Describing the release of Biotech-PRIDE as 1st of its kind by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Dr Jitendra Singh said, India ranks number four amongst the top 20 countries contributing biological databases.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, initially, these Guidelines will be implemented through the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) at Regional Centre for Biotechnology supported by the Department of Biotechnology. Other existing datasets/ data centres will be bridged to this IBDC which will be called Bio-Grid. This Bio-Grid will be a National Repository for biological knowledge, information and data and will be responsible for enabling its exchange, developing measures for safety, standards and quality for datasets and establishing detailed modalities for accessing data, the Minister added.

The Biotech PRIDE Guidelines will facilitate this and enable the exchange of information to promote research and innovation in different research groups across the country. The Biotech-PRIDE (Biotech Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) guidelines aim at providing a well-defined framework and guiding principle to facilitate and enable sharing and exchange of biological knowledge, information and data and is specifically applicable to high-throughput, high-volume data generated by research groups across the country.

These guidelines do not deal with the generation of biological data per se but are an enabling mechanism to share and exchange information and knowledge generated as per the existing laws, rules, regulations and guidelines of the country. These guidelines will ensure data sharing benefits viz. maximizing use, avoiding duplication, maximized integration, ownership information, better decision-making and equity of access. These guidelines are the enabling mechanism for sharing the data publicly and within a reasonable period after data generation, thus the utility of the data will be maximal. Resultantly, the accrual of the benefit of public investment for data generation will not be compromised.

The PRIDE Guidelines will be helpful to harmonize, synergize and encourage data sharing for research and analysis in the country and to promote scientific work and foster progress by building on previous work. These guidelines will also be advantageous in avoiding duplication and wasteful expenditure of resources on research. Initially, these Guidelines will be implemented through the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) at Regional Centre for Biotechnology supported by the Department of Biotechnology.

Other existing datasets/ data centres will be bridged to this IBDC which will be called Bio-Grid. This Bio-Grid will be a National Repository for biological knowledge, information and data and will be responsible for enabling its exchange, developing measures for safety, standards and quality for datasets and establishing detailed modalities for accessing data.

The guidelines were developed by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology. The minister also launched the website of the Indian Biological Data Centre, IBDC.