Скачать или смотреть #6 Dr. Vijay Chandru on CrisprBits, synthetic biology, and India's deep tech frontier

In this episode, we bring you a conversation with Dr. Vijay Chandru of IISc, who has spent decades navigating the journey from academic research to commercial applications. From co-founding Picopeta Simputers, to pioneering Strand Life Sciences in genomics diagnostics to founding CrisprBits, Dr. Chandru’s career tracks India's evolving ability to translate complex science into commercial products.






He's also working on a new venture, Yantri Labs, developing a foundation model for financial markets inspired by Darwinian evolutionary principles. This one is currently in stealth mode as they say in the world of startups.






Strand’s acquisition by the Reliance group in 2021 was seen favourably by the capital markets. It’s also an example of how deep tech ecosystems can develop through exits to strong commercial partners in order to achieve scale. The ability to scale does not always come naturally to innovators, as Dr. Chandru points out.






CrisprBits, now three years into development, applies CRISPR technology beyond gene editing — to diagnostics and synthetic biology applications that could reshape healthcare delivery in resource-constrained settings.






For example, CrisprBits has demonstrated diagnostic precision at 100 percent sensitivity for sickle cell detection on a variety of samples including dried blood spots, or cells from the placenta or amniotic fluid. The Sickle-Detect test uses novel lyophilized kits that require no cold chain.






The platform addresses an overlooked opportunity: most diagnostics globally rely on PCR or antigen tests, while CRISPR-based detection can deliver confirmatory molecular results with the simplicity of a do-it-yourself test.






Near-term applications extend to food safety, livestock disease monitoring, and typhoid detection — areas where traditional culture-based methods impose significant supply chain costs.






Beyond diagnostics, Dr. Chandru emphasizes a broader thesis: bio-convergence — the intersection of AI, molecular biology, and bioengineering — represents the next frontier for deep-tech entrepreneurs in India. This conversation explores the technical constraints, regulatory pathways, and economic logic underpinning molecular diagnostics at scale as India looks to develop its biotech sector to tap not only the domestic opportunity but global ones.






Dr. Vijay Chandru


  / vijaychandru  


CrisprBits


https://crisprbits.com/


 


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