Molecular Biology Laboratories-communicable and non-communicable(Officer In-charge: Prof. Ravi V)

Molecular Biology Laboratories-communicable and non-communicable(Officer In-charge: Prof. Ravi V)

The Molecular Biology labs (Communicable and Non-Communicable Disease labs) are being used routinely by students from various departments at NIMHANS namely Human Genetics, Molecular Genetics, Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Neuropathology, Neurochemistry, Neurovirology, Neurophysiology, Neuromicrobiology, etc either for performing Real Time PCR / Conventional PCR assays or for analysis of gels / blots on the chemiluminescence enabled Gel Documentation system. Two rooms in this facility are being used for Cell culture work by the Molecular Genetics Lab.

Ongoing research activities include : A comparative study of innate and Cell Mediated Immune Responses in Human Immunodeficiency virus infected individuals with and without Neurotuberculosis, studying the molecular aspects of the pandemic Influenza A 2009 (H1N1) virus with special reference to host immune factors, offering molecular diagnosis for Dengue and studying the epidemiology of Dengue virus and innate immune responses in Japanese Encephalitis.

The laboratory has one ongoing project. More than 35 students and researchers from Human Genetics, Molecular Genetics, Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Neuropathology, Neurochemistry, Neurovirology, Neurophysiology, Neuromicrobiology are currently using the lab facility.

Workshop on PCR Technology: A Hands-on Workshop on PCR Technology was organized in the Molecular Biology Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre (NRC), NIMHANS by Dr V. Ravi, Officer In-charge, and his departmental colleagues from 20th to 24th of January, 2014. Ten research scholars from various departments in NIMHANS were selected for this workshop. Lectures, practical demonstration, and hands-on training were imparted to all the participants on various conventional and real-time quantitative PCR techniques. All the participants were encouraged to use the Molecular Biology Laboratory at NRC, which is a central facility for all molecular biology related work for their projects/PhD work in future.

Student working with real Time PCR equipment