Generating new ideas at the forefront of science requires interdisciplinary brainstorming and collaboration between diverse experts. Multidisciplinary approaches are essential if we are to solve many of the scientific challenges faced by us today. Such approaches can be seeded through conversations between scientists belonging to different disciplines with convergent research interests.
To promote this systematically, we assemble groups of scientists with overlapping interests to form a collective known as SpARC, which connects knowledge silos and fosters new ideas at their intersection. Ignite believes that by bringing together the brightest minds and facilitating intense discussions, we can create new avenues for problem-solving that can be explored through targeted projects.
| SpARC meeting | Dates and Venue | Insights? |
|---|---|---|
| Redox Biology | IISER Pune, April 7-8, 2023 | It brought together a select group of about 25 scientists from diverse fields, all with a shared interest in Redox Systems and Mechanisms in Biological Systems. |
| Neurodegenerative Diseases | Hyatt, Hyderabad, July 28-29, 2023 | It brought together a select group of about 32 scientists, including clinicians, from diverse fields relevant to the study of Neurodegeneration - protein chemists, structural biologists, cell biologists, computational scientists, medicinal chemists and clinicians. |
| mRNA Vaccines and Therapeutics | IISc, Bengaluru, September 21, 2023 | It brought together a select group of about 30 scientists, including representatives from the biotechnology and pharma industries who were experts in diverse fields relevant to the development of mRNA vaccines- protein chemistry, vaccine structural biology, vaccine delivery and therapeutic approach, and enhancing vaccine efficiency. |
| Computational System Biology | IIT, Madras, July 12-13, 2024 | The meeting addressed some of the key topics in the field of Computational Systems Biology and threw up interesting discussions. Two proposals were funded through the discussion. |
| RNA Biology | IISc, Bengaluru, October 25-26, 2024 | The meeting addressed some of the key topics in the advancing biological research and therapeutic development in RNA technologies, which threw up interesting discussions. |
| Ignite-ITC Agriscience SpARC meeting | ITC Kohenur, Hyderabad, 27th- 29th April,2025 | The meeting focused on taking Indian agriculture from a high-risk to a more resilient, secure, and hopeful enterprise activity through a multi-faceted strategy of nurturing an ecosystem anchored on knowledge,science and research. |
| Spice Pharmacology Meeting | NCBS,Bengaluru, July 4th- 5th, 2025 | The meeting covered a broad range of topics spanning computational biology, taxonomy, natural product chemistry, nutraceuticals, and pharmacology. |