Organ-on-chip, a viable business plan

Sometimes, the lightbulb moment is all about being in the right place at right time. So it was with ISMO Bio-Photonics. Ikram Khan S I, 32, the founder-CEO recalls how his journey began during his master's at IIT Madras. "My work revolved around ultrafast lasers, microfluidics, and in-vitro devices," he remembers. "The turning point came with an opportunity to collaborate with MIT, where we developed advanced bioreactors capable of growing human brain organoids or miniature organs on a chip which was well-recognised," he says.Then came the pandemic which highlighted delays in drug development, emphasizing the need for more human-relevant testing methods. "Realising the potential of in-vitro devices to revolutionize this space, I returned to India and founded ISMO Bio-Photonics," says Khan. "Our vision is to create human-on-chip tech to capture the complete human response at an early stage, significantly reducing the time and cost of bringing drugs to market." As it was conceived amid a global health emergency, Khan onboarded his co-founder on a Zoom call. "I reflected on how ISMO could address critical gaps in drug screening and personalized medicine. My former guide, Prof Anil Prabhakar at IIT-M, introduced me to Dr Shantanu Pradhan, from the biotech dept, and with expertise in organoid technology. During our first meet on a Zoom call, I shared my vision. Shantanu was excited by the possibilities and that was the start of an incredible journey. We've been working together ever since," he says. Pradhan is now director. Khan says his alma mater has been the catalyst for his big idea. "At IIT-M, I connected with Prof Mriganka Sur from MIT, USA, whose insights opened up new horizons in blending biology with technology. The supportive ecosystem at IIT-M, its incubation cell, IIT-M global, and its alumni network, along with the backing from the centre for computational brain research —funded by Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of Infosys—played a crucial role in making ISMO what it is today," he says. Khan says ISMO's first big break came after "we published our initial research with Surs Lab, MIT. The success brought a wave of global collaboration requests, from academic institutions and industries." The company plans to expand by forging partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies and healthcare institutions. "We envision ISMO becoming a key player in personalized medicine and innovative drug screening on an international scale," says Khan. As for funding, ISMO Bio-Photonics has received grant support from organizations like BIRAC under the department of biotechnology, Startup India, IIT Madras incubation cell and from incubators like CIIC from Crescent, CCAMP Bangalore and HTIC. "These grants have been crucial for advancing R&D," says Khan. "The angel investments we've secured through convertible notes (worth `1 crore) have positioned us for sustainable growth." Currently ISMO is still a small entity working with an "interdisciplinary team of about eight to nine" people. "Our operations are based out of our main facility IIT Madras Research Park, where we are currently focused on pioneering projects such as organ-on-chip technology for pharmaceutical companies and in vitro devices for personalised cancer drug screening and IVF applications," he says. However, in the next three to five years, the company will commercialize its organ-on-chip technology for clinical trials in partnership with pharmaceutical companies.

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