PU faculty wins Pfizer-IIT IP Award

Chandigarh: Four innovators, all faculty members from the Panjab University Campus have received the Pfizer- IIT Delhi Innovation and IP Program (PIIP) Awards which includes sum of rupees three lakhs each, for successful IP generation.
The faculty includes Dr. Monika Sharma, Assistant Professor, Department of Biotechnology and Dr. Rohit Sharma, Head, Department of Microbial Biotechnology, PU and BioNEST-PU for their innovation entitled, “Anti-carcinogenic extract from Pithecellobium dulce”.,  Dr. Ajay Mittal, Associate Professor, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, PU for his innovation, “AI-based dermoscope for skin disease classification.”, and Dr. Ranjana Bhandari, (Assistant Professor, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PU for her innovation entitled “Novel dual-action targeted GC-Nanogel for Neuropathic pain.”  
    Till date, 14 of India’s brightest healthcare ideas have been recognized with this award and the list includes another technology backed by BioNEST- Panjab University entitled, “Novice Zyme 001: Study of enzymatic biotransformations.” With the increasing awareness of advantages of sound intellectual property creation, unique awards like this are providing innovators a great help. 
    PIIP is a special type of recognition, an incubator accelerator award launched in collaboration with IIT-Delhi by the drug manufacturing giant, Pfizer. The program is operated by Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi to encourage startups and innovations in the healthcare sector. PIIP was launched in the year 2015-16 to help improve the IP-scenario in this sector and to promote incubation of innovations and creation of sound IP through them. The calls for application are open every year and innovators with registered IP, can apply with the help of an active incubator like the BioNEST- Panjab University. The award supports innovators to take their ideas to an IP stage with the help of a special funding support.