As part of the exposure tour of Press Information Bureau (PIB) a media delegation from Ahmedabad, visited the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu on Tuesday.

The delegation, comprising journalists from print, television and digital media, interacted with scientists and visited several research facilities to understand the translation of scientific research from the laboratory to the field and its subsequent commercialisation.

CSIR-IIIM, Director, Dr Zabeer Ahmed briefed the delegation on the institute’s research programmes, scientific achievements and innovation ecosystem, highlighting its work in drug discovery, medicinal and aromatic plants, farmer-oriented technologies and startup development.

 

Dr Zabeer said the institute’s drug-discovery pipeline includes several New Chemical Entity (NCE) leads targeting serious diseases, including IIIM-290 for pancreatic cancer, IIIM-975-AD for Alzheimer’s disease, IIIM-873 for breast cancer, IIIM-CS-20 for colorectal cancer, IIIM-CS-85 for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and IIIM-AHP-346 for ovarian cancer. IIIM-975-AD, he said, is ready for Phase-II clinical trials, while other candidates are at different stages of development. He also highlighted CSIR-IIIM’s contribution to the Aroma Mission and the lavender-based Purple Revolution, under which the institute is supporting farmers with quality planting material, improved cultivation practices, value addition and technology transfer.

The institute is also promoting the integration of beekeeping with agriculture to enhance pollination and provide additional income opportunities to farmers. Its field facilities in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh support farmer training, experimental trials and technology demonstration, he added.

 

The delegation was briefed on CSIR-IIIM’s startup ecosystem through its BioNEST Incubator and Atal Incubation Centre. The Jammu BioNEST incubator has registered 165 startups, with 10 at the product-development stage and three having launched products in the market. More than 1,000 students have received skill-development training.

The Srinagar Atal Incubation Centre has registered more than 25 startups, with eight at the product-development stage and two having launched products, while over 700 students have been trained. At the Industrial Biotech Park, Kathua, the Agri, Nutri and HealthTech Bio Incubator has registered four startups and trained around 50 students.

 

CSIR-IIIM reported 159 publications and 20 patent applications during the last year, with an average impact factor of 4.2. The institute currently has 249 PhD scholars, while 40 scholars were awarded PhDs during the period.

 

The delegation visited the Herbarium, GLP Animal House, cGMP Facility, Fermentation Facility and QA/QC Facility, where scientists explained their role in research, pre-clinical testing, quality control, drug manufacturing and technology scale-up.

 

Later, the delegation visited Suchetgarh Border, and interacted with personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) and witnessed the functioning of the border outpost. The delegation was briefed on the BSF’s role in guarding the International Border, maintaining round-the-clock surveillance and ensuring security in the border areas. The interaction also provided the visiting journalists an opportunity to understand the challenges faced by personnel deployed in the region, their operational preparedness and their engagement with communities living in border areas.

The delegation was also briefed on border tourism initiatives at Suchetgarh, aimed at promoting the area as a tourist destination, showcasing border life and the role of security forces, while creating livelihood opportunities for local communities.

The media team appreciated the commitment and dedication of the BSF personnel serving under demanding conditions and acknowledged their role in safeguarding the nation’s borders.

***

(Release ID: 2305720) Visitor Counter : 78