New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) Accelerating the work in various spheres to combat COVID-19, institutes under the Department of Biotechnology are developing research resources such as indigenous animal models, pseudo-viruses, clinical immunological assays and antibodies, a statement said on Friday.

DBT's Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, has established a hamster infection model for evaluation of antivirals, therapeutics and vaccines, it said.

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The THSTI has also established panels of positive sera from symptomatic patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. These panels will find utility in validation of diagnostic kits.

“DBT institutes are developing research resources such as indigenous animal models, viral spike proteins, receptor binding domain peptides, pseudo-viruses, clinical immunological assays and antibodies for research for sharing with industry and academia,” the statement said.

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Similarly, DBT-ILS, Bhubaneshwar, has successfully established 17 in-vitro cultures of SARS-CoV-2 using vero cell lines, which is an important resource for anti-viral testing and validation of antiviral products.

A low-cost colorimetric PCR-based assay technology and an aptamer-based SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection technology developed by DBT-THSTI, were transferred to Genei and Molbio Diagnostics Pvt Limited. Similarly, in-house ELISA technology by the THSTI was also transferred to XCyton Diagnostics Limited.

THSTI has distributed over 2,500 sample aliquots in response to requests from industry, start-ups and academia, the statement added.

DBT's Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology also developed a low-cost viral transport medium and RNA extraction kit that is ready for commercial use.

“Biorepositories established at DBT-THSTI, Faridabad, DBT-RCB, Faridabad, DBT-ILS, Bhubaneshwar, DBT-InStem, Bengaluru, DBT-NCCS, Pune and DBT facility at ILBS New Delhi are fully functional. Sharing of Biospecimens accelerates COVID-19 related research towards development of kits, therapeutics and vaccines,” the statement added.

Separately, the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), a public sector undertaking under the Department for Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), has recommended 16 projects for funding in the area of testing, tracing and treatment of COVID-19 and the technologies selected for support are in the area of test kits, sanitizers, ventilators, PPEs, masks and COVID hospital effluent treatment.

Some of the institutions and companies selected are: IIT Delhi; Sahajanand Technologies Pvt Ltd Surat; IDEMI Mumbai; INM Indian Navy, Mumbai; Omix Research & Diagnostics Laboratories Bangalore; VBRI Innovation Pvt Ltd New Delhi; FFDC Kannauj; CIBART, New Delhi; Rudrani Hospitality Solutions Delhi; LN Inditech Services Pvt Ltd, Bhubhaneswar and few academic institutions and individual innovators.

The NRDC is a public sector undertaking under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad and Vehant Technologies have co-developed Ultraviolet Baggage Disinfection which can be used at airports, railway stations, the statement said.

The ARCI is an institute under the Department of Science and Technology, while Vehant Technologies is a private entity.

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