Cresset, innovative provider of computational chemistry software and services, is pleased to announce that the Centre for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics (CCBT) at The Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), a state-of-the-art research institute in Bangalore, India, has taken a three year license for use of Cresset’s Forge and Spark software tools for lead optimization and identification.

The CCBT, which is directed by Prof. Ashok Venkitaraman (University of Cambridge) in an international collaboration between Cambridge and inStem, seeks to pioneer new approaches for chemical biology and therapeutics through the development of new methods for small-molecule drug discovery. Cresset and Forge will be used in the new computational chemistry group in the CCBT.

Dr. Kavitha Bharatham, who leads the computational chemistry team in CCBT, says “Having used Cresset’s software in my previous role, I am very keen to apply it to our work at CCBT.  My experience with Forge and Spark makes me confident that they will be valuable tools for our research.  The support I have received from Cresset staff has been excellent, and I am very pleased to introduce their computational tools to CCBT for our lead optimization and identification projects. I am confident that we will achieve our goals.” Prof. Ashok Venkitaraman, who directs the CCBT, adds, “The CCBT aims to pioneer innovative new approaches for using chemical tools to understand the biology of human diseases like cancer, and to develop new avenues for therapy. I am pleased that we will be licensing Cresset’s software for our work.”

“We are delighted that the CCBT at inStem has chosen to work with Spark and Forge,” says Dr David Bardsley, Cresset’s Commercial Director. “Spark will enable them to generate novel and diverse structures and to use reagent databases to inform synthetic decisions. Forge gives the CCBT control and insight into their activity data enabling them to plan the direction of their project with confidence.”

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