Inter-institutional collaborative networking in the intellectual property rights regime: research in plant molecular biology in India

Inter-institutional collaborative networking in the area of plant molecular biology has become the hallmark of the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime. As research in plant molecular biology has potential for attaining patents, the practitioners seem to reorient their approach towards their own research vis-a-vis the protocols enshrined in the IPR. The plant molecular biologists located in various institutional settings in India seem to be engaged in collaborative networking with the industry. The present study, through in-depth personal interviews with 68 plant molecular biologists in India, attempts to capture the transition in scientific practices reflected in the attitudes, interests, values and ideologies of the scientific community in India.