Dear all,
As developmental biologists, we have all marveled at the embryo. We all know that observations are not the end of it. DevBio provides context to stories of gene regulation to cell biology to stem cells and to evolution – and to paraphrase Theodosius Dobzhansky, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of DevBio”. The InSDB meeting was a celebration of the great DevBio that you are all doing. But what next?
The InSDB community has been growing steadily over the years, and its vibrancy and dynamism are thanks to each one of you. As we move forward, the thoughts are on how to keep the momentum going. To help in this work, a new board was elected earlier this year, and they are available and accessible to each one of you if you have ideas on how to engage more. You can find them here. One way we are building a community of developmental biologists is by sharing the stories of InSDB members, their journeys, and their research through the InSDB blog. These stories highlight the incredible DevBio work that is being carried out in various parts of the world. We hope to inspire the next set of researchers by sharing them with you all.
We are also keen on making the latest research of our members accessible to the broader community and have also been actively engaging with institutes across India to expand the InSDB member pool. As we stride toward the 50th year of InSDB in 2029, we are planning to expand these activities into larger, more impactful, and engaging initiatives.
Our mission for the near future is anchored in four key pillars: engaging, encouraging, enriching, and enjoying developmental biology. We recognize that each of these sections is important in maintaining developmental potency and growing the community!
Engaging developmental biology:
How do we popularise developmental biology? We plan to establish DevBio nodes across India, rooted in research institutions with developmental biologists. These nodes will act as hubs for outreach. Through this, we primarily aim to reach the undergraduate and postgraduate populations – a place where developmental biology is not well-studied. InSDB and the research institutes can collaboratively organize talks, hands-on workshops, and in-person visits to the local colleges and universities to introduce students to DevBio.
Encouraging developmental biology:
We aim to create more opportunities for DevBio research and studies by developing internship programs for undergrads/postgrads who wish to expand their expertise in DevBio. Through this, we hope to expose students to this research early in their careers, and we believe that it will benefit them even if they leave DevBio. The InSDB website can also be used to connect students to the labs of InSDB members so that they can carry out their thesis research work in DevBio.
Enriching the Indian developmental biology community:
Networking and collaboration are key to scientific progress. With our biennial meetings, we aim to grow and strengthen the community. InSDB brings together researchers across different geographical regions and model organisms, like in the recent InSDB 2024 conference. We also plan to have smaller meetings and revive local developmental biology chapters.
Enjoying developmental biology:
InSDB celebrates its members and their achievements. With an active website and social media account, we aim to serve as a platform for all things DevBio. When you publish a paper, write articles, win awards, or defend your thesis, let us celebrate you. We are proud of the successes our members achieve. Our monthly newsletter is yet another roundup for you, our community to engage through.
Developmental biology is the most exciting discipline in biology. Its output is at the forefront of Biotech and pushes what humanity is capable of., and InSDB will work actively to continue to be a platform for all developmental biologists in India. As we continue to build and expand the community, we invite you to be a part of InSDB as well. If you are passionate about developmental biology, have ideas that InSDB can help you realize, and are eager to work with the community, we encourage you to get involved.
Warm regards,
Raj Ladher
President, InSDB
