SRINAGAR, January 31, 2026 — In a major breakthrough for the biotechnology sector in Kashmir, Dr. Khalid Zaffar Masoodi, an Associate Professor at SKUAST-K, and his PhD scholar Shivani have been honored with the prestigious ‘DESIGN for BioE3 Challenge’ award.
Organized by BIRAC–BRIC under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, the competition recognized the SKUAST-K team as one of the Top 10 innovators in the country out of 560 competing applications.
The award, which includes a ₹1 lakh cash prize, celebrates cutting-edge research that supports India’s vision for a sustainable and clean circular bio-economy.
The team’s winning research focuses on TaxO, a revolutionary plant-based functional food developed within SKUAST-K’s Division of Plant Biotechnology. TaxO has garnered international acclaim for its innovative approach to managing prostate cancer, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS).
The DBT recognition specifically highlights the team’s success in demonstrating how TaxO targets the androgen receptor, a critical molecular factor in the progression of prostate cancer. Vice Chancellor Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai congratulated the researchers, noting that this achievement places SKUAST-K at the forefront of national biotechnology-driven healthcare solutions.
