BIRAC-Call For Proposal

DBT-BIRAC Joint Call for Proposals on ‘Bio AI’ for Fostering High Performance Biomanufacturing under BioE3 Policy Last Date :30th June,2026

Introduction

Bio-AI is one of the enablers for building data-driven, cutting-edge, programmatic research support for the Biomanufacturing initiative. The outcomes are expected to provide critical and novel research leads impacting Health, Agriculture and Environment

Bio-AI Hubs: The Bio-AI Hubs will focus on interdisciplinary and interinstitutional collaborations. These Hubs will be anchored by organizations (academia/industry) with established expertise in AI/ML, supported by robust infrastructure and advanced computational methodologies. Startup/SMEs and other academic institutions can participate as spokes, contributing to the hub's research and innovation ecosystem. Bio-AI Hubs are expected to develop AI-guided closed loop platforms, in which predictions, experiments and analyses are integrated into the system to improve performance. All of these would be connected in a positive feedback loop leading to accelerate scientific discoveries, optimize processes and decision-making. Bio-AI hubs with state-of-art facilities in PPP mode will be established as a shared DBTL facility for scaling-up of various research activities in academia/ industrial or joint industry-academia settings.

KEY FEATURES OF THE CALL

The Proposals are invited under the following five categories:

i) Biomolecular Design

Engineering novel proteins, enzymes, and RNA-based molecules for advanced biomedical and biotechnological applications.
Designing next-generation protein, and RNA-based antibodies for targeted therapeutics and immune modulation.
Developing advanced enzyme inhibitors, RNA aptamers, and de novo enzyme designs for precision disease intervention and metabolic engineering.
Constructing bio-nanomachines and catalytic biomolecules with programmable molecular functions for diagnostics, therapeutics, and synthetic biology applications.

ii) Sustainable Agriculture

Engineering drought-resistant cereal crops for enhanced climate resilience
Developing AI-powered, non-invasive sensing technologies (e.g., drone imaging, infrared spectroscopy) for early disease detection
Predictive modeling of milk production and health parameters in dairy cattle using AI and genomics

iii) Synthetic Biology

AI optimized metabolic pathways for biofuel and biomaterial production.
Predicting enzyme functions for more efficient bioprocessing.
Improve strain engineering for microbial factories.
Synthetic/engineered organisms as environmental biosensors

iv) Ayurveda

AI-driven Ayurvedic Pharmacogenomics: Developing predictive models to personalize Ayurvedic treatments based on genetic, metabolic, and microbiome profiles.
AI-enabled Herb-Drug Interaction Analysis: Identifying potential interactions between Ayurvedic formulations and modern pharmaceuticals using AI and molecular modelling.
Standardization & Authentication of Ayurvedic Formulations: Leveraging AI and analytical chemistry to validate and authenticate medicinal plant extracts.
AI-assisted Plant-Based Drug Discovery: Mining Ayurvedic texts and databases to identify bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential.
Gut Microbiome Modulation through Ayurveda: Understanding how Ayurvedic diets and herbs influence gut microbiota for managing metabolic and autoimmune disorders.

v) Genome Diagnostics

AI-powered risk prediction models for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders
Biomarkers for early cancer detection, disease progression tracking, and treatment response prediction.
Single-cell and spatial genomics: Utilizing AI to analyze single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics for tumor microenvironment profiling and rare disease diagnosis.
Genetic risk stratification for neurodegenerative disorders: Identifying genomic and RNA-based signatures associated with conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s to enable early diagnosis and intervention.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Companies established under the Companies Act 2013 and Startups.
The Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) incorporated under the Limited Liability Partnership Act,2008.
Academic from various Institutions/Universities/Societies/ Trusts/NGOs/Foundations/ Voluntary Organizations, recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO).