Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is all set to carry out research on viruses that have the potential to cause epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19 in its hi-tech lab.
The Bio-safety Level-3 Lab, set up by the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Aakkulam, has got the approval of the Department of Biotechnology.
The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), an autonomous institute of the Union Government's Department of Biotechnology, said the approval will help the lab undertake research on COVID and avian influenza.
"Kerala's first comprehensive Bio-safety Level-3 Laboratory at RGCB here has been approved by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, to carry out research activities involving live infectious organisms classified as BSL-3 agents, such as SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and influenza," an official statement said on Friday.
The BSL-3 modular facility has been set up at RGCB's new campus located in Aakkulam. RGCB director professor Chandrabhas Narayana said the new BSL-3 Lab will foster collaborations across industry, academia, and clinical partners to develop novel drugs and vaccines against pathogens with 'regional relevance'.
"The laboratory will also serve as a core platform to undertake ground-breaking research on zoonotic infectious agents and pathogen adaptations towards future pandemic preparedness," he added.
(With PTI inputs)