COIMBATORE: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has identified the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) located inside the Coimbatore Medical College as a high throughput laboratory along with those in Tirunelveli Medical College and the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research.
Confirming the development, the Dean of Coimbatore Medical College (CMC) A Nirmala said that this identification enables the facility to receive more equipment from the apex medical research body.
“The VRDL has been selected based on its performance, quality, and accurate results,” the Dean added.
The Principal Investigator of VRDL N Mythily said, “Following a spike in fresh cases in Coimbatore a few weeks ago, we wrote to ICMR seeking Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machines. We were given three of them in the first week of June.”
The laboratory is also set to receive an automated RNA extraction from ICMR, Mythily added.
It is to be recalled that ICMR had chosen the VRDL in 2020 for quality control testing of nasal and throat samples from other labs.
Chosen in 2020
The laboratory is also set to receive an automated RNA extraction from ICMR. It is to be recalled that ICMR had chosen the VRDL in 2020 for quality control testing of nasal and throat samples from other labs