IPLASS is an international scientific organization which is open to scientists who are working in, or who have previously worked in the field of placenta-derived stem cells. IPLASS was established in 2009 by a group of fourteen scientists representing nine different Countries (USA, China, Australia, India, Italy, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland), with the purpose of becoming a worldwide networking platform for research into placenta-derived stem cells. The main objective of IPLASS is to promote research on all aspects related to knowledge, experimentation and clinical use of placenta-derived stem cells.To this end, IPLASS aims to create a network between the groups which are scattered all over the world who work on stem cells derived from placenta, and to bridge this placenta network with other existing networks focused on stem cell biology or therapeutic applications.​Additionally, IPLASS provides benefits and functions which are not provided by any other placenta-derived science societies operating at a national or regional level, including organization of a bi-annual meeting, maintenance of an informative web site and the promotion of a staff mobility action

The COMETA project is an institutional Life Science infrastructure initiative funded by the Italian Ministry of Health under the Piano di Sviluppo e Coesione – Salute (Trajectory 4: Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Pharmaceutical Development). Coordinated by the IRCCS Istituto G. Gaslini in Genoa in partnership with a multidisciplinary consortium of universities (University of Genoa and University of Cagliari) and medical centers (Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Cagliari, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale di Alta Specialità S. Giuseppe Moscati) and the research center CRS4 (Centro Ricerca, Sviluppo e Studi Superiori in Sardegna).
COMETA’s primary objective is to build a collaborative network of specialized laboratories capable of providing end-to-end basic, translational, and clinical services to accelerate advanced drug discovery. Strategically, the project focuses on the convergence of computational modeling, genomics, artificial intelligence, microfluidics, and micro/nanotechnologies. By leveraging these cross-disciplinary tools to develop advanced in vitro and computational biological models, COMETA aims to design, test, and scale highly targeted, personalized therapeutic treatments optimized for individual patient profiles.