BENGALURU: IT/BT and Science and Technology Minister C N Ashwath Narayan laid the foundation stone for the Anti-Venom Research and Development Centre (AVRDC), which is a collaborative effort between the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Karnataka Innovative & Technological Society (KITS) and Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB).
The minister said the centre, which will be fully functional in the next five years, will help prevent deaths caused by snakebite, especially to farmers. “India is considered the global capital for snakebites, causing 58,000 deaths and 137,000 disabilities annually. One of the major limitations of pursuing snake venom research in India is the lack of access to venoms. Owing to this, a vast knowledge gap exists in the field of snake venom research in the country,” he said on Monday.
The centre, the first of its kind in India, is to be built at a proposed cost of Rs 7 crore, and will house a serpentarium with an estimated 500 species of snakes and other venomous animals, including scorpions and spiders. “It will also house a research facility and incubation centre for startups interested in pursuing biodiscovery research on venoms. AVRDC will also foster the development of better therapeutics to reduce snakebite fatalities,” the minister said.
“The objective of the centre is also to pursue research towards the development of a broadly efficacious next-generation anti-venom therapy. The centre will also assist commercial Indian anti-venom manufacturers in efficacy testing of venom and anti-venom products, as well as in advancing the effectiveness of conventional anti-venoms,” said Dr Karthik Sunagar, who will be heading the centre.
The centre, in addition to research and development, will work alongside the State Forest Department to spread awareness on snakebites to locals as well as help in wildlife forensic research.