Hyderabad: The first day of the BioAsia 2013 event saw the announcement of three joint Indo-Spainish research projects in accordance with the Joint Program for Technological Co-operation in Biotechnology between the two countries.

The joint research programs were signed between the department of biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and the Center for Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), Government of Spain.

A call for proposals for joint funding of research projects were announced earlier during June 2012. BioAsia 2013 saw the announcement of the official results of the first 'Indo-Spanish Call for Industrial R&D Proposals in Biotechnology'. The proposals selected for funding, include the Project Aptafood, the Project NaturIndia, and the Project Funfruit.

While the Project Aptafood will involve Aptamer-based biosensing for the detection of food toxins between the Spanish company Laboratorios CIFGA and the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), the Project NaturIndia will involve the development of nutraceutical extracts and food supplements based on the systematization of Indian system of medicine. This projecty will be jointly executed between the Spanish company Plantas Medicinales de Cataluña and Indian company, Natural Remedies.

The Project Funfruit will involve development of a novel process technology for the commercial production of sugar-free fruit juices and study of the end product functional effect between the spanish company Biopolis and Indian partners Loyola College and TVN Health Products.