Interview with Dr. Jiku Jose, Founder and CEO, Scire Science: Pioneering Bio Ink and 3D Bioprinting Technology in India

The field of biotechnology is transforming faster than ever and India is making remarkable strides because of the visionary innovators like Dr. Jiku Jose. As the Founder and CEO of Scire Science, Dr. Jose is at the forefront of pioneering bio ink and 3D bioprinting technology. This field holds the promise of revolutionizing healthcare in our country and beyond, reducing animal testing, and one day, even creating artificial organs. In an exclusive interview with nationally awarded journalist, Nibedita Sen, Edinbox’s editorial head, Dr. Jose shares her journey, the science behind Bio Ink, and her vision for transforming medical research and treatment. 

Q. What exactly is BioInk?

Bioink is the material we use in 3D bioprinting. To explain simply, it is like the extracellular matrix, the natural substance that binds cells together. Until recently, we were importing bio ink into India. We are proud to be the pioneer manufacturer of indigenous bio ink in the country.

Q. What impact does bioink have on healthcare?

Bio ink helps us build tissue structures, which is actually very important for doing research in tissue engineering as well as regenerative medicine. In the future, we can say that we can eliminate the use of animals in research study. While it might not replace animals entirely, bio ink can minimize animal sacrifice in experiments.

Q. How can students learn about this technology?

Several workshops are being organized, and some institutions have dedicated labs for this technology. We also conduct training at our own laboratory. Students interested can visit our website to join these workshops and learn more.

Q. Has your team started working on human applications, or is the research still at the experimental level with animals or AI?

Our work so far has been with animals such as rats and mice because regulations for human applications do not yet exist. Once the policies are in place by regulators in various countries, human studies can begin. We have published research papers on animal models already.

Q. Are you the only entrepreneur working in this field globally?

While India is still developing this technology, other countries like Israel and a few more are also involved in 3D organ printing. Globally, the field is emerging and still in the early stages. So, we are among the very few pioneering entrepreneurs working on this technology.

Q. Can you give us some insight into what exactly you do and about your organization?

Our company is named Scire Science. We specialize in 3D bioprinting and biomaterials research. The core interest driving us is the potential applications in healthcare. Currently, patients often face long waiting times for organ donations, such as kidney donations. This wait can be life-threatening. Our main goal is to minimize this wait time by creating organs artificially. That was the vision that inspired us to enter this field. While countries like Israel are also making strides in creating whole organs, the field remains at a nascent stage worldwide. In India, there are several institutions actively researching and advancing this technology. Many major institutions are developing new technologies, which can then be translated to create commercially viable solutions. We believe this will help improve and expand healthcare options in the near future.

This interview reveals the work of Dr. Jiku Jose in bio ink and 3D bioprinting is a pioneering effort to show the increasing contribution of India into the sector of biomedical innovation worldwide. Her idea to minimize animal testing and even create artificial organs shows a ray of hope, a promising future in healthcare and medical research.