3. Scientists at Work in India

As breakthroughs in biomaterials science reach a tipping point, a tour de force of the diverse research in laboratories of excellence across India can be seen to occur, promising lower healthcare costs and a better future for patients. Who are the scientists, what are they up to and where? The rise of engineering and advances in biology opened up new frontiers in the twentieth century. In the new millennium, as the two started to converge, biomaterials sciences took shape, creating an unprecedented link amongst engineers, biologists, clinicians and entrepreneurs. Numerous initiatives are underway at the national and institutional levels in India, with a number of research groups working in academia and national laboratories (see geographical map and groups). However, challenging barriers exist between the bench and bedside; as many research programs are ended at late stages of laboratory-scale development or pre-clinical validation. A few examples from the academia and national laboratories will be provided to highlight the status of the clinically validated indigenous technologies. It is noteworthy that funding and facilitation are required for human clinical trials, an important step in translational biomaterials science. Therefore, significant challenges pave the road to this transformative partnership: how to translate biomaterials and bioengineering concepts to improve human health? Like every other branch of science, biomaterials science, too, does not exist in a vacuum. This chapter portrays the Indian landscape of biomaterials science and implants. The discussion in this chapter may not contain all the national groups, and many of these have been currently pursuing important research themes in the field of biomaterials and implants.