Which are the major thrust areas of activity at NCBS?

Research at NCBS addresses questions at the forefront of biology as seen from four perspectives. First, we study how DNA and proteins function at the molecular level and we do this using very inter- disciplinary approaches that range from computer science, experimental physics to spectroscopy. Next we study how cells function in health and disease using the tools of high- resolution microscopy. Third, we study the genetics and development of animals, humans included. And finally, we study how the brain develops and processes information.

How do you rate the success of NCBS? Could you give a few examples in which the work is considered to be world class?

Success or the lack of it is best left for history to judge. Insider- views of young organizations are likely to be unduly rosy. That said we do feel very excited about what we are doing. And we do feel that we are world class. We have demonstrated successes in studying how proteins fold, how super- families of proteins are organized, how cells move cargo from one place to another, how they signal to each other when they develop normally and in cancers, and how the brain reacts to stress and to other less-harsh stimuli.

How is NCBS helping the generation, dissemination and preservation of knowledge in the relevant areas of its mandate, both nationally and globally?

We are a small place and intend to remain so. A small place can be effective if it is focused and nimble. We try not to do everything and we try and are excellent in whatever we do. On the other hand, many aspects of modern biology require size and huge resources. We hope that we can balance the contradictors of huge resources and infrastructure on one hand and investigator-driven research on the other. We often try and do this by using our capabilities in collaboration with those of others.

Do you think a right balance has to be found between the requirements of cutting edge research for the sake of knowledge generation and applications which could be taken up by the industry in due course?

We are driven by our research in basic biology, not by an urge to be of value to industry. But, by doing our job, in basic research, well, we will be valuable to industry, much more so than if we try to be like them. So,yes there is a balance to be found. But that balance is a natural consequence of being open to the world around us while doing our job well. It is not a balance between patents and papers as are often portrayed.

What are the expectations of the NCBS community from the biotech industry and funding agencies such as the government in furthering the progress of the biotech sector?

We would like industry to support basic research generously. In particular, if industry invests even modestly in ('no- strings- attached') fellowships for talented students and other researchers, this will have a great impact on the biotech industry. Similarly the government does have attractive grants for collaboration with industry. More of these, even small grants, are needed.

How do you keep the excitement levels constantly high at NCBS?

Most of our academic population is young and will always be so, because students or others mainly populate us on fellowships. The young are excitable, excite others and are excited. We get the best people in the world to visit us. This sets the standards against which we have to perform. All this excitement is therefore not stress- free, but it is the kind of stress that one must have.

Could you give a specific project being pursued by NCBS team which has the potential to be a major breakthrough in terms of scientific advancement as well as immediate benefit to the society?

I wish I could. We would be rich and famous then. The kinds of things that excite us usually results in a publication, which might excite, when it is published, half a dozen laboratories in the world. None of this is likely to be of any predictable help to society and it will be very wrong to claim possible benefits. But, society benefits greatly by having a place where good science is done. Just as it benefits by a good cultural environment or by art. The tangible economic benefits for society will surely come, but one can never predict when or how or from what kind of research. But the intangible benefits to the soul of the city, state, country and to global science in general do exist and are very important in itself.

What are the future plans for expansion and consolidation?

Expansion is easy and will result in robustness. But robustness, in academia at least, is the enemy of excellence.We must be excellent and not just survive. How can we be small, and be excellent and live to tell you how? I wish I knew, but knowing the dangers of not being excellent is half the battle won. Our plans are, simply, to be nimble and try to be very good.

Bangalore is emerging as the "science capital of India". Are there any gaps, which could help, fill the inter-disciplinary needs for interaction?

We need a good, vibrant watering-hole for academics and for industry. This should be located (pardon my impertinence) in the Indian Institute of Science or the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) in a pleasant part of the campus (a central location, in other words). It should be funded entirely by industry and membership fees should be nominal for academics of all kinds—scientists, social scientists etc. Fees for non- academics should be high, even exorbitantly so. Such a watering hole—open and free for students of course—will greatly benefit innovation. The person who can start this process and fill this 'void' will be a true hero!

Where do you think the biotech industry/segment will be five years now, in terms of capturing public imagination and attention?

The biotech industry can only grow in Bangalore and in India— if all other parameters (infrastructure, social tensions etc.) are favorable. The market in India is huge. The global market is huge. Local talent is available. Our academic, government and financial bureaucracy have a great opportunity to reform and move forward. But,one never knows. We have had opportunities before and have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!