COMSTECH-ICGEB Fund Science Projects, Fellowships Worth Rs. 52.65 Million

COMSTECH and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy jointly funded five research grants and six fellowships to the researchers from OIC member states, worth 52.65 million rupees

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Feb, 2023 ):COMSTECH and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy jointly funded five research grants and six fellowships to the researchers from OIC member states, worth 52.65 million rupees.

According to COMSTECH, researchers from Cameroon, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sudan and Tunisia have been granted fellowships of 3 to 10 months duration, which will be hosted by Hungary, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Italy.

The projects submitted by researchers from Algeria, Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia and Pakistan have been given research grants worth 20,000 Euro each.

The research projects include: Overexpression of rate-limiting enzymes, DBTNBT and DBAT, in Taxus cellsuspension culture using CRISPR-Cas9 system as a successful strategy for a substantial increase in Taxol, New 4-substituted Pyrazolidine and Isoxazolidine as potential antimicrobialagents, Insights into the resistome of healthy and mastitis camel milk microbiome, Synthesis and heat transport mechanism of biodiesel from marine macroalgae feedstocks catalyzed by activated palm kernel shell waste towards biofuel standard specification, and Optimizing root system architecture to improve phosphorus use efficiency in rice.

COMSTECH and ICGEB entered into a scientific program agreement in April 2022 to establish a general framework for cooperation in science, education and technology, to facilitate and strengthen collaboration between COMSTECH and ICGEB in the fields of common interest.

The main components of this program are research grants, visiting scientist schemes and fellowship schemes.

COMSTECH is an OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, that works for the socio-economic development of OIC member states through the application of science, technology and innovation, whereas the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) is an intergovernmental organization and its operations are aligned to those of the United Nations common system.

It operates as a center of excellence for research, training and technology transfer to industry to promote sustainable global development.