Mumbai: Two distinguished scientists, Professor Raghavan Varadarajan from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and Professor C Anandharamakrishnan, director of CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, were recently honoured with the prestigious Tata Transformation Prize. In these conversations with Niraj Pandit, they discuss their groundbreaking research, challenges, and visions for the future.
How has winning the Tata Transformation Prize impacted your work?
Varadarajan: I am very grateful for this recognition. The grant associated with the prize gives us a three-year window to focus intensely on advancing our RSV vaccine research. It also allows us to connect with industry partners to accelerate the transition from lab-scale research to real-world applications. This support will significantly expedite our work toward creating an affordable RSV vaccine.
Could you each explain the focus of your research?
Varadarajan: Our research at IISc focuses on designing vaccines for respiratory viruses, particularly RSV, which causes severe respiratory illnesses, especially in infants, young children, and the elderly. Over 97% of RSV-related deaths occur in developing countries, including India. Despite new RSV vaccines being developed in the U.S., they are currently unaffordable for populations here. We aim to create a similarly effective but cost-effective vaccine.
Anandharamakrishnan: I’ve been working on developing fortified rice enriched with essential nutrients and a low glycaemic index to combat malnutrition and diabetes. This research considers that a large fraction of the Indian population has a rice-based daily diet, and glycemic responses are often overlooked by the population at large.
What significant challenges have you faced in your research?
Varadarajan: Vaccine development is inherently complex, especially when balancing effectiveness and affordability. RSV has been particularly challenging because of its shape-shifting surface protein, which is difficult to produce in the correct shape in stable form at high yield. We’re tackling these challenges using cutting-edge protein design and screening techniques.
Anandharamakrishnan: Nature and the human body are incredibly complex and cannot be easily mimicked. This was particularly evident in developing Asia’s first artificial gastrointestinal system. The development, optimization, and validation of this system required extensive work, and many research initiatives were extremely challenging during their early stages due to their uniqueness and high risks.
What drew you to your respective fields?
Varadarajan: I grew up in a family that deeply valued education. My mother was a historian, and my father was a scientist. Since high school, I was interested in a career in science. After completing my undergraduate studies at IIT Kanpur and Ph.D. at Stanford University, I chose to return to India to work here.
Anandharamakrishnan: My path was less direct. My undergraduate and master’s degrees are in Chemical engineering. During my Ph.D. at Loughborough University, UK, my research focused on spray drying, which drew me to the fascinating field of food engineering. Since then, I’ve been working on multiple interdisciplinary aspects in this field.
What are your future plans and ongoing projects?
Anandharamakrishnan: My ongoing work focuses on micro and nanoencapsulation, strategies for reducing salt, sugar and fat in foods, food 3D printing, development of customized/personalized foods, computational modelling of food processing systems, and the involvement of advanced sensory systems for innovative approaches to new product development.
How do you ensure your research benefits developing countries?
Varadarajan: Our goal is to create solutions that are not only scientifically sound but also practical for large-scale implementation in resource-constrained settings. For RSV, this means developing a vaccine that can withstand logistical challenges while remaining affordable.
What are your thoughts on research funding in India?
Varadarajan: Funding for research, particularly in life sciences, has been challenging, especially post-Covid. While government funds are available, the regularity and volume remain concerns. Private funding in life sciences is limited in India, with organisations like the Tata Trusts, Infosys Foundation, and Ignite Life Science Foundation being exceptions. We need more private players to support early-stage life science research in academia.
