It is with immense pride and a profound sense of responsibility that I present the Annual Report for 2023-24. This past year has been nothing short of extraordinary, demonstrating our relentless dedication to advancing scientific research, fostering collaboration, building resources, and driving innovation. As India’s pioneering stem cell research institute, inStem is at the forefront of regenerative biology, relentlessly pushing the boundaries to address the most urgent health challenges of our time.
2023 culminated in inStem being integrated as an iBRIC- an institute of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council of DBT. iBRIC-inStem’s mandate continues to be to undertake world-class research in the area of stem cells and regenerative medicine for the benefit of humankind and society. Capitalizing on our diverse and cross-disciplinary expertise we have initiated several new approaches to regenerative biology. Our focus is on developing out-of-the-box solutions for stem cell research and its application. For this, we continue to initiate ambitious new research programs in stem cell science, foster new collaborations, recruit faculty and staff, and establish impactful training programs.
Several new initiatives that we launched over the last year, have made significant strides. An important emphasis at inStem is also to “be local, go global”. We have embarked on an ambitious plan to be a resource for quality Indian stem cell lines. The Human Pluripotent Stem Cell BioBank is being established starting with locally derived stem cell lines. We are grateful for the support and advice of our expert committee set up for this. We continue to work towards our goal to be a high quality yet accessible research and training Centre. We are pleased to partner with the International Stem Cell Banking Initiative (ISCBI) for training in stem cells, ethics, regulation, and policy.
We have established a state-of-the-art stem cell and organoid facility, under the unique platform Enabling Stem Cell and Organoid Research and Training (ESCORT). I am pleased to state that this program has just received funding from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, under the aegis of the SAHAJ program.
Another highlight of the year was initiation of the program in Women’s Reproductive Health (WoRtH). This program is aimed at closing the gap in our understanding of early events in reproduction and human development as these greatly impact women’s reproductive health. Our goal is to develop generalizable organoid models of early human development to de-risk drug discovery. The initiative is backed in part by funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for accelerating the development of a robust and sustainable portfolio of stem cell-based applications to enhance women’s reproductive health and choices.
inStem contributed significantly to national efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. With our BLiSC partners we have established an Animal BSL3 facility, that will support work on various infectious agents as well as help in future pandemic preparedness, under the National One Health Mission.
inStem is at the forefront of discoveries, and inventions and progressing very rapidly to translation and the clinic. Addition of three faculty members with core stem cell expertise has boosted our efforts in cardiac and brain organoid models. Many inStem faculty have pivoted to include stem cell-derived models in their research programs, aiming for retinal, bladder, and lung organoids or developing better polymers and matrices for stem cell culture.
At the Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR), iBRIC-inStem’s translation unit in CMC, Vellore, research on gene editing and prime editing to treat inherited blood disorders has gained momentum. It is indeed a matter of national pride that the CSCR has entered the critical clinical trial phase for the treatment of hemophilia. Further several technologies developed towards therapies for hemoglobinopathies are being transferred to suitable commercial partners.
This year, we have significantly expanded our research capabilities and infrastructure. Our stem cell facility has undergone a complete redesign and is now fully operational, ready to host participants nationwide for comprehensive hands-on workshops. This state-of-the-art infrastructure will be a cornerstone for stem cell research and training. We conducted a highly successful 2-part workshop on human pluripotent stem cell methods in 2023 and are continuing this momentum with another 2-part workshop on good cell culture practices in stem cells, starting in August 2024. inStem is solidifying its position as a premier national resource for stem cell biology, equipping both academia and industry with essential skills for generating stem cells and organoids.
The Mouse Genome Engineering Facility (MGEF) at inStem remains a vital asset for in vivo research, while also advancing skill-building through workshops on cryobiology-assisted reproductive technologies and CRISPR for mouse genome engineering. inStem also houses and supports the National CryoEM facility. Our research support offices, RIO and RCO, hosted a workshop on academic integrity and regulatory compliance in life sciences, drawing faculty participants from 13 Indian states to engage in critical discussions on ethics and regulations.
Our year was marked by high-profile events, including the biennial conference of the Indian Society of Developmental Biologists (InSDB) and the International Cardiovascular Summit. iBRIC-inStem brought its research to national platforms like Global Bio India and the India International Science Festival 2023, as well as hosting outreach events such as an open day for school students in October 2023 and a women’s college tour on National Science Day 2024. We are committed to strengthening global and local connections, launching the Interdisciplinary Local Interaction (IDLI) Guest Talk series to increase our interactions with scientists employing transdisciplinary approaches to solve biological problems.
Additionally, we are nurturing the next generation of scientists through our dynamic PhD and postdoctoral programs. Our new Summer Research Fellowship (SuRF) program 2024 welcomed ten students for a ten-week immersive research experience, fueling our collective enthusiasm with their fresh perspectives and passion for discovery.
In recognition of their outstanding fundamental research and translation to application, our faculty and researchers have also been conferred with several prestigious grants, fellowships, and awards, including from HFSP, EMBO, and India Alliance. We continue our vibrant interactions with the community in the form of several international and national meetings, workshops, training, and outreach activities. inStem also contributed significantly to stem cell research and standards documents developed by the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).
A highlight of the year was the visit of Secretary, DBT, Dr. Rajesh Gokhale to DBT-inStem. We have benefitted from multiple and frequent interactions will our iBRIC+ family and launched new collaborative projects and programs with member institutes. We are also excited to be part of the unique and ambitious i3C BRIC PhD program through which we have bright and enthusiastic young students joining inStem. We further look forward to working together with other DBT institutes under the enabling umbrella of BRIC.
As we look forward, I am excited about the future. We are building on a solid foundation, with ambitious plans to deepen our research and amplify our impact. With the steadfast support of our funders and collaborators, we are poised to make transformative strides towards our mission.
Maneesha Inamdar
Director, DBT-inStem
