Open Synthesis Network (OSN):
Enhancing Skill Development of Indian Students
A network of institutions developed by DNDi to engage students, and enhance skills in organic and medicinal chemistry, for practical drug discovery for neglected disease. DNDi extended its global initiative, OSN, to India, with the objective of enhancing skills required to encourage innovation.
The challenge
India has one of the largest student pool in global higher education system, and India is among the top 15 countries globally in its high-quality chemistry research output.
However, the ability of India to discover a new drug and take it successfully to patient treatment is very limited.
THE OSN SOLUTION: Collaborative Drug Discovery
• OSN’s central focus is skill enhancement across technical-synthetic chemistry, exposure to drug discovery process/ diseases and networking.
• OSN, a project involving academia, engages university students to explore new drugs for neglected tropical diseases.
• DNDi leverages India’s academic potential to address diseases affecting marginalized communities.
• Seven leading Indian institutions – Indian Institute Of Technology Gandhinagar (IIT Gandhinagar), Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Mumbai, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Hajipur, University of Lucknow, Shiv Nadar University Greater Noida, Punjabi University Patiala, and NIPER Kolkata – participate in OSN, tapping into students’ talents to find novel treatments for diseases like visceral leishmaniasis.
Events
Participation in CII’s Annual National CSR Summit
At the annual National CSR Summit hosted by CII titled ‘Changing Contours of CSR in India: Visioning for next decade’ DNDi India Foundation had the opportunity to join as a special invitee alongside influential voices from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and donor leaders. These included Godrej, Tata Steel, Arvind and others- all aligned to the vision of contributing to the growth of youth in India.
Poster presentation: Open science drug discovery
DNDi India Foundation was thrilled to present its open science drug discovery project at a recent conference on next-gen therapeutics at The Nirma Institute of Pharmacy International Conference -NIPiCON 2024 in Ahmedabad on February 7th to 9th, 2024. with our partners IIT-Gandhinagar. Richa Minhas, representing DNDi India Foundation, showcased a poster detailing DNDi’s innovative initiative, the Open Synthesis Network (OSN).