Since my early school days, I had a keen interest in computers, while biology was a subject of choice. This attraction to the duo had implanted its roots in my mind. Ultimately, I decided to pursue a bachelors and masters in Bioinformatics from Sardar Patel University, Gujarat. I was selected for my dissertation program at Bioinformatics and Structural Biology lab (Distributed Information Sub-Centre (DISC), a supported centre by the Dept. of Biotechnology, Govt. of India) at the Indian Institute of Advanced Research (IIAR), Gujarat. It was one of the few lab setups at that time involved in computational and experimental research. While engaged in computational research, I started to acquire wet lab skills with guidance from my mentor. Thus, I decided to do my PhD in the same lab and started my doctoral research in bioinformatics and structural biology studies of dual-nature (moonlighting) proteins.

I confess that building a solid foundation of skills -- from pipette handling to programming — was exhausting, but it was adventurous too. It broadened my mental boundaries. At that time, I realised that today's science is all about cross-disciplinarity and one needs to think out of the box. But the transition of the current generation "blue sky" research thinking to "innovative and product-based" research is not a cakewalk.

Why interdisciplinary research?

Education and research in the pre-industrial revolution era were dominated by religion and classical knowledge to explore questions of morality and truth. However, by the end of the 19th century, education was focused more on meeting the growing demands of the industrialised economy. Moreover, with the advent of technology, education accelerated, developing the foundational structure of disciplinary studies.

The collateral output of the above demand was the evolution of primary education. Disciplines were divided into sub-disciplines with the transformation of knowledge from an individual experience to a product. As is seen, from the early discovery of microbes by Anton van Leeuwenhoek to recent advanced techniques such as Cryo-Electron Microscopy, research has evolved by a quantum leap.

However, for the challenges the world is facing today, concentrating only on one discipline will result in a low success rate. This realisation has forced us to think beyond a single discipline, opening avenues for interdisciplinary research.

My happiest moments in the lab are when I use techniques of both fields and blend them to solve global challenges faced by humankind today.

According to the National Science Foundation, USA, Interdisciplinary research is defined as "a mode of research by teams or individuals that integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialised knowledge to advance fundamental understanding or to solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice."

Various reforms supported the transition from disciplinary to interdisciplinary. One of the significant reform was from Charles Elliot, President, Harvard University. He advocated for student's interest-based curricula rather than pre-established hierarchical curricula.

I am a Structural & Computational Biologist. My happiest moments in the lab are when I use techniques of both fields and blend them to solve global challenges faced by humankind today. My vision of a perfect lab is one that is well-equipped with modern instrumentation, a constant flow of funds, and a skilled workforce for driving research. Every young investigator looks for a perfect cycle of having funds for cutting-edge research and high-impact publications leading to newer grants. I found that to achieve this 'dreamland' in multidisciplinary research, one has to perceive and capitalise on the available advantages and work towards overcoming the challenges.

The advantages

From my decade-long experience, I have realised that interdisciplinary research offers several advantages. It broadens the exposure as it involves more than one science discipline. While the understanding expands, there is a higher chance and scope for research leaps. Also, you are often the only expert in your chosen multi-domain group, so one can work independently to address the problems as they arise.

The last decade of scientific achievements is the strong advocate that interdisciplinarity leads to unusual scientific inventions. Moreover, the number of global interdisciplinary conferences are evidence that policymakers are convinced that scientists from different domains have higher chances of coming up with innovations and solutions for societal needs. Unlike monodisciplinary research groups where creativity is often limited, interdisciplinary research groups can utilise the expertise of different fields leading to innovative and high-impact research.

Another significant advantage of interdisciplinary research is the scope for multiple funding avenues through different thematic government grant calls.

Besides, interdisciplinary researchers may have a higher success rate in publishing their work with high-impact journals. Our recently published work in ACS Applied Bio Materials is an excellent example to cite, which blends fundamental and interdisciplinary science.

Another significant advantage of interdisciplinary research is the scope for multiple funding avenues through different thematic government grant calls.

I also find that in academia, I have more options in choosing teaching subjects in a curriculum. I have often been contacted by colleagues and senior researchers for research assistance in computational biology. I believe I would never have got such a chance had I been working in a single discipline, leading to significant personal and institutional development advances.

A few challenges

On the other hand, like in any other field, interdisciplinary work also poses some hurdles. One of the biggest challenges I face is the 'consensus language'. In a multidisciplinary field, the goals and tasks are vaguely defined. In my experience, I have seen that people erroneously assume that the others in the team have a basic understanding of the concept, terms and methodology involved in the research problem. Members of an interdisciplinary team often don't understand each other, which creates a bottleneck to discuss ideas, solve problems, or get proper feedback. It's challenging to work on a problem when everyone has been trained to approach it from different directions specific to their own problem sets and methodologies.

Another hurdle to overcome is the lack of constructive criticism and evaluation of your work. It's like a double-edged sword: either your ideas or suggestions are accepted without any questions or rejected without positive feedback.

Not encouraging degree courses in interdisciplinary sciences have reduced the number of students with such skillsets.

I want to highlight one more major challenge I faced — fulfilling the eligibility criteria at different levels in the present system. The current requirements often ask for a primary degree or qualification in specific subjects. They do not have room for those who have studied inter-domain sciences. My primary education is in bioinformatics, while my doctorate is in biochemistry, which has made it difficult for me to meet eligibility criteria for many of the calls, whether it be employment or funding.

Here, I would like to appeal to the concerned authorities and policymakers to amend university recruitment criteria. Not encouraging degree courses in interdisciplinary sciences have reduced the number of students with such skillsets. Moreover, it poses hurdles in recruiting PhD students with the same interdisciplinary interest to drive a project.

I have also often encountered the problem of getting the team members to cooperate and accomplish specific tasks due to a lack of leadership in team dynamics due to individuals having the same strata expertise. The cost is another hurdle and a considerable component in interdisciplinary research. Small tasks in big projects often require goal-centric instrumentation. Hedging all kinds of machines to work in synergy can be challenging. The collateral challenges also include ownership issues for Intellectual Property Rights, distrust and fear, psychological behaviours, or poor ethics.

The road to success

At this juncture, my advice to other young researchers planning to embark on interdisciplinary research would be to network and define their goals as broadly as possible. It can be gratifying and fascinating to do interdisciplinary science if you deal with and overcome the above challenges. To facilitate such research, universities and research institutes should encourage interaction between different disciplines where scientists can meet, share ideas, and discuss problems.

We are slowly but steadily making way for a change in policies to improve the acceptability of interdisciplinary projects to funding opportunities for all, especially young scientists and students, across international borders.

So enjoy every moment of it!

I obtained a PhD from the University of Rochester and received postdoctoral training at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in the USA. My time in the USA was a great learning experience and my mentors, colleagues, and friends supported me throughout. However, towards the end of our postdoctoral tenure, my wife Karla Mercado-Shekhar and I were excited by the opportunity to embark on a new endeavour back home in India.

Interviewing for faculty positions while travelling across India was exciting, and we had positive experiences at multiple institutions in India. After considering opportunities for our professional and personal lives, we both decided to join the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IITGN) in April 2019. Since then, I have been working towards establishing my laboratory. Through this article, I would like to share my experiences in setting up a research laboratory in India.

The training of academic scientists typically focuses on research with extremely limited exposure to administration. However, setting up a lab requires a PI to budget, procure equipment, and recruit personnel. Further, developing a laboratory may require designing the space from scratch and considering electricity and water supply, air circulation, venting, and safety. These tasks can be considerably intimidating for a new PI.

One of the best experiences during my training was the opportunity to contribute to setting up the laboratory during my PhD in Marvin Doyley’s group at Rochester. Moreover, my postdoctoral mentor Christy Holland at Cincinnati had an extremely systematic approach towards lab management. Throughout her independent career spanning three decades, she chose not to hire lab managers and instead, involved trainees in running the lab. Although it felt tedious at the time, gaining experience in lab management proved extremely useful when setting up my own research laboratory, particularly in the Indian scenario.

I joined IITGN towards the end of the spring semester and did not have any teaching commitments for the following three months. I focused on utilizing this time for laboratory design and development. I submitted a proposal for laboratory space allotment and initiated the process of procuring instruments and consumables for my laboratory. I was awarded a modest research initiation grant after joining and received more generous internal funding within the next few months. In parallel, I worked on designing projects to apply for external funding and could submit two proposals while things were shaping up.

A new principal investigator (PI) typically arrives with a comprehensive research plan. Unfortunately, some planned projects take time to get started because of the delay in developing adequate facilities. A new PI can consider pursuing research questions that can help leverage both their own expertise and their environment. Collaborating with colleagues not only provides the necessary momentum and productivity in the short-term, but also leads to novel ideas and impactful research in the long-term.

Most institutions provide a start-up grant to new faculty, which helps launch their research program and provides sustenance until extramural funding is obtained. Although the quantum of funding may vary across institutions, some general observations apply. For deciding the budget, the immediate requirements of the research program must be considered. Reasonable detail should be provided to justify the funding while keeping the budget heads as flexible as possible within the institute norms to buffer future cost escalations or changes in research focus. In addition to equipment, personnel and supplies, the budget may include costs incurred from freight, customs duty, contingency, and travel.

When budgeting for equipment, consider getting specific quotes from vendors rather than employing guesswork. The costs may be significantly higher for imported equipment due to customs duty, shipping expenses, and commissions of local vendors who facilitate import. I recommend including an extended warranty or an annual maintenance contract in the quote, whenever possible. Lastly, budget conservatively to account for any fluctuations in currency values, which has seen drastic changes in recent times, to avoid challenges in procurement later.

Budgetary limits need not always be a constraint in setting up a functional lab. A new PI can start purchasing equipment needed for research projects in the short-to-medium term. Procuring instruments with fewer features may reduce cost significantly. For a variety of equipment, alternate make and models may be available, which may be sufficient for research needs. While specialized equipment may need to be imported, standard laboratory equipment can be purchased from reputable Indian manufacturers.

I can cite my own example here. While setting up an experiment on ultrasound sensing and detection, I was able to buy an inexpensive device on Amazon, which worked well and helped me bypass the protracted paperwork for procurement. Further, the precision needed for laboratory measurements should be carefully considered. A simplistic notion of “the more precise, the better” may be counterproductive, given that cost escalates sharply with precision.

A couple of other options to circumvent a limited budget are to buy modular/upgradable equipment or to build equipment in-house. Access to equipment that is used sparingly can be obtained through collaborations or by visiting national research facilities. Seeking advice from a colleague who has set up a lab like what you envision can be enlightening in this regard.

Purchase procedures in India typically require an intricate understanding of the process. If you are planning to purchase an instrument through a tender, be extremely careful with the specifications and paperwork to avoid delays in procurement. Consider seeking help from experienced faculty and purchase staff for strategies in negotiating with vendors if the terms or the prices quoted are not reasonable. Prioritize the purchase of instruments that are needed immediately to initiate your first few projects.

In some cases, I was not strategic in prioritizing purchases and ended up in situations such as having the main equipment delivered, but not being able to do experiments because I had forgotten to order necessary accessories. Whenever possible, I recommend arranging demos or seeking feedback from present users before finalizing a purchase. Additionally, seek feedback on the professionalism of the vendors from your colleagues and purchase section staff, considering future needs for equipment maintenance and repair.

While requesting lab space, provide the exact details of electrical, venting/biosafety, water supply, and similar requirements to accelerate the allotment process. Ensure that you have adequate space to house all the equipment that is being procured. Space must be made ready for the installation of high-valued equipment before it is ordered. Consider whether proximity to another lab is preferable for sharing resources. If your laboratory space allotment is delayed, you may request a temporary space. I started my preliminary experiments in a temporary space in a teaching lab, which helped my initial research efforts.

Maintaining equipment effectively is also critical to avoid derailment of research plans. In India, surges in the power supply are common, which can damage sensitive equipment. Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) devices or a specialized emergency power line should be used to protect these devices. Whenever possible, UPS can be bought along with the device. Similarly, if the equipment requires a computer, procure the two items together from one vendor to ensure compatibility. Institutes such as IITs may provide adequate support to maintain batteries, UPS, and power backups, but the resources vary from place to place.

The most important aspect of a lab is its people. A new PI may feel the pressure to accept trainees immediately to get work started. However, hiring trainees carefully is critical, and new PIs should do their best to ensure that the candidates are genuinely interested, motivated, and responsible. New PIs can publicize their work by visiting other institutions, attending national and international conferences, creating informative and appealing laboratory websites, and harnessing networking resources, including social media. Conducting national and international workshops may also help initiate new collaborations and attract promising students and postdoctoral fellows.