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Gene man Tuli has NBRI reins
HE DEVELOPED India?s first transgenic Bt Cotton. Now, Dr Rakesh Tuli takes over as National Botanical Research Institute director after the retirement of Dr P Pushpangadan on Tuesday. His aim: To bridge the gap between what has been achieved and what is achievable.
HE DEVELOPED India’s first transgenic Bt Cotton.
Now, Dr Rakesh Tuli takes over as National Botanical Research Institute director after the retirement of Dr P Pushpangadan on Tuesday.
His aim: To bridge the gap between what has been achieved and what is achievable.
Till his elevation to the top post, he was coordinator of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering at the NBRI. He has many firsts to his credit.
Among them are cloning an agriculturally important gene 14 years ago and synthesising two new Bt genes recently. Dr Tuli spoke to HT Live about his priorities and the challenges before agri-biotechnology in India.
When he developed transgenic Bt Cotton at NBRI, it was the first case of design and synthesis of such a long gene in India.
It was in September 1992 that he decided to move to NBRI, Lucknow, in search of a larger field space, a bigger laboratory and project team than what was possible at BARC where he was previously employed.
Talking about his achievements, he said, “ Dr CR Bhatia, the then Secretary and Dr Manju Sharma, then senior advisor in the Department of Biotechnology, were both very enthusiastic about developing indigenous capabilities in this area. A task force was set up, which in 1994 entrusted me with the task of developing Bt cotton. It took me another two years to set up a laboratory in Lucknow. The first transgenic Bt cotton was finally ready at the NBRI by 1999.”
He said, “ I can’t fix priorities in a single day. I have decided to talk to the staff tomorrow and take up the challenge of developing new products through natural resources.”
He feels the NBRI should be thinking 20 years ahead of university research scholars and 10 years ahead of commercial companies which market research products.
“We are an international institute. We must think ahead of the times.”
Tuli said he would strive to make NBRI a centre for molecular biology of plants.
“The Bt Cotton genes developed by NBRI in 1999 are selling to the tune of Rs 300 crore per year.”
“To produce path breaking genes and technology, there is a need to give an opportunity to well trained scientists and young blood to steer research institutes and monitor research projects so that India can develop strategic advantages in botanical products and research.”
Meanwhile, in a simple ceremony on the NBRI premises all scientists, clerical staff and class IV employees assembled to pay their regard to Dr Pushpangadan who will go back to Kerala with sweet memories of Lucknow.
Fond of Bharatnatyam, Pushpangadan inculcated professionalism in NBRI staff.
“Scientists never retire, scientists die, that’s why I will continue to work even after my retirement,” he said in his valedictory address on Tuesday.
He thanked the staff for their support during his tenure of six years and eleven months.
