Ocimum Biosolutions Ltd, an integrated R&D bioinformatics solutions provider with operations both in Indianapolis, US, and Hyderabad today announced an educational partnership with Michigan Technological University (MTU) of the US for a 20-week bioinformatics certificate course.

Anuradha Acharya, chief executive officer of Ocimum, said the first batch of 30 students will start in early November. "Our entry into the training programme is essentially to meet the in-house demand for properly trained bioinformatics personnel. We have tied up with the world's leading technological university for training our young people for a career and not immediate jobs", Anuradha said announcing the tie-up.

Ocimum is part of the Rs 200-crore Saraca Group of seven independent companies in four different industries including pharmaceuticals major, Virchow Labs Ltd. The company was set up in Indianapolis last year with one more centre in Hyderabad as a complement to the US establishment.

Ocimum coordinator Rakesh Dubey said R&D will remain the main focus of the company. The company offers customers a host of products and services to encompass virtually all their bioinformatics-specific needs. Four products were now under finalisation -- Gencheck, a complete sequence analysis software package, Biotracker, a laboratory information management system software, Pathtracker, a software package dealing with gene to metabolic pathways and Geniwiz, a software toolbox.