS ON COVID-19
BY DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY (DBT)
DBT-NIPGR examining potential for anti-COVID drugs from
plant products
The Department of Biotechnology’s New Delhi-based National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) is looking into ways by which it could contribute to the global efforts to come out with new interventions to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world now. A team of researchers at the Institute led by Dr Ashutosh Pandey is working to find drugs against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.The group is rigorously exploring plant’s natural products, specifically flavonoids, that are potentially anti-viral in nature. The potential activity of the identified molecule/s against SARS-CoV-2 will be tested in collaboration with the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad.
Contact info: Dr Ashutosh Pandey; ashutosh@nipgr.ac.in
Website link:
http://www.nipgr.ac.in/home/home.php
‘Sundowner Sessions’ focusing on Mental Health during
National Lockdown by DBT- inStem, Bangalore
During the current COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown, one’s well-being is emerging as one of the top priorities from the mental health perspective.With physical distancing as one of the key tools to flatten the curve, one can feel boycotted and isolated, mentally and emotionally drained.The global surveys suggest that this has been affecting the general well-being resulting in a decline in mental health with an increase in suicide rates and severe trauma for many.
The website, COVID Gyan, was set up by a consortium of institutions to create awareness about COVID-19 for the general public through infographics, posters, research articles, podcasts/videos etc. It is working to address this issue too to bring in a more holistic approach of support during this crisis time.
With evenings being the special periods of vulnerability, COVID Gyan has planned to bring a series of interactive ‘Sundowner Session’ with Rukmini Chawla Kumar (Author and Editor at Penguin Books).These sessions will focus on discussion of topics of relevance to the lockdown, readings from books/poems and most importantly, some friendly conversations with ‘humane’
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