Basic research is key to development of applications, says scientist

P. Balaram, former director, IISc, Bangalore and other dignitaries at the inaugural of International Cell & Gene Therapy Conference at CMC. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

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.