Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) is an autonomous institution of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. The institute was established on February 11, 1989, under the administrative and financial control of Department of Science and Technology, Government of Orissa. It was brought under the fold of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India in August 2002.

ILS is a premier research institute in the area of life sciences and has highly competent faculty scientists actively engaged in advanced research covering infectious disease biology, cancer biology, cell biology, gene function and regulation, structural biology, immunology and auto-immune diseases, plant immunity, plant biotechnology, microbial biotechnology, environmental biotechnology and translational research. It has state of the art infrastructural facilities, including sophisticated instruments, library, online journals, animal facility, green house, high bandwidth internet and computational facilities for cutting-edge multidisciplinary research in frontier areas of life science research.

Vision & Mission:

Institute of Life Sciences has a broad vision of carrying out high-quality multidisciplinary research in the area of life sciences. The goal is for overall development and betterment of human health, longevity, agriculture and environment.
The stated mission of the institution is to work towards upliftment of the human society and generate skilled human resources for future India. These are achieved by undertaking cutting-edge research using state-of-the-art technologies in the fields of vector borne diseases such as malaria and filaria, viral infections, cancer biology, allergy and auto-immune disorders, genetic disorders, and agricultural productivity.
ILS has core strength in four areas (a) Infectious Diseases, (b) Cancer Biology, (c) Genetic & Autoimmune Disorders and (d) Plant and Microbial Biotechnology. ILS uses in modern biology techniques to acquire insights at cellular and molecular levels in pathogen biology, immune-regulation and inflammation, cancer biology and plant biotechnology. It also focuses on generating Human Resources by creating trained scientific personnel in the area of modern biosciences and biotechnology research.

Objectives:

1. To conduct and promote basis and applied researches in the frontier areas of Life Sciences.
2. To foster interaction amongst Scientists of various disciplines and to encourage them to carryout research in areas that interface between physical and biological sciences.
3. To carry out inter-disciplinary research in collaboration with other Research Institutions, various Science Departments of Universities, Medical Colleges and Agriculture Colleges.
4. To provide expert advice to various agencies for the application of the new findings.
5. To organize Symposia, Workshops, Conferences and Summer Schools in frontier areas of Life Sciences for the advancement of knowledge.
6. To collaborate with teaching Institutions for raising the level of teaching and research in Life Sciences.
7. To conduct post-graduate course in biotechnology with specialization in medical biotechnology
8. To provide advanced training to post – M.Sc. students leading to Ph.D. degree.
9. To conduct refresher programmes.
10. To accept grants, scholarships, donations, subscriptions and endowments and administer the same in fulfillment of the objectives of the Institute.

Activities of ILS:

1. Research activities (area-wise) 

1. Parasite: Understanding molecular events of malaria parasite development, immunobiology of sepsis and Filariasis.
2. Bacteria: Mechanism of cell division in bacteria, Biofilm and its role in antibiotic resistance and bacterial pathogenesis, Microbial genomics of extremophiles.
3. Virus: Molecular virology and pathogenesis of Chikungunya and Chandipura virus, Understanding the virus and host mitochondria interaction events in HCV, DENV and HBV.
4. Immunology: T Cell Biology and immune responses, Immunogenomics and System Biology.
5. Cancer – Role of Tumour micro environment in prostate and pancreatic carcinomas, Chemoradio-resistance in Oral Squoamous Cell Carcinomas, Molecular characterization of oncogenes in leukemia, Epigenetics and Chromatin remodelling in Breast carcinomas, Developing novel nanotechnology delivery system for cancer therapeutics.
6. Plant: Development of novel plant promoters to produce therapeutically beneficial proteins using transgenic plants, Proteomics and abiotic stress tolerance and grain filling, Molecular biology of abiotic stress.
7. Cell biology: Chromatin modification and epigenetics in haematopoiesis, mechanisms by which autophagy accomplishes anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory functions. Genome instability of diseases and DNA polymerase.
8. Structural biology: Chromatin and infectious disease structural biology.
9. Clinical proteomics: Proteomic analysis of pathogen based disease and cancer.
10. Human Genetics: Identification of genes responsible for the inherited genetic disorders and complex traits.
11. Computational biology: Candidate gene prediction and novel drug designing, Structure function relationships.
12. Developmental Biology: Development of organs such as blood vessels and pronephros  using zebrafish

2. Ph.D. Programme

The scholars enrolled in Ph.D. program are registered under the DBT-Regional Centre of biotechnology, Faridabad, Govt. of India. In addition, the Institute allows scholars to register for Ph.D. programs at Utkal University, Manipal University, and KIIT University. ILS recruits scholars for its Ph.D. program twice a year.

3. Short-term Training and Master’s Thesis Dissertation Projects:
   

Candidates interested in perusing Short-term Training (1-3 months) or Master’s Thesis dissertation Projects (4-6 months) are encouraged to contract individual scientists based on the research interest and writing a formal email with a research proposal. The training program entails monthly charges to be paid by the student. Further, the Institute also encourages selected students from the IASc-INSA-NASI Summer Research Fellowship programme.

4. Science Outreach Programme

Science outreach is one of the major activities wherein the our scientific expertise is publicised to a wider community through programmes and activities such as talks, lab visits, hands on training and workshops, in-school presentations, and documentary demonstrations. Outreach involves (I) how a research-oriented national laboratory contributes to society, (II) makes us understand to take up scientific issues important for society. ILS has a dedicated science outreach building.

Enquiries: ILS is open for queries regarding various scientific activities as mandated in its objectives. Queries regarding scientific and administrative activities can be addressed to: director[at]ils[dot]res[dot]in ; Ph: 0674 – 2301900.

Grievance redressal: Email: director [at] ils [dot] res [dot] in, Ph: 0674-2301900

RTI: Mr. Amitav Routray,  In charge-PIO, Email: satya[at]ils[dot]res[dot]in, Ph: 0674-2304342

List of Stakeholders: