Exclusive Interview with Dr. Swaranjit Singh, Deputy Director, Professor & Head Environmental Biotechnology and Microbial Biochemistry, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh 

In this issue, we are extremely happy to publish interview of Dr. Swaranjit Singh, Deputy Director, Professor & Head Environmental Biotechnology and Microbial Biochemistry, Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of environmental biotechnology and biosurfactant production. Dr. Swaranjit Singh is currently employed as Deputy Director at Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh. Dr. Swaranjit Singh has been awarded many awards and is a Fellow of many National Academies.

Here are the excerpts of the exclusive interview with Dr. Swaranjit Singh from his write up:

Origiin: It is a great pleasure to interact with you and publish your thoughts in this interview.

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: It’s a pleasure for me too. The interview of mine that you published a couple of years back with Ms Bindu Sharma was a great hit.


Origiin: Tell us how you first got involved with Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank/IMTECH. Kindly share your experiences while working with Institute of Microbial Technology.

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: I did my M. Sc. Biochemistry from BHU and Ph.D. Biochemistry from RRL, now NEIST Jorhat in Assam. I was working as a scientist there. MTCC/IMTECH was newly being installed in a shed in the Industrial Area, Chandigarh. I got in touch with the Director that time Dr. Sandeep Basu and Dr. VC Vora. They called me to help MTCC/IMTECH in its formative years and join hand on the bioremediation of toxic pollutants. This is how I joined MTCC in 1987. It was a great experience working all these years in the youngest lab of the CSIR. It has grown and developed a lot with the dedicated efforts of the staff and students. Due to the excellent work of MTCC, it was elevated to an International Depository Authority (IDA) on 4 October, 2002 becoming the first IDA in our country.


Origiin: What were your main responsibilities involved in handling both service and research domain of your Organization?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: My main responsibility was to work in the Bacteria Section. I also took care of the Liquid Nitrogen Plant. This was a very important activity as the microbial cultures can be preserved very well for several years in the gaseous and liquid phases of Liquid Nitrogen wells. I also identified, preserved and supplied cultures to researchers. I actively helped in the training programs and wrote Chapters in the training manuals. I was member of two WFCC committees.
Besides this I did project work on (i) Bioremediation of Petroleum Sludge, (ii) pesticides, (iii) Study of Selenium transformation and its use in Prostrate Cancer inhibition, and (iv) Synthesis of Biosurfactants. My Publication h-index is 33 and the CI is 5860. Two of my publications were in list the 70 best CSIR papers that were announced by Dr. Samir Brahmachari, then DG CSIR. I have guided 10 Ph. D. students for their Ph. D. I did Post Doc from the PennState University USA and went for research to the Kobe University Japan and to KIT Karlsruhe, Germany for short stints.


Origiin: Kindly brief our reader about the importance of International Depositary Authority (IDA) and also when Institute of Microbial Technology did start functioning as IDA?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: IDA has a very important role in acting as a repository of microorganisms. Microorganisms can be deposited in an IDA under the Budapest Treaty and patent protection may be sought in contracting states. It is convenient for the citizens of India to do R & D as the facility for different services is available in our country itself. The research material and products can be procured at a cheaper rate when compared to imports at a higher value. The first IDA in India was recognized on October 4, 2002.


Origiin: To obtain a patent protection in India with respect to inventions relating to microorganisms, is it a mandatory step to deposit the culture with IDA?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: Yes, the culture has to be deposited in India. Apart from that the culture has also to be deposited in another culture collection to fulfill this requirement of deposit inventions related to microbes.


Origiin: What is the requirement to be fulfilled for submission of microorganisms in IDA? What are the benefits offered by this submission?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: In case of Patent protection in multiple countries the specific microbe(s) have to be deposited in IDAs of these countries/Unions. The laws of the different countries vary and have to be looked into. Likewise,the requirement to be fulfilled for submission of microorganisms in an IDA differs from IDA to IDA. The best thing would be to look up the public website of a relevant IDA. For e.g. the public websites in India are http://mtcc.imtech.res.in/downloads/brochure.pdf of Chandigarh and of Pune is http://www.nccs.res.in/mcc/index.html. All pertinent information is available on these links. 


Origiin: What are Biosurfactants (BS)? What are the major applications offered by production of Biosurfactants?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: Biosurfactants are structurally and functionally diverse amphiphilic, surface active compounds, which lower the surface and interfacial tension between individual molecules at respective surfaces and interfaces. Thus, these are very important in the living systems and can be regarded as the backbone of the biological membranes,which promise the transport and exchange of the various important materials. Biosurfactants are ecologically safe and can be applied in bioremediation processes. The microorganisms, which produce biosurfactants can also be used in the various bio remediation technologies like solubilization and removal of oil from contaminated oil, sludge in oil storage tank etc. The most important example of this is in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR), which is an ecofriendly petroleum recovery process.Variety of bacteria and few fungi are reported to produce biosurfactants using renewable and unconventional sources. They also have applications in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.


Origiin: Looking ahead, what do you think are the mega trends that will shape the future of innovation especially in the field of biotechnology?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: In the present scenario people are talking of conversion of smart labs into Technology labs. A lot of research has been going on all these years in our country. Thus, a lot of data has accumulated in the Universities, Colleges and in the National Institutes. The mega-trend is to translate the basic data into potential Industrial Innovations. The gap between Institutes and the Industry has to be shortened and filled up. In fact, if Industries come in and work right from the beginning with researchers, many new products will flood our markets.


Origiin: Thank you so much for your valuable inputs and time spared for Origiin. I am sure our readers will thoroughly enjoy it. Wish you all the best for all your future endeavours.

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: Thank you.