BHUBANESWAR: The Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar, an autonomous institute under the
Center's Department of Biotechnology, will set up a biorepository unit very soon for collection and storing of COVID-19 clinical samples.
The biorepository will be one among the 16 repositories to be established by the Centre in different parts of the country to support Covid research.
The repositories will be used for collecting, storing and maintaining clinical samples such as oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage, sputum, blood, urine and stool of Covid-19 patients for research and development 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 research and development efforts to innovate the much-needed interventions.
ILS-Bhubaneswar Director Dr Ajay Parida said, "Access to such samples will help to develop validated diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines for Covid-19."
Additionally, the samples will be a valuable resource for research and development related activities to understand the early predictors of disease severity and immunopathogenesis, he said.
Dr Parida said that a uniform Standard Operating Procedure will be worked out soon for collection, transportation and storage of the samples.
The institutes storing the samples have also been authorized to share the samples with academia, industry and commercial entities involved in development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.
However, ILS-Bhubaneswar officials said that 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 of Covid-l9 patients through the designated Covid hospitals.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare department Padipta Kumar Mohapatra said the State Government will extend all support to the initiative.