Abhijit Poddar is an Associate Professor at the Mahatma Gandhi Medical Advanced Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth University, and Co-Founder and Technical Director of Genentech Regulatory Solutions LLP. His work sits at the intersection of biotechnology and policy, governance, and regulatory science, with a focus on translating technical advances into practical compliance frameworks and on fostering international cooperation around shared priorities.

Dr. Poddar previously served as a Scientist at the Biosafety Support Unit of India’s biosafety governance framework, where he contributed to national guidelines, risk assessment, biosafety policy, and regulatory implementation. He also worked as a Specialist at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), supporting policy analysis in the science and technology domains.

Bridging academia, government, and industry, he brings a comprehensive perspective on aligning scientific innovation with regulatory requirements, particularly in genetic technologies and international standards. His experience positions him to contribute to global efforts to harmonize sequence- screening policies and practices, enable responsible innovation, and strengthen biosecurity governance frameworks.

Like all emerging technologies, nucleic acid synthesis has dual-use potential, making sequence screening vital for responsible innovation. This requires an informed ecosystem with regulatory coherence and streamlined processes across jurisdictions. By adopting international standards locally, fragmentation is reduced, compliance is strengthened, and safeguards are responsibly implemented, positioning science as a tool for global good.