InStem, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, is India’s first institute dedicated to research in the area of stem cells and regeneration in the context of development and disease. Nurtured for over 10 years in the intellectually rich environs of the National Centre for Biological Science (NCBS, TIFR Bangalore), today inStem is a full-fledged institute, functioning out of sparkling new laboratories and an active partner, with NCBS and C-CAMP, in the Bangalore Life Science Cluster.

Prof. Maneesha S Inamdar, Director, inStem

A distinguishing feature of inStem’s research structure, is its organization in Themes – cross-disciplinary, collaborative efforts, leveraging current technologies and enhancing capabilities through partnerships – to address contemporary questions, which lie beyond the remit of individual laboratories. Our research ranges from addressing fundamental questions in differentiation, plasticity and tissue regeneration using stem cells and model organisms, modelling human diseases using stem cells, to a strong commitment to clinical translation. The latter, best exemplified perhaps, by activities at the Centre for Stem Cell Research (the translational unit of inStem located in CMC Vellore), which focuses on research problems arising from unmet clinical needs.

InStem has several faculty level appointments and is ready to grow further; we host active PhD and postdoctoral programmes; our faculty are attracting competitive funding and research outputs are growing steadily, with one startup already having emerged from our labs. Leveraging every opportunity to engage in collaborations with other academic institutions and hospitals, both within the country and globally, inStem hosts four major multi-institutional efforts, a joint laboratory with an international partner and has contributed in the establishment and continuing operations of two National Resource facilities on campus.

Today, inStem is at a place where it can build on these strong foundations to do even better!