Patent, Publish, and Prosper: What Dr Lakshmi Santhi at SciTech, Dr Taru Sharma at NIAB, IKP Knowledge Park With 1,800 Companies, CDFD’s DNA Fingerprinting Lab, and Three Biotech Incubators Taught 30 Parul University Pharmacy Students About Turning Research Into Startups and Justice

Most pharmacy students are taught that research ends with publication. A paper in a journal, a citation count, a line on a CV. The six institutions Parul University students visited on Days 2 and 3 of the Biopharma Leadership Tour challenged that assumption. They presented the entire framework and pipeline—research and discovery in a lab, protection through a patent strategy, incubation in a supported ecosystem, scaling via a company, and finally deployment to solve real-world problems ranging from drug-resistant infections to criminal forensics and Basmati rice authentication.

It was the same shift Dr Lakshmi Santhi explained: from “publish, perish” to “patent, publish & prosper.” It isn’t a slogan—it reflects how an advanced biotech ecosystem functions. In Hyderabad, with its concentration of research institutes, incubators, and 1800+ life science companies in Genome Valley, this becomes visible in real time.

PU’s Biopharma Tour to Hyderabad – Exploring 10 Institutions & 4 Days

Dr Lakshmi Santhi (Assistant Vice President, Client Relations, SciTech Patent Art Services) delivered a session titled “Catalysing Change: IP as a Strategic Enabler of Research Translation.” The core argument: intellectual property is not a legal afterthought—it is the mechanism that turns a laboratory discovery into a commercial product.

Here are the prime concepts she introduced to the 30 students of Parul University:

• Patent Services & FOP (Freedom to Operate) – Researching and understanding whether your innovation infringes existing patents even before you plan to invest in scaling it.
• IP strategy with national policy – Understanding how IP strategy connects to Atmanirbhar Bharat, Start-up India and Make in India.
• Irregular gaps in Indian IPR ecosystem – Lack of awareness among researchers who disclose findings at a premature stage, and weak technology transfer mechanisms that fail to move inventions from labs to markets.
• Tools for patent intelligence – Use of Google Patents & PQAI for searching existing patents and analyzing patent landscapes at multiple levels.
• Generative AI in innovation – How AI tools are reshaping patent search, analysis, and innovation workflows.

“Patent, publish, and prosper.”

The mindset shift is practical. A researcher who publishes before patenting risks giving away the commercial value of a discovery. A researcher who patents first, publishes second, and then licenses the technology to industry creates a revenue stream that can fund further research. For pharmacy students entering R&D, regulatory affairs, or drug development, understanding this sequence is a core career skill.

The National Institute of Animal Biotechnology is one of its kind in India: an autonomous institute fully dedicated to animal biotechnology. In most colleges, animal biotechnology is a unit within a broader department. At NIAB, it is the entire institutional mission.

Say hello to the gem – Dr Taru Sharma, a director of NIAB. She was born on 4th August 1965 in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. Her core research interests are molecular reproductive physiology, embryology, and stem cell biology.

She was the first batch doctorate from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), one of the largest veterinary institutes in Southeast Asia (established 139 years ago). She has published 130+ scientific articles, 20 manuals, 3 books, 2 patents, and has guided several PG and doctoral scholars. She also completed post-doctoral work at the National Dairy Development Board after her PhD in 1990.

Her session focused on the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health through nanotechnology, immunology, genetic engineering, and infectious disease research. She also referred to the Bio-Ethics Policy announced by the Government of India on 24 August 2021 and the Prime Minister’s exhortation to youth in biological sciences on 15 August. She was also part of an upcoming bio-entrepreneurship event (August 24 to September 4) with Rs 1 lakh prizes.

“Students like you are drops which will make a good pool of water.”

“Science is knowledge, and every individual has a pivotal role in research work.”

Dr Souvik Sen Sharma discussed pioneering work in bacteriophage therapy (using viruses that specifically target and kill bacteria as an alternative to antibiotics), organoids, and animal health diagnostics. Students toured NIAB’s advanced instrumentation: SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope), fluorescence microscopy, and confocal electron microscopy.

The distinction Dr Taru Sharma drew between basic research and translational research was a key takeaway: basic research generates knowledge (understanding how a biological process works), while translational research converts that knowledge into applications (a vaccine, a diagnostic test, a treatment). NIAB does both. Pharmacy students need to understand both to see where their careers can fit in the research ecosystem, and they can build that perspective by enrolling in the B.Pharm program of Parul University.

Dr Ramakrishna (CEO, Technology Business Incubator, University of Hyderabad) showed students how academic research transforms into funded startups. The university operates three incubation platforms: ASPIRE-BioNest (biotech-focused), TBI (technology business incubator), and TIDE (Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs). These platforms provide grants, mentoring, infrastructure, and access to funding networks. The session emphasised that students with a strong research mindset can transform their work into entrepreneurial ventures.

He firmly said – “Never cheat yourself.”

IKP Knowledge Park, established approximately 25 years ago in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, is one of India’s largest life sciences innovation hubs. Mr Vithal Kumar (IP Professional) and Dr Sudha Kalyani Bommareddy (Senior Manager, Life Sciences) detailed the full innovation pipeline:

• Research leads to invention disclosure
• Invention disclosure leads to IP protection (patents, trademarks)
• IP protection enables marketing and licensing
• Technology transfer moves the innovation from lab to manufacturer
• Commercialisation generates revenue and royalties
• Revenue funds the next cycle of research

IKP Knowledge Park houses major established companies such as Laurus Labs, Suven, Aurobindo, Biological E, and Sai Life Sciences, alongside startups like Pulse, Ycus Therapeutics, UR Advanced Therapeutics, Stanzen Labs, and Avesindra.

AI-based ventures include AI Space (Freeze) and Monitra Health (biosensing and remote health monitoring, with devices designed for heart rate tracking). IKP is equipped with advanced research tools including spectrometers, HPLC, TGA, and AKTA protein analysis systems.

Funding comes from BIRAC, DBT, World Bank, and NBM, with focus areas in infectious diseases, maternal and child health, and advanced therapeutics.

The success story shared was Kamal Biotech Pvt Ltd, which developed an immunomodulator insulin using proprietary proteostrep technology. Other startups working on novel therapeutics include Nirvana, Ahura, ReaGene, Invivo, and Biostrat.

“Curiosity and differentiation will differ you.”

Know more about – IKP Knowledge Park!

The Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics is a premier DBT institution conducting globally competitive research. Dr Ullas Kolthur Seetharam (Director) set the context: CDFD’s research competes with universities like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale, while simultaneously providing societal services in forensics, diagnostics, and agricultural testing.

Dr Varsha presented case studies that demonstrated how molecular biology solves real-world problems:

• Criminal forensics: DNA fingerprinting in the Nithari killings, the Shraddha Walkar case, and the Redramak Tejady case, where biological evidence (blood, tooth, hair, bone, tissue) was used to identify victims and establish guilt.
• Paternity and maternity disputes: DNA evidence resolving family identity conflicts.
• Military identification: identifying remains of soldiers.
• Immigration cases: verifying biological relationships for visa applications.
• Seed authentication: DNA testing of Basmati rice varieties for export quality, directly impacting India’s agricultural export revenue.
• Genetic disorder diagnostics: identification of conditions like Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Methods discussed included latent prints, blood grouping, protein polymorphism, and electrophoresis for DNA/RNA separation based on molecular weight.

Industry Careers and Entrepreneurship

Dr Vinod Kumar Mishra (Head of SEF, established 1989) demonstrated live DNA fingerprinting and introduced advanced instruments: cytometry (fluorescence-based analysis for cell sorting and immune phenotyping), super-resolution microscope LSHARD (100 percent resolution for cell cycle studies), DNA sequencers, confocal laser microscopes, and sequencing PCR systems. Prof Ullas also explained Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) as a revolutionary tool reshaping research and medicine.

“DNA and genetic technologies are not just tools of science but powerful instruments of truth, justice, and innovation.”

The Atal Incubation Centre at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology is ranked among India’s Top 5 biotech incubators and has nurtured 160+ startups working on biotech innovations in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.

Dr Madhusudhan Rao explained the centre’s role in fostering life sciences startups through government-supported incubation, funding, and mentoring. Dr Nalam Rao, lead scientist behind India’s mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, briefed students on breakthrough alternatives to traditional animal models and how AIC-CCMB empowers biotech entrepreneurs to achieve global relevance.

CCMB itself was the first Indian institution to develop DNA fingerprinting technology (the same technology students had seen applied at CDFD hours earlier). During COVID-19, the institute developed indigenous diagnostic kits, surveillance systems, and mRNA vaccine technologies. It has also launched India’s first rare disease registry.

For pharmacy students considering research or entrepreneurship, AIC-CCMB represents the endgame of the pipeline this article traces: discover, protect, incubate, and scale. The mRNA vaccine story demonstrates that an idea incubated in a research institute can reach millions of patients within months when the ecosystem supports it.

PU’s Biopharma Tour to Hyderabad – Drug Discovery & Manufacturing

The pipeline students observed in Hyderabad (discover, patent, incubate, scale) mirrors the infrastructure Parul University has built on its own campus. PIERC (Parul Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research Centre) has incubated 254 startups with Rs 20 crore+ in funding and Rs 40 crore+ in revenue. Startups like Solnce Energy (clean-energy, secured Rs 1 crore investment on Shark Tank India Season 4, backed by Aman Gupta) and Voldebug Innovations (cybersecurity, awarded Outstanding Performance Award by the Home Minister) operate on the same pipeline: problem identified, solution developed, IP protected, company built. The Micro Nano Research and Development Center (MNRDC), with Rs 58.31 crore in government-funded research, provides the lab infrastructure where discoveries begin.

Admissions are open for B.Pharm at Parul University, block your seats right away!