India Steps Up Research

India Steps Up Research

India is seeking to become a major player in stem cell research, and the government is funding a new facility. The Department of Biotechnology of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology is investing in a stem cell research center at the Christian Medical College in Vellore. The Center will "focus on the use and manipulation of bone-marrow and cord blood derived adult stem cells for clinical purposes," according to an article in the Business Standard. The research focus is expected to be stem cells in cardiac disease. The President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, will lay the cornerstone on December 1, according to Chennai Online. Kalam is a scientist with a background in aerotechnical engineering.