Sir

Despite your News report “Funding crisis for Indian biotech centre” (Nature 403, 694; 2000), we have not halted recruitment at the Indian branch of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). Several scientists have recently joined the centre and none has left. Our financial support from the Indian government and from Italy is continuing without reduction. Furthermore, the Indian government has recently provided additional support for several new programmes at our centre, particularly the malaria vaccine project.