JNCASR, CrisprBits to set up Centre of Excellence for CRISPR innovation in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) and CrisprBits Private Limited have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to jointly establish a Centre of Excellence for CRISPR Innovation and Translation.The proposed centre, to be known as CoE-CIT, will focus on translating cutting-edge CRISPR-based research from the lab to real-world clinical and societal applications. The LoI was signed on Dec 19, 2025 and made public on Thursday. The initiative brings together JNCASR’s strengths in fundamental biomedical research and CrisprBits’ capabilities in applied gene-editing and translational platforms.Positioned as one of the first partnerships of its kind in the country, the CoE, JNCASR said, aims to bridge the long-standing gap between basic research and therapeutic deployment. “By creating a dedicated hub for CRISPR innovation, the collaboration seeks to accelerate the movement of scientific discoveries into scalable, clinically relevant solutions,” the institute said.The CoE-CIT is envisioned as a campus-based facility at JNCASR that integrates expertise across genetics, molecular biology, chemical biology and computational biology. Its mandate includes advancing translational research, de-risking early-stage discoveries, and aligning innovation with ethical and regulatory frameworks necessary for clinical adoption.Beyond its immediate research goals, the centre is also expected to serve as a national model for academia–industry partnerships. By demonstrating how publicly funded research institutions and private technology firms can work together, the initiative aims to strengthen India’s biotechnology and innovation ecosystem and contribute to national health and science missions.CrisprBits, which works on building molecular platforms for health science applications, is expected to play a key role in scaling technologies emerging from the centre and enabling their transition into products and therapies.