Singapore: Japan's largest research organization, Riken has launched two virtual Joint Research Centers with India's premier institution the National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS), the Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

In a bid to facilitate scientific exchange and foster collaborations between Japan and India, in the fields of biology, life science and materials science, the collaboration aims at extending the long research history between both the countries.

Riken president, Professor Noyori Ryoji along with and Dr Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology and Dr Vijay Raghavan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India signed the Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) in New Delhi.

Officials have said that the RIKEN-JNCASR-IISc Joint Research Center will support collaboration and facilitate the exchange of research scientists and students working in the fields of materials science and life science research, between the three institutions.

The center will initially focus on supporting the exchange of research staff, postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students working in the areas of biological sciences between RIKEN and NCBS and its allied institutions the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inSTEM) and the Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (CCAMP).