NEWS – India’s commitment to cutting-edge biomedical research and innovation took a significant leap forward with the dedication of the nation’s first Ferret Research Facility, the launch of the GARBH-INi-DRISHTI data repository, and the execution of a key technology transfer agreement.

FERRET RESEARCH FACILITY DEDICATION:

• Location: THSTI, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana.
• Significance:
  • India’s first Ferret Research Facility.
  • State-of-the-art, high biosafety standards.
  • Crucial resource for:
    • Vaccine development.
    • Therapeutic testing.
    • Research on emerging infectious diseases.
  • Boosts pandemic preparedness.
  • Positions India at the forefront of global research.

GARBH-INI-DRISHTI LAUNCH:

• Name: GARBH-INi-DRISHTI (DBT Data Repository and Information Sharing Hub).
• Developed under: GARBH-INi program.
• Content: Clinical data, images, and biospecimens.
• Source: Over 12,000 pregnant women, newborns, and postpartum mothers.
• Scale: One of South Asia’s largest maternal and child health databases.
• Purpose: Empowering researchers worldwide to improve maternal and neonatal health.
• Foundation: Collaborative efforts across leading Indian research institutions and hospitals.

Technology Transfer Agreement:

• Parties: THSTI and M/s Sundyota Numandis Probioceuticals Pvt. Ltd.
• Subject: Commercialization of Lactobacillus crispatus (genetically defined synthetic microbial consortium).
• Source: Isolated from reproductive tracts of women in the GARBH-INi cohort.
• Potential Applications: Nutraceutical, promoting health and well-being through microbiome-based interventions.

GARBH-INI PROGRAM

• It promotes Maternal and Child Health and develops prediction tools for preterm birth.
• It is an initiative under the Department of Biotechnology of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology as a collaborative interdisciplinary programme.
• This program is led by the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), NCR Biotech cluster, Faridabad.
• It is part of the Atal Jai Anusandhan Biotech Mission – Undertaking Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI).