BENGALURU: The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), both centres under the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Bengaluru, have announced the establishment of a new research facility — the Centre for Artificial Learning and Intelligence for Biological Research and Education (CALIBRE).The centre will be supported by a Rs 25 crore contribution from Vishal Gupta, founder of Reed India Consulting LLP, and Deepshikha Gupta. CALIBRE will focus on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into biological research and education, creating tools, infrastructure, and training programmes tailored to India’s scientific landscape.“AI has transformed research across the world, and its growing use in biology is reshaping disciplines such as medicine, agriculture, neuroscience, and ecology. However, India continues to face a gap in developing AI tools that address its unique biodiversity, health, and environmental challenges. CALIBRE aims to fill this gap by building AI platforms suited to Indian data, problems, and research priorities,” a statement issued on Wednesday reads.Described as a national hub where “biological insight meets AI innovation”, the centre will be based at NCBS and will work closely with ICTS to bridge the worlds of data science and life sciences. It will also engage with students, early-career researchers, and academic collaborators to promote interdisciplinary learning and problem-solving.Beyond research, CALIBRE will provide education and training to help Indian scientists use AI effectively in biological work. The centre will also create Chair Professorships and Research Travel Fellowships to support young researchers.By combining the computational expertise of ICTS with the biological strengths of NCBS, CALIBRE seeks to place India at the forefront of AI-driven biological research — an effort that links fundamental discovery with practical applications across health, agriculture, and environment.Reed India Consulting founder Vishal Gupta, whose contribution helped establish the centre, said, “Biology for AI and AI for Biology — two frontiers converging, powered by India’s brightest minds at CALIBRE.” According to NCBS Director Professor LS Shashidhara, the initiative will allow Indian researchers to use AI in both basic and translational research. “As NCBS researchers work across scales of biology — from molecules to forest ecosystems — our work will also help test and evaluate the power and limits of various AI tools. The outcome goes beyond accelerating our research to integrating AI in providing science-based solutions to health, agriculture and ecology,” he said.ICTS Director Professor Rajesh Gopakumar said the partnership would strengthen interdisciplinary research and allow theoretical insights to inform applied science. “This gift will help to jumpstart research at ICTS on quantitative biology, with topics ranging from neuroscience, active matter and biophysics to the mathematical study of ecological systems. ICTS’ deep strengths in the mathematical and theoretical sciences will help in the development of new AI techniques and tools with applications in biology as well as related areas of epidemiology and public health,” he said.
