Vision

Self-reliant, fully prepared and competent nation to meet all natural and man-made threats due to highly pathogenic viruses

Mission

Providing reliable diagnosis, effective prophylactics, vaccines and other strategies for prevention and control of viral diseases by creating centers of scientific excellence, safe workplace and risk-free environment.

Mandate

Establishment of containment laboratories to facilitate study, storage and safe handling of highly infectious viruses

• To create centers of excellence for study of high-risk and novel viruses.

• Establishing National Virus Repository and Serum bank

• Providing teaching and training programs on bio-safety and bio-containment.

• To establish rapid response team to investigate epidemics of viral origin.

History

During seventies, following scientific debate, strong feeling was generated in developed Countries that studies on microbial agents particularly viruses needed much better facilities, more care and caution to avoid health hazard to the laboratory personnel as well as to the population in general. Newer diseases caused by unknown as well as known pathogens were emerging and re-emerging in different places and geographical areas. Due to these concerns, in 1978, the Department of Science and technology (Government of India) suggested creation of containment laboratories under ICMR. The council decided that this facility should be developed as independent national facility under National Institute of Virology, Pune. The Planning Commission sanctioned small amount of token money for setting up of such a laboratory. NIV acquired about 27 acres of land in on the outskirts of the city at Pashan, Pune. Road and compound wall were constructed. Water, electricity was obtained from far off places. It took serious effort and considerable time to develop the land.

As there was no expertise in the country to set up containment laboratory, two scientists of NIV visited some of the existing high security laboratories in Britain and USA . With the help of other experts in the country a plan for creation of such a laboratory was developed. An Expert Committee was constituted to guide and advise on establishment of Microbial Containment Complex (high containment facility). The committee suggested phasing out of construction activity. In first phase, it was planned to create the facilities that did not require advanced expertise and competence to erect them.

Core Competencies and Expertise

Field of core                       Scientific                 Technicians Competencies /
expertise **                        No. Av. Age             No.        Av. Age

BSL-2 facility                       1             48             8              35

BSL-3 facility                       1             50             6              40

** The scientist of NIV largely utilizes the facility.

Infrastructure Base

i. High containment Facility is developed as a National Infrastructure to handle high-risk microoraganisms.

ii. Specialized facilities / equipment that rank among the best five in India

Basic Laboratory Building :

This is a big and elegant building (area about 7500 sq m) having ground plus 2 floors. Annexed to this building are library hall, conference room, and infected animal holding block. Several BSL-2 labs have been created n this building.

High Containment Laboratory:

NIV/MCC scientists prepared concept and design of the laboratory. The laboratory consists of molecular biology, serology, tissue culture, entomology, material staging, and animal holding rooms. Other special features of the laboratory are as follows:

•Cadaver storage facility

•Eco-friendly monkey-runs

•Conference & meeting halls

•Incinerator attached to BSL-3 facility

•Eco-friendly garbage disposal system (vermiculture-pits)

•Guest house

•Staff quarters

•Support BSL-2 laboratory

•Novelty/ Innovative

The High Containment Bio-Safety laboratory is a state-of-art biosafety Level 3+ laboratory. It has been planned and designed as per guidelines of Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta , USA and WHO, Geneva . Here scientists will be able to go one step further to explore the domain of the unknown viruses such as SARS, Nipah, Hantaan that have been flirting in India causing national havoc. MCC will also serve as a National Virus Repository, where viruses are archived for further research.

•Brief Highlights of the High Containment Laboratory

High containment (BSL-3) laboratory facility of MCC is a separate building. The specialty of this containment facility is that it is planned and designed to handle majority of infectious work in primary barriers (biosafety cabinets class-II type B-II and class III isolators). To provide high security to laboratory, proximity cards and codes restrict entry

Level of development

This laboratory is designed and provided for work with those organisms that present a high risk to laboratory personnel and to the community. All the laboratory personnel are to be specially trained in handling pathogens and potentially lethal agents and are to be supervised by competent scientists who are experienced in working with these agents. All procedures involving manipulation of infectious agents are conducted within biological safety cabinets or other physical containment devices or by wearing of appropriate personal protective clothing or devices. The laboratory is equipped with specific design features and follows special practices.

National standards setting & formation

A BSL-3 facility expands the capability of researchers to conduct research on potential viral agents that do not currently have vaccines or therapies. Stringent safeguards are kept to avoid escape of pathogens to the environment. In addition facilities are designed to prevent physical contact between pathogens and lab personnel inside the workspace. People working in laboratory wear special protective suits with filtered air supply and work within airtight cabinetry.

The networking of the BSL-3 laboratory and the Electron Microscopy facility provides MCC unparalleled platforms – the likes of which are seen at CDC in the U.S.A and puts it on the global map. Recently, The President of India, Dr . A. P. J. Kalam has 14.inaugurated this laboratory and said in his message that “It is indeed a technological marvel”.

•Specialized development

ICMR has its mandate to discover therapies, vaccines and rapid diagnostic tools against viruses and other agents to protect the citizens of India . Emergency response to Natural occurrence (Zoonotic, Exotic etc.), Bio-terrorism & Biological Warfare (tactical and god forbid strategic) requires in addition to the hospital/healthcare infrastructure the construction of regional hospitals and containment facilities. ICMR has formulated a plan of preparedness to deal with such emergencies. NIV/MCC is set to play a critical role in this endeavor. A rapid response would be mission critical since the citing of the index case and assessing the R-Zero would make a world of a difference in identifying the correct containment strategy.

Contribution to Enhancing The Valuge of Knowledge

The High Containment Bio-Safety laboratory is state-of-the-art biosafety Level – 3+ laboratories. It has been planned and designed as per Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta , USA , guidelines. This facility will enable the Indian scientists to deal with domain of the unknown viruses such as SARS, Nipah, Hantaan that have been flirting in India causing national havoc potential. MCC will also serve as a National Virus Repository, where viruses are archived for further research. This allows scientists to get closer to solving the complex puzzles that modern emerging viruses put forth.

Superiority / advantage over similar developments globally

India and neibouring countries are extremely prone to many emerging and reemerging infections due to developmental programs such as clearing of forests, new roads and highways, increasing air and rail travel, and unplanned urbanization.

Traditionally, we have been depending upon developed countries to provide specific diagnosis as they have the requisite labs and technologies. Critical High containment (BSL-3) laboratory will provide us ability to deal with such emergencies and reduce the dependence on developed nations. Thus development of facility where it is needed most is our advantage over other facility of similar type.

Database (including repositories) developed

The virus strains available are being characterized at molecular level and basic atabase is being generated. Such data is an asset to any country.

Services rendered in times of national calamities

During 2003, during global outbreak of SARC in the month of April and May, suspected SARC cases started appearing in this country. MCC was the only laboratory, which had facilities to handle such high-risk samples. This center played important role in safe processing samples for the diagnosis.

The facility provided critical input during an outbreak of Chandipura, which claimed life of over 150 children in A. P. and similar number in Maharashtra during 2003.

Outstanding Contributions of the Institute / Centre

•Biosafety Level-3 laboratory has been established to work with indigenous or exotic agents.

•Monkey run and biosafety 2 laboratories are built for proper upkeep of laboratory animals.

•Strong scientific and reagent program is taken up to provide timely diagnosis of pathogenic viruses involved in bioterrorism.

Highlights of Newer Initiatives Taken

National virus repositories, molecular diagnostic facilities like Microarray, are being established. Reagents and vaccine development for neglected but important disease are being taken-up on priority.