Growth of biotechnology

摘要

The commentary by G. Padmanaban is a well balanced and realistic assessment and perhaps the first authentic write-up on the subject. While it is encouraging to learn that India has crossed the lag phase of growth, too much of hype is detrimental for the development of technology. While some hype is necessary, too much publicity raises unrealistic expectations. As the author has rightly pointed out, students are falling for BT all over the country and unscrupulous elements are out to make a quick buck. This will have a backlash, when students and their parents find out that BT is not the same as IT in terms of job opportunities. I also totally agree with the author that India should aim for global leadership in the area of vaccines. Current Science should continue to publish such highly informative and authoritative articles.