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Dr G C Mishra, director of NCCS told The Indian Express that they were checking out various sites in and around Pune and more than Rs seven crore will be given for setting up this facility. NCCS which functions as a national repository for cell lines or hybridomas is located in the midst of the University of Pune campus.
Dr M S Patole, scientist in-charge of the cell repository said they had a total of 300 cell lines which are supplied to universities, hospitals, institutions and industries for research purposes. “We receive, identify, maintain, store, grow and supply animal and human cells/cell cultures, tissues, organs and embryos. We even have cell lines developed by scientists from Brazil and other countries.’’
As part of the DBT’s drug discovery project, at least 1000 microbes will be sent every month to Nicholas Piramal Limited Research and Development for screening. A total of nine institutes in the country have been selected for collecting microbes which have properties that could be used for anti-diabetic or anti HIV drugs. After the NPIL Research and Development (NRDL) screens these microbes, the NCCS will have the responsibility to bank them in their repository.
The DBT’s project is basically about screening of bio molecules from microbial diversity to respond to the growing demand for new and more effective antibiotics. NRDL will be the industrial partner. Mishra pointed out that there is a demand for more effective antibiotics due to the increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics. This is the first project in the country where industry and academia will work together to screen such a large number of bacterial isolates.
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