NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) — The Indian central government, state of Karnataka, and industry partners will fund a new genomics sequencing and analysis facility as part of a Bio-IT Centre in a Karnataka biotechnology park, the state's chief minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, said on Wednesday
The Bio-IT Centre will be developed along with partners including the Centre for Human Genetics, the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Studies and Research, and the biotech company Strand Life Sciences.
"A major chunk of financial support for the Bio-IT Centre will come from the central government, while the state government will initially contribute Rs 50 million ($1 million) in fiscal 2009-10," Yeddyurappa said at an inauguration event for the park, which is located near Bangalore.
"The research projects will have specific significance on human diseases of relevance to India. The center's research activities will reduce the time in drug discovery process by about 30 percent," Yeddyurappa noted.
The minister also said that that Karnataka "will soon announce a revised biotech policy to give thrust to the R&D activities in the emerging sector."