IIT Roorkee opens molecular medicine facility to boost biomedical and drug discovery research

IIT Roorkee has set up the Ashok Soota molecular medicine facility at its biosciences department to support research in disease studies, diagnostics and drug discovery. The facility was inaugurated by Ashok Soota, an alumnus of IIT Roorkee, in the presence of the institute’s director K. K. Pant along with faculty members, researchers and industry representatives.

The initiative aims to strengthen research infrastructure at IIT Roorkee and support studies related to healthcare and biomedical science. Officials said the new facility will help researchers study diseases, identify biological targets and develop diagnostic methods and potential drug molecules. Research at the centre will cover areas such as cancer, neurological conditions, metabolic disorders and infectious diseases.

The molecular medicine facility includes several advanced instruments used in modern biological research. These include protein purification systems, HPLC and UPLC systems, GC-MS, flow cytometer, confocal microscope and equipment used for protein crystallisation and molecular analysis.

IIT Roorkee aims to strengthen research in biosciences. IIT Roorkee director K. K. Pant said the facility will strengthen the institute’s research work in biosciences and bioengineering. He added, “The integration of advanced infrastructure with interdisciplinary expertise will accelerate translational research and contribute meaningfully to national priorities in healthcare innovation, precision medicine, and scientific self-reliance.”

Ashok Soota said it is important to build strong research facilities so that scientific discoveries can be translated into practical benefits for society. He said, “India possesses immense scientific talent, and it is equally critical to provide world-class infrastructure and collaborative platforms to enable innovation at scale. I am proud to see IIT Roorkee strengthening its capabilities in molecular diagnostics, precision medicine, and drug discovery, contributing to healthcare solutions of both national and global relevance.”

Prof. Pravindra Kumar, head of the institute instrumentation center, said the facility will be open to researchers, scholars and industry partners working in related areas. He added that the centre will encourage collaboration between academia and industry and support research in molecular medicine and translational biosciences.