Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Job Opportuntity in Indian Academia and Research Institutions
M Rajesh
Monday, 08 December 2008 01:16 UTC
Hello everybody,
This is my first post in this network and I’m happy to note that the discussion forum is very active.
My posting is to inquire about job opportunity for someone like me who intends to return to India. I’m a PhD scientist working as faculty in USA.
My research interests are in the application of proteomics and mass spectrometry. My PhD and postdoctoral work has provided me with the opportunity to work extensively with the application and maintenance of mass spectrometers. I have worked with different types of MS instruments – low and high resolution – ion-traps, triplequads, QTOF, QSTAR, LTQ-Orbitrap with ESI, MALDI etc. I have used them for mass spectrometry based proteomics, glycomics as well as small molecule analysis. I have also had the distinction of organizing and co-chairing an oral presentation session in an international conference in USA. An ideal job opportunity in India would be in a proteomics and mass spectrometry core facility. That bring me to my question about India:
How many institutes in India have a specialized mass spectrometry core facility? How do I go about finding them.
My strategy was to check websites of research institutions and try searing on google. I tried the internet and found very few websites listing their mass spectrometers in their facilities! I found that CCMB, Hyd has a full fledged proteomics platform.
How is recruitment done. Is it strictly through recruitment ads. Are stray applications accepted. How much nepotism is present. Is calling them directly a better option and is it encouraged.
Is there any strict age limit for recruitment?
Another question is whether Indian institutes afford to acquire and maintain these high-end proteomics instruments. Is cost an issue in not having these core facilities. Who funds them – is it mainly from Govt of India.
Thanking you folks in advance,
Rajesh
Updated 09 January 2009 03:21 UTC
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Welcome to India Dr. Rajesh.
With the very first sentence, I wanted to make it clear that all Indian researchers-abroad are invited to be a part of growing scientifc community in India. It is the need of the hour too to grab extra mural funds and make Indian research -a high impact.
There are several positions vacant in DBT/CSIR and non- CSIR institutes in Mass Spectrometry. For example, NCCS, Pune recently invited positions for MS specialists and so is the case with several CSIR and non-CSIR institutes viz CCMB, CDFD, IGIB etc.
Apart from the usual notifications, these organizations serve, I feel all Directors or HR are very good listeners and your CV would be archived for future positions if any , if at all there isn’t vacancy.
I happened to join CDAC, Pune soon after my PhD thesis was under submission and I joined here after having successfully fared my interview in March. I had one thought- budding learners and scientists like me always have a room in India and I felt that my 26 hour stay in India for the interview alone wouldn’t go waste.
Nepotismm, to me is everywhere., but it doesn’t last long. Very soon people start learning that talence has a room rather to be nepotistic.
All the best for your pursuit and welcome on board India
Sincerely
Prash -
In continuation to Prash, you may also try at IMTECH, Chandigarh . Regarding your selection depends on research papers. For example if you have more than 5 papers as first author in journal more than impact factor 3 or more than 3 papers as first author in journal more than impact factor 5; then you have good chances that you will got the position. Some time age is another factor, if you wish to return to India then ideally you should be less than 40 years. Nowadays in most of reputed research institutes selection is based on research papers in reputed journals. Though selection via advt. is preferred but you may also apply directly to “The Director” of institute. If your research record is really good than you may get job easily. Most of institutes are searching good candidates for scientific positions as getting good candidate is really a big problem.
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Of course, India needs qualified scientists like you, but also demands patience, adjustments, time. Be prepared.
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This is a very personal question and the answer varies widely from person to person. To get an honest opinion, yon can talk to people in person, not in any open forum. Particularly talk to people whom you know (as a person and as a scientist) and who settled there in India for more than 5 years (or so) and also talk to people who were in India in permanent positions and then came back to US/EU. Then you will have an idea what suits your specific requirements.
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Hi,
I remember CCMB Hyderabad was looking for someone with expertise in mass spectrometry for proteomics applications to lead their proteomics-based research programmes. You can look at this advt http://www.ccmb.res.in/jobs/advt_5_08.pdf . Though last date is gone but can still try.
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Hi,
You are right. CCMB has one of the best proteomics facility in India. Try writing to the Director or to the Proteomics Head directly if you have not done this so far. I heard they are looking for people like you right now.
Best wishes !! -
Dear Rajesh,
I have been involved with Mass-spectrometry and proteomics for the last 4 years,mainly with MALDI-SELDI types.
There is a good deal of Mass-specs in India.I visited US in 2006 and many of colleagues also asked the same question “how many institues have such expensive instruments”.One of my senior from MSc even asked me “how many PCRs are there in this Lab”.
Comeon,when the whole world is talking about Indian economy booming,you do expect some effect on the government funding for these equipments as well.
So as a first step,please lay off all apprehensions about the number of equipments.
I was working for Bruker and my director told me “bite as much as you can digest” because this field is going places.
I am afraid to say your information about the number of equipments is acutely wrong.Dr Balram has a high end MALDI-tof and Dr Hemlata Balram has TOF-TOF in JNCAR.In the the same department in IISc(MBU),Dr Deepankar chatterjee has one MALDI and one LC MS.Other two dept of IISC ,biochemistry and MCBL have one FTMS and one MALDI.That makes it 6 instruments in IISC itself.I was working in JNU delhi on bruker MALDI-TOF-TOF and i used to give application support on 6 instruments (2 in TCGA,2 in NIPER chandigarh).Mass-spectrometry market in India is so big that almost all major players ABI,Bruker,Thermo,waters,Agilent and schimadzu have sales and post-sales setup.
The number of these instruments in Industry is even higher ABI has 120 installations all over India.Agilent has 40 in bangalore alone.
The idea of this reply is to change your perception.My seniors who are doing their pHDs in Us also carry similar thought, but things have moved very swiftly during last 10 years in India.Needless to say there are issues with politics and nepotism,but not in premier research institutes like IISC.
Just one question,how many of our present professors would have counted the number of instruments which they were working on in US,before coming to India??If you want to come back,i believe your desire to come back should override all the concerns.
Still if you are not convinced,i strongly suggest you come and visit india yourself and interact with people.Emails will not work,neither will any reply on a forum like this nor will any search on the internet. -
Thanks everybody for the replies, especially Dr. Nagpal. I was waiting for all the replies before posting again. As Dr. Kaul, suggested I contacted CCMB and the director replied that they do not have any openings now.
From Dr. Nagpal’s reply, I’m delighted to know there are many MS instruments in India. However, they do not seem to be mentioned on websites! I will follow up on the list he has mentioned and keep an eye on recruitment. Next time in India, I will try to visit some of them.
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Just a suggestion u can even try looking at this Institute IOB (Institute of Bioinformatics)http://www.ibioinformatics.org/ situated in Banglore. It is engaged in research in Proteomics, Bioinformatics and Genomics.
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There are many institutes and universities in India with very costly and fancy equipments these days. I am sure Mass Spec is on that list too. The question is not equipment or requirement but the willingness and ability. Both “requirement” and “equipment” are there in India but not the willingness and ability. There are still few scientists capable of doing world class research in India, but majority of them are either sidelined or keep themselves aloof (both in Govt and private organizations). E.g: despite of having so many so-called “drug discovery” units/departments in many Indian institutes (both private and public), there is one report in an Indian magazine declaring that there was/is no drug discovered by an Indian scientist, in India since 1921-22 after the discovery by Dr U. Brahmachari.
The question is not whether there is opportunity for you in India; the real question is what you like to do there? Are you really serious about real research or just need a job or dream to develop Indian research in your field? Once you get the answer of this question to satisfy yourself, you will get the answer you asked in this forum, I hope.
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