Academy

Blood safety: molecular immunohematology & rare donor program

Ankit Mathur

Additional Medical Director, India

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The ISBT Academy Day, Bangalore was organized on 25th July 2026 by Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre BMST, at Welcomhotel by ITC, Bangalore. The theme was "Blood Safety: Molecular Immunohematology & Rare Donor Program" and was supported by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT).

Vered Yahalom delivered a talk on Rare Donor Program: Israel experience & ISBT initiatives

The chief objectives of the Academy Day were to strengthen Immunohematology (IH) Reference Laboratory practices - especially advanced serology and molecular diagnostics, to share global best practices in Rare Donor Programs with International experts and to discuss strategies to strengthen India's Rare Donor network with special focus on improving collaboration among clinicians, transfusion medicine specialists, researchers and laboratory professionals. It was designed to provide an excellent platform for scientific exchange, professional networking, and collaborative discussions aimed at improving blood transfusion practices with stress on newer advances in immunohematology (i.e., molecular diagnostics and Rare Donor registries).

Satyam Arora: Talking on Complex IH cases: Indian experience

Ankit Mathur, Additional Medical Director, started the program with the highlights of the day & the partnership with ISBT. He introduced both international speakers who represent ISBT Working Parties Immunohematology & Rare Donors, and informed the audience about the academic work done by both WPs. Mathur underscored the growing importance of molecular immunohematology and robust rare donor programs in addressing complex transfusion challenges and expressed his gratitude to the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT), distinguished faculty and delegates for their valuable contributions and attendance.

Welcoming the delegates, Latha Jagannathan, Medical Director, Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre, highlighted the origins of the Institute and their commitment to ensuring safe and equitable blood transfusion services through excellence in diagnostics, research, and patient care.

Sue Johnson presenting an algorithm of testing at IH Reference lab: Serology to genotyping

The morning scientific session covered several important topics in immunohematology.

  • Sue Johnson, in her talk on “Molecular Testing in Complex Antibody Cases” presented cases with multiple red cell alloantibodies and demonstrated how molecular testing complements conventional serology in resolving complex compatibility issues.
  • Vered Yahalom discussed practical algorithms for investigating antibodies against high-prevalence antigens and shared international experiences from advanced immunohematology laboratories in her talk on “Practical Approach and algorithm in cases of High Prevalence Antigens”.
  • Satyam Arora and Soumee Banerjee highlighted the Indian experience of the same by presenting challenging complex Indian immunohematology cases, moving into the role of molecular techniques in identifying antibodies against high-prevalence antigens and presenting the details of the rare donor registry at Rotary-TTK Blood Centre, respectively.
  • The final few complex Indian immunohematological cases were presented by Poonam Srivastava and Ambuja K.

The afternoon scientific program focused on practical implementation of the technologies discussed previously and future directions.

  • Sue Johnson explained the workflow from traditional serology to molecular genotyping and emphasized the need for standardized testing protocols for Immunohematology Reference Laboratories.
  • Vered Yahalom shared Israel's experience in establishing successful Rare Donor Programs and highlighted ISBT initiatives that facilitate international collaboration in locating compatible blood for patients with rare blood groups.
  • One of the most engaging sessions of the conference was "Coffee with Compatibility," where participants discussed 6 complex immunohematology cases in a quiz format using an interactive mobile application. This innovative learning format encouraged audience participation and collaborative problem-solving. It was conducted by Vijay Anand and Ashwin Vaidya.
  • In keeping with the themes of blood safety, Ankit Mathur presented Rotary-TTK's experience in implementing Blood Safety and Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) programs, highlighting quality initiatives and technological advancements adopted by the center.
  • The day concluded with a panel discussion on "IH Reference Laboratories & Rare Donor Program in India: Path Forward", moderated by Latha, which brought together distinguished experts who discussed: Expanding molecular immunohematology services with a focus on strengthening rare donor registries and enhancing collaboration between blood centres to build a future roadmap for India, inspired by the insights shared by Vered and Sue.

Latha Jagannthan moderating the Panel Discussion on Developing a Rare Donor Program in India

All sessions were moderated by stalwarts in the field including R.R. Sharma (Secretary of the Indian Society Of Transfusion Medicine), Shamee Shastry, Abhisekh B, Shubhasish and Sitalakshmi.

Efforts were made to make the sessions as interactive as possible, with time for questions from the audience after each talk. Active and extensive participation was particularly noted during the interactive quiz session.

The Academy Day concluded with a valedictory session acknowledging the contributions of the distinguished faculty, chairpersons, organizing committee, sponsors, and delegates. Appreciation was expressed to the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) and all participants for making the event a successful scientific forum.

There were total 157 participants across India, most of them were physicians and some were lab technologists.

The Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre BMST–ISBT Academy Day 2026 successfully showcased the latest developments in molecular immunohematology and blood safety while strengthening collaboration and exchange of information between national and international experts. The event reaffirmed BMST's commitment to advancing education, research, innovation, and patient safety through continued scientific engagement and international collaboration. We believe it is a first step towards establishment of a National Rare Donor Registry in India.

Faculty members of ISBT Academy Day Bangalore on July 25, 2026

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