Union Minister Jitendra Singh Inaugurates Asia's 1st Pre-Clinical Network Facility in Faridabad

This makes it the 9th such laboratory worldwide and the first in Asia, with other labs located in the USA, Europe, and Australia.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated Asia's first health research-related "Pre-clinical Network Facility" under the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) at the Regional Centre of Biotechnology, Faridabad.

This facility is under the "Translational Health Science & Technology Institute" (THSTI). CEPI has chosen BRIC-THSTI as a pre-clinical network laboratory due to its capability to handle BSL3 pathogens.

This makes it the 9th such laboratory worldwide and the first in Asia, with other labs located in the USA, Europe, and Australia.

The Experimental Animal Facility at BRIC-THSTI is one of the largest small animal facilities in the country. It houses about 75,000 mice, including immune-compromised mice and other species such as rats, rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs.

Ge-HuMic Facility

Minister Singh also inaugurated the "Genetically Defined Human Associated Microbial Culture Collection (Ge-HuMic) Facility." This facility will act as a "repository," providing microbial cultures to research institutes, universities, and industries for research and development.

It will serve as a Nodal Resource Centre, fostering national and international collaborations between academic institutions, hospitals, and industry.

Additionally, it will maintain a repository of genetically characterized, specific pathogen-free animals, including cryopreserved embryos and sperm, for researchers across the country.

Role of Translational Health Science & Technology Institute (THSTI)

THSTI is an institute under the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

The institute has facilitated signing over a dozen agreements and MoUs with the private sector for vaccine development and research in diseases such as the Nipah virus and Influenza.

THSTI aims to support fundamental research, test drug and vaccine candidates, identify biomarkers of disease progression, and foster collaborations across disciplines and professions, connecting industry and academia.

Speaking at THSTI's 14th foundation Day, Dr Singh reflected on the institute's journey since its inception and acknowledged Dr M K Bhan's efforts in establishing the facility.

He praised the institute for its significant achievements over the past 14 years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted its importance and brought recognition to its efforts.

The Minister noted the Department of Biotechnology's relatively young age and commended its steady progress despite limited resources.

Minister Singh assured support for the Department of Biotechnology's needs, including office infrastructure, to ensure continued progress and success.

He highlighted the importance of THSTI's role in fostering innovative research and its potential to contribute significantly to global health research and development.