BHUBANESWAR: The Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar, an autonomous institute under Center’s Department of Biotechnology, will establish a biorepository unit here for collection and storing of Covid-19 clinical samples.
The unit will be one of the 16 repositories to be established by the Centre in different parts of the country to improve Covid research.
The facility will be used for collecting, storing and maintaining samples such as oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage, sputum, blood, urine and stool of Covid-19 patients for research and development (R&D) purpose.
While the current focus of fight against coronavirus has been on early diagnosis and containment of infection, sources said emphasis is being given on R&D efforts to innovate the much-needed interventions. ILS Bhubaneswar Director Ajay Parida said, “Access to such samples will help in developing validated diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines for Covid-19. ”
Additionally, the samples will be a valuable resource for R&D related activities to understand the early predictors of disease severity and immunopathogenesis, he added.
Dr Parida said a uniform standard operating procedure will be prepared soon for collection, transportation and storage of the samples.
The institutes storing the samples have also been authorised to share the samples with academia, industry and commercial entities involved in development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.
However, ILS Bhubaneswar officials said this can be only done after complete verification of the purpose of the request and its benefit to the country.
The purpose of sharing clinical specimens by each biorepository and their intended use will be examined by the National Oversight Committee as well as the Institutional Human Ethics Committee.
The ILS Bhubaneswar has been involved in screening of samples for Covid-19 since April 2020 and has conducted nearly 25,000 tests so far. Meanwhile, ICMR Director General Dr Balaram Bhargav has requested Odisha and other states to provide the biorepositories with access to clinical samples through the designated COVID hospitals.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health Padipta Mohapatra said the State Government will extend all support to this initiative.