Bengaluru: Global 3D bioprinting Generation CELLINK And Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is partnering to establish a Center of Excellence (CoE) that will focus on advancing research on heart, bone, cartilage and cancer through the use of 3D bioprinting. The CoE, the first of its kind in the subcontinent, will be held at the centre Biosystems Science and Engineering (BSSE) at IISc, Bengaluru.
It will provide access to 3D bioprinting systems, which will enable researchers to accelerate their work in complex applications with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes, IISc said in a statement on Friday.
An MoU was signed on August 18 to formalize the collaboration.
3D bioprinting is the use of additive manufacturing techniques to create living cells, growth factors and/or biomedical parts, often with the aim of mimicking the characteristics of natural tissues.
3D bioprinting covers a broad range of bioprinting techniques and biomaterials. Currently, bioprinting can be used to print tissue and organ models to aid in research for drugs and potential treatments.
The new CoE will house several state-of-the-art 3D bioprinters from CELLINK and will serve as a hub for several research initiatives and training activities related to this emerging and exciting technology, the statement said.
IISc Director Professor Govindan Rangarajan said the CoE will contribute to exploring new avenues in 3D bioprinting research and technology development.
“This will align very well with the new initiative that we have started at IISc to set up a Post Graduate Medical School. I am hopeful that the interdisciplinary collaboration through the CoE will generate new medical technologies for affordable healthcare,” he said.
IISc and CELLINK will work together to conduct workshops aimed at equipping researchers, within the institute and elsewhere, with the necessary skills to use 3D bioprinting in their work and reap the benefits of 3D cell culture, it said.
In addition, the two will conduct and advise on research projects in multiple applications spanning the fields of tissue engineering, drug discovery, materials science and regenerative/personalized medicine.
The center will focus keenly on work around heart, bone, cartilage and cancer, the statement said.
BSSE Chairman Professor Narendra Dixit said, “We are excited to host this CoE at the Institute, which will help initiate cutting-edge research in an emerging field of technology with immense potential to benefit human health.”
CELLINK CEO, Cecilia Edebo, said it is an honor to collaborate with one of India’s most renowned science institutes.
“India has long been at the forefront of scientific discovery, and with exceptional talent and a deep-rooted passion for translating research from the benchtop to the clinic, we are confident that this Center of Excellence will have a lasting impact on the advancement of research in the fields of heart, bone, cartilage and cancer,” she said. said
