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Indian-origin biotech entrepreneur Parmita Mishra’s breakthrough live-cell technology aims to replace decades-old “cell autopsies” with real-time biology, opening new possibilities for cancer research and precision medicine
New Delhi, 8th August, 2026 : Cancer remains one of India’s fastest-growing public health challenges, with millions of families affected every year. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), India reported an estimated 1.4 million new cancer cases in 2022, while the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) projects that the country’s cancer burden will continue to rise over the coming decade. Despite unprecedented advances in genomics, artificial intelligence and precision medicine, one fundamental limitation continues to slow drug discovery: scientists still rely heavily on studying cells after they have been chemically fixed or destroyed, providing only a static snapshot of an otherwise dynamic biological process.
Experts now believe that understanding how living cells behave in real time may become one of the next frontiers in biomedical research, particularly in oncology, where cancer cells continuously evolve, adapt and develop resistance to treatment.
Driving this scientific shift is Parmita Mishra, Founder and CEO of San Francisco-based biotech startup Precigenetics, who is developing a technology platform that enables researchers to observe living cells continuously without dyes, labels or destructive sample preparation. The approach combines advanced Raman spectroscopy, photonics, microfluidics and computational biology to generate real-time biochemical information from living cells—what the company describes as “live-cell cinema.”
Unlike conventional laboratory techniques that often require cells to be stained, fixed or broken apart before analysis, the platform seeks to monitor living biology continuously, allowing scientists to study cellular behavior over time rather than relying on isolated end-point measurements.
Parmita Mishra, Founder and CEO of Precigenetics said “Biology is constantly moving, yet for decades we have largely studied it through static snapshots. If we want to understand why cancer cells change, adapt or resist therapy, we need technologies that allow us to observe living biology continuously rather than after the fact. Our mission is to give researchers that capability.”
Cancer drug development remains one of the most difficult areas of pharmaceutical research. Industry studies have consistently shown that the vast majority of oncology drug candidates entering clinical development ultimately fail before reaching patients. Scientists increasingly attribute many failures to the inability of existing laboratory models to fully capture the complexity and dynamic behavior of living cells.
Dr. Shyam Aggarwal , Chairperson, Department of Medical Oncology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi said “Real-time observation technologies could help researchers better understand how cells respond to candidate drugs, monitor subtle biochemical changes earlier, and potentially identify promising therapies more efficiently during preclinical research. Understanding precision oncology with CGP comprehensive genome profiling and MRD minimal residual disease detection will help physicians improve targeted personised medicine for cancer patients. While such technologies are not themselves treatments, they may strengthen the scientific foundation on which future therapies are developed”
Parmita Mishra’s journey reflects a rare combination of scientific innovation and entrepreneurship. As a solo woman founder leading a deep-tech biotech company—a rarity in an industry traditionally dominated by larger research teams—she has quietly built several novel technologies. Beyond live-cell imaging, her team has developed a non-invasive sensor capable of detecting hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease as a by-product of its core research. Although the company has not pursued commercialization of that technology, it demonstrates the broader potential of its platform.
The company has also engineered a microfluidic “organoid-on-chip” system designed to sustain living cells in a controlled environment over extended periods. Developed in collaboration with photonics engineers, the technology has resulted in a provisional patent application and represents another step toward creating more realistic laboratory models for biomedical research.
Parmita Mishra further added “We are not trying to replace scientists or physicians—we are trying to give them a better window into living biology,” “When researchers can continuously measure how cells behave instead of relying on biological ‘autopsies,’ they may uncover insights that were previously impossible to observe. That has implications far beyond cancer, extending into immunology, neuroscience, rare diseases and regenerative medicine. “For decades, we’ve been studying life after it has stopped.The future of biomedical research lies in understanding life while it is still unfolding.”
Experts believe that combining photonics, artificial intelligence and live-cell analytics could significantly strengthen the country’s contribution to next-generation biomedical research.
Dr Rahul Bhargava, Principal Director of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute,Gurugram said “Cancer is an extraordinarily dynamic disease, and researchers around the world are exploring technologies that can better capture how living cells change over time. Innovations that enable continuous, non-invasive observation of cellular behavior could become valuable research tools for improving disease models and accelerating drug discovery. While clinical validation remains essential, this represents an exciting direction for biomedical science.”
As healthcare increasingly embraces precision medicine and AI-assisted drug development, platforms capable of generating richer, real-time biological data may help shape the next generation of biomedical innovation.
