BD India (Becton, Dickinson and Company) and the National Centre for Biological Science (NCBS), part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research have teamed up to establish a centre of excellence in flow cytometry. The centre of excellence will be set up in the NCBS campus in Bangalore.

The collaboration of BD and NCBS will result in regular workshops, seminars and training programmes on flow cytometric applications for the benefit of basic and clinical researchers.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, director, NCBS and Ram Sharma, managing director, BD, India.

NCBS is a leading research hub for cellular sciences. At the Centre of Excellence, BD India will train the scientists and conduct workshops to increase the applications of the technology, said Ram Sharma, Managing Director, BD, India . "Understanding technological advances in flow cytometry and their application in answering research questions is relatively limited in our country. This collaboration with NCBS is intended to help bridge the knowledge gap in India regarding the application of technical advances in flow cytometry to life science research", he added.

Flow cytometry is an important tool used for cellular analysis and to monitor diverse diseases in research and clinical settings. Life science researchers use flow cytometry to quickly and accurately identify stem cells. Over the last decade, this technology has undergone paradigm shifts from analog to digital platforms.

Breakthrough instrument designs allow high-speed cell sorting with relative ease, and the availability of bead-based assays for advanced multiplexing offers novel solutions for tracking instrument performance and ensuring data reproducibility.

BD is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The company is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. Its capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 28,000 people in approximately 50 countries throughout the world.

The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore focuses on basic research in the areas of biology. The research interests of the faculty are in four broad areas ranging from the study of single molecules to systems biology.