Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurates Asia’s first health research related “Pre-clinical Network facility” under Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated Asia’s first health research-related “Pre-clinical Network Facility” under the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) today at the Regional Centre of Biotechnology under the aegis of the “Translational Health Science & Technology Institute” (THSTI), Faridabad.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has selected BRIC-THSTI as a pre-clinical network laboratory based on its capability to handle BSL3 pathogens. It will be the 9th such network laboratory across the globe and the first such laboratory in the whole of Asia. The other labs are located in the USA, Europe and Australia. The experimental Animal Facility is one of the largest small animal facility in the country with a housing capacity of about 75,000 mice, including immune compromised mice and other species such as rat, rabbit, hamsters, guinea pigs etc.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space and MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh also inaugurated the “Genetically Defined Human Associated Microbial Culture Collection (Ge-HuMic) Facility” to act as a “repository” for providing microbial cultures to research institutes, universities, and industries for research and development. The facility will serve as a Nodal Resource Center that will foster national and international collaborations between academic institutions, hospitals and industry. It will also serve as a repository of genetically characterized specific pathogen-free animals (including cryopreserved embryos and sperm) for the use of researchers within the country.