The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Guwahati has inaugurated the Viral Disease Research & Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL), a cutting-edge facility funded by the Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India. This laboratory will play a crucial role in diagnostic and surveillance efforts in the region, with its official opening marking a significant achievement for the institution. The inauguration was officiated by Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Puranik, Executive Director of AIIMS Guwahati, alongside Prof. U.S.N. Murty, Director of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Guwahati, and was attended by various senior officials, faculty members, and technical staff.
During the inauguration, Prof. Puranik emphasized the strategic importance of the VRDL in facilitating early diagnosis, laboratory surveillance, outbreak readiness, and research concerning viral and emerging infectious diseases, particularly in the North-Eastern area of India. He expressed optimism that the laboratory would effectively accomplish its objectives as part of the DHR-VRDL network, thus enhancing public health preparedness. Following the ceremony, Prof. Puranik engaged with the faculty and technical staff, assessed laboratory operations, and committed to offering comprehensive institutional support to overcome any operational hurdles encountered by the lab in its service to patient care, research, and disease surveillance.
Prof. Murty of NIPER Guwahati commended the establishment of the VRDL and conveyed a readiness to collaborate with AIIMS Guwahati on projects in pharmacogenomics and translational research to promote beneficial academic and research connections. The VRDL is outfitted with sophisticated serology platforms, including ELISA, CLIA, multi-plate readers, and automated systems, alongside innovative molecular and genomic diagnostic technologies such as conventional and real-time PCR, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), and Oxford Nanopore sequencing systems. Plans for future enhancements and technological upgrades are in place, with the laboratory anticipated to significantly contribute to diagnostics, disease surveillance, outbreak investigations, research, and capacity building, while also providing essential laboratory support that facilitates timely clinical decisions.
