Basic research is key to development of applications, says scientist

Basic research is key to development of applications in everyday life, said P. Balaram, former director, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.

He was speaking at the inaugural of the 11th International Cell & Gene Therapy Conference (CGTCON 2026), which is organised by Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) at CMC in Vellore.

The former IISc director told medical researchers to be cautious of attributing credit for discoveries to one person, as every discovery has a long and precarious history where contributions by various researchers could be found. As described by Abraham Flexner, founder and president, Princeton University (USA), science is like a river that originates in a distant forest before its volume swells by other streams and becomes a mighty river from countless sources. “His [Flexner’s] research and report has to completely transform medical education and research in the United States when the country was not a powerhouse for research and science in 1910,” he said.

He highlighted the importance of stem cells and gene therapies that have reached a large number of patients worldwide. These therapies are possible only due to continuous research done by eminent scientists for many years. In this regard, he said famous chemist Linus Pauling showed that sickle cell haemoglobin and normal haemoglobin were different, using the technique of electrophoresis. “In his study in 1949, Mr. Pauling said that genes are responsible for disease, and genes precisely determine the structure of proteins. So, Pauling’s paper was visionary in many ways because human disorders are now traced back to very precise structural changes in molecules, he said.  

The biologist also noted that in the year 2000, he read a research paper titled ‘Turning blood into brain: Cells bearing neuro antigens generated from bone marrow’. “The paper revealed that bone marrow-derived cells may provide an alternative source of neurons in patients with neurodegenerative diseases or central nervous system injury. In other words, it might be a therapy that could address the problem of stroke and neurodegenerative disease,” he said.

CGTCON 2026 aims to strengthen collaborations between clinicians, scientists, industry partners, and regulatory stakeholders. On the occasion, Biju George, director, CMC, professor Nihal Thomas, head, CSCR, were also present.