INTERVIEW KRIS GOPALAKRISHNAN SHAASTRAMAG.ORG VOLUME 01 | EDITION 01 | MAY-JUNE 2021 | `199 SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION FUTURE VACCINES A clearer understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus could lead Indian biologists to develop more potent vaccines. + Gennova brings mRNA home + Mynvax: A vaccine ‘made’ for India PAWAN GOENKA on India as an innovation hub The emerging ecosystem for BIOTECH START-UPS How R.I. Sujith snuffed out COMBUSTION INSTABILITY Creating Possible For more than 30 years, Gilead has created breakthroughs once thought impossible for people living with life-threatening diseases. We are a leading biopharmaceutical company with a pioneering portfolio and ever-expanding pipeline of investigational medicines. Our commitment goes well beyond science. We innovate with the goal of eliminating barriers and providing access to healthcare for people who need it most. For more information, please visit www.gilead.com. © 2021 Gilead Sciences, Inc. SHAASTRA 2021 May-Jun 14.indd 2 5/18/21 7:26 PM 03 Letter from the Editor Contents 04 What Shaastra is about 06 News in Brief A round-up of recent advances 2021 MAY-JUN across science domains. VOLUME 01 EDITION 01 SOXWHITE / 123RF 11 Why physicists are astir Learnings from the muon g-2 experiment. 12 The ‘efficiency trap’ Guest Column: Guru Madhavan shaastramag.org Supported by the 50,000-strong alumni of IIT Madras. Editorial 14 The joy of learning science Editor Guest Column: Ramji Raghavan Hari Pulakkat Executive Editor Venky Vembu 16 The chips are up Vaccines of the future 20 A new dawn is breaking Contributing Editors K.C. Krishnadas for Indian chip design and Gauri Kamath A clearer understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus could lead manufacturing, but old T.V. Padma Indian biologists to develop more potent vaccines, in quick time, challenges remain to be in response to the pandemics of the future. Hari Pulakkat offers a overcome. — K.C. Krishnadas Editorial Board glimpse of what is to come. S. Vedantam B.S. Murty COVER STORY H.S.N. Murthy FUNTAP / 123RF 20 Tomorrow’s vaccines J. Tripathy Indian biologists are working R. Rengaswamy to understand the coronavirus K.M. Sivalingam G. Jayaraman better, and are hoping to use H. Ramachandran that knowledge to develop better D.K. Chand vaccines for the future. Hari U. Dash Pulakkat surveys the scientific R. Rama Y. Shanthi Pavan landscape. B. Santhanam NAMAS BHOJANI Design Pranab Dutta Rakesh Kumar Manish Pratap Singh Published by IIT Madras, India as an innovation hub 35 Chennai 600036. Editor: Hari Pulakkat Guest columnist Pawan Goenka reasons that the post-COVID geo- economic landscape presents India with a godsent opportunity for Indian manufacturing to demonstrate its prowess. Advertising enquiries [email protected] 26 Heat and dust JIGNESH MISTRY Manupriya reports on a Subscription enquiries COVID-19 vaccine developed by [email protected] a biotech start-up incubated at Letters to the Editor IISc, which is uniquely suited for [email protected] Indian conditions. Copyright: IIT Madras. 28 Life-saving messengers All rights reserved Two scientists, across continents, throughout the world. collaborated to bring the mRNA Reproduction in any vaccine to India. The technology, manner prohibited. adapted for COVID-19 times, could open up new opportunities to treat other killer diseases. Cover Design PealiDezine 30 Nimble Niramai Photos Fab labs of drug discovery 38 Jayadevan P.K. profiles a health Shutterstock, tech start-up that innovatively Rawpixel, WEF Indian start-ups are venturing into the high-risk, high-attrition secured a lifeline when COVID pursuit of new drugs, enabled by an emerging ecosystem. Gauri struck. Kamath ventures into the brave new world of biotechpreneurs. 1 SHAASTRA 2021 May-Jun 14.indd 1 5/18/21 7:26 PM Contents BIG DATA KANNAN KRISHNAMURTY 32 Short on innovation How India fares on the Global Innovation Index, and what it will take to vault into the Big League. 35 It’s time for India to shine Guest Column: Pawan Goenka SPECIAL FEATURES 36 Order from complexity How Prof R.I. Sujith of IIT Madras is using complex systems theory to ensure smooth functioning of gas turbines and rocket engines. — Aditi Jain 38 Boost for biotech start-ups Indian start-ups are venturing into the high-risk, high-attrition pursuit of new drugs, enabled by an emerging ecosystem. Gauri How to put out a fire 36 Kamath ventures into the brave How a ‘Eureka! moment’ led Prof R.I. Sujith to solve the problem of new world of biotechpreneurs. ‘combustion instability’. By Aditi Jain. BENEDIKT VON LOEBEL/WEF 42 Rx for safer drugs Scientists at IIT Kanpur uncover a protein mechanism that holds promise for regulating drug effects, reports Adita Joshi. 44 Think big Interview with tech investor and philanthropist Kris Gopalakrishnan on science, society, and philanthropy. 46 Zeroing in on zero waste Technological interventions are ‘Set ambitious project goals’ 44 coming to the aid of solid waste management in Indian cities, Interview with tech investor and philanthropist Kris Gopalakrishnan reports T.V. Padma. on the wisdom of thinking big on research and programmes. 50 How green is my village? NIDHEESH M.K. Meenangadi in Kerala points the way to a carbon-neutral future. A field report from Nidheesh M.K. 54 BOOKS Reviews of Mariana Mazzucato’s Mission Economy; Krish Ashok’s Masala Lab; and Tom Higham’s The World Before Us 60 FIRST PRINCIPLES Explainer: The Standard Model of particle physics 62 FUNTECH Science/technology-themed puzzles 64 TIME MACHINE It only takes a village 50 1971: Technology in the Harnessing technology, and drawing on enlightened ecological rear-view mirror policies, Meenangadi in Wayanad district of Kerala is on the path to becoming India’s first carbon-neutral village. ByNidheesh M.K. 2 SHAASTRA 2021 May-Jun 14.indd 2 5/18/21 7:27 PM Letter from the Ideas that will Editor shape our future will become even more crowded, creating enormous amounts of waste. New dis- eases will emerge as the earth warms up Hari Pulakkat and people live in overcrowded surround- ings. Amidst all this, the country has to create economic growth and provide jobs to three-fourths of its population. We will track and interpret the impact of these PANDEMIC is the worst and events on our country. But since we believe the best of times to launch a sci- in science and technology as a force for ence and technology magazine. positive change, our stories will focus on It is the worst time because pub- solutions rather than problems. lic attention is largely focussed The story on Page 38 by Gauri Kamath oAn survival – and not on reading a freshly is about how a good ecosystem is emerging minted magazine. But it is also the best for drug discovery start-ups, which are dis- time because the public is interested in covering products that large pharmaceuti- reading about science more than ever, and cal companies were unable to do. On Page a specialised product can dive to a depth 46, T.V. Padma writes about technological that a general interest publication cannot. solutions to the mounting solid waste in The pandemic had been in full swing for cities. K.C. Krishnadas reports on Page 16 nearly a year when we started preparing about how conditions provide India’s com- seriously for our inaugural issue. Events panies one more opportunity to create a had made the choice of our cover story au- large fabless semiconductor industry. And tomatic. But considering the long shelf-life on Page 50, Nidheesh M.K. reports on how and specialised nature of our magazine, a village in Kerala is faring on its journey we chose a topic not yet covered in the me- to become carbon-neutral. dia. What are scientists doing in their labs The columnists in the magazine have that will result in improved vaccines capa- been chosen with care from some of the ble of eliminating the pandemic? The an- best minds in the country and abroad. On At Shaastra, we swer to this question was not easy to find Page 35, Pawan Goenka, Chairman of the believe in science and in India, but after searching hard, we Board of Governors of IIT Madras and IIT dis-covered some work that looks Bombay, describes how India can create technology as a force promising. It is our first cover story. an innovative manufacturing ecosystem As a magazine, we will always be look- by moving away from the incrementalism for positive change. Our ing for ideas that will create our future. At of the past. Ramji Raghavan, founder of stories will, therefore, the moment, a good COVID vaccine is as Agastya International Foundation, writes important as any idea. To the cover pack- on Page 14 about how ‘creative learning’ focus on solutions age, we also added stories about two Indian is a necessity and not a luxury for the un- companies about which we will hear a lot derprivileged. On Page 12, author and en- rather than problems. soon: Gennova and Mynvax. Gennova is 15 gineer Guru Madhavan writes about how years old and had functioned as a public- attempts at efficiency can go too far and ity-shy biotech company, but the pandem- become counter-productive. ic pushed it right to the forefront of our On Page 44, Infosys co-founder and battles. It is developing India’s first mes- philanthropist Kris Gopalakrishnan talks senger-RNA vaccine; our story is about its about funding science to create an inno- history and the events that drove its evolu- vative economy. It is the first of our in- tion as a vaccine company. The third part terview-podcasts that we will host on our of our cover package, about the start-up website.