CIIMS has developed an advanced cell culture facility to support various in-house projects towards the validation of research hypothesis before in vivo experiment and to provide cell culture-based R & D support services to researchers & institutes in and around Nagpur.   

The facility is well equipped with various advanced instruments such as a Biosafety cabinet (make- Micro-Filt India, Model- Class Il Type B 2  with 100% exhaust ), CO2 incubator (Make Eppendorf, Model –Galaxy 170R), and inverted microscopes (mvtex India) and other facilities. Department has vast experience in handling different cell lines, under the various research project. This includes Hela (Cervical Cancer), MCF (Breast Cancer), U937 (Macrophagic), A549 (Alveolar macrophagic), KB (Oral Mouth Cancer), IMR-32 (Neuroblastoma), 3T3-L1 (Adipocytic) PC 12 cell line Jurkat cell line, THP1 cell line, U87MG cell line and BV2 cell line, HepG2, SH-SY-5Y, 3T3L-1, Neuro-2a, etc.

Cell culture department is presently explored for many activities like doctoral research activity, M.sc dissertation, Training programs and certificate course on cell culture, also provide ad-hoc Research services, consultancy services based on cell culture models.

CIIMS, Research center has developed molecular facilities such as conventional PCR, Nested PCR and real-time PCR which are implemented in routine diagnostic tests for detection of infectious diseases of the central nervous system caused by bacteria and viruses. These infectious diseases are tuberculosis meningitis, Chikungunya, viral encephalitis caused by Herpes simplex virus (HSV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein Barr virus (EBV), Varicella zoster virus (VZV), Dengue, Chandipura virus (CHPV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and West Nile virus (WNV). The research center is also working on the identification of meningitis caused by major eubacteria viz. Neisseria, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Micrococcus, Neisseria, Haemophilus, and Enterobacteriaceae family through nested PCR. We recently developed a conventional PCR technique for detecting zoonotic infections such as Brucellosis, Listeriosis and bovine TB, scrub typhus, and antibiotic-associated diarrhea causing infection due to Clostridium difficile and other diarrheal infections.

Proteomics is the study of the function of all expressed proteins. The study of the proteome, called proteomics, now evokes not only all the proteins in any given cell, but also the set of all protein isoforms and modifications, the interactions between them, the structural description of proteins and their higher-order complexes, and for that matter almost everything ‘post-genomic’.

In our institute, we have developed one dimensional and two dimensional protein electrophoresis for the identification of new biomarkers which has not only helped in better diagnosis of infectious diseases but has also helped in understanding the pathogenesis of various diseases like Tuberculosis Meningitis, Zoonotic diseases, Stroke, Viral infections, etc. We have also extended our work in the field of Ayurvedic sciences. We have also collaborated with Dr. Keshava Prasad, Institute of Bioinformatics, Mangalore for development of Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) assay for identification and quantitation of proteins in serum samples of human and livestock animals and Proteogenomics analysis demonstrating the utility of in-depth proteomic analysis in enabling improved annotation of the B. melitensis genome. Western blotting is also developed to confirm the biomarker specificity. Recently we have started proteomic work on Spotting and Characterization of biomarkers for covid-19 infection. We are also looking forward to targeting certain vector borne diseases in the near future. Lastly, the research lab has number of papers to its credit related to the field of proteomics.

The Microbiology department of research laboratory of CIIMS is well equipped with all the necessary facilities. We have an automated culture system BacT/Alert 3D Advanced by BioMerieux. This system is used for the routine confirmatory diagnosis of Tuberculosis, Bacterial Meningitis and other infectious diseases. We also have an anaerobic chamber for the culturing of anaerobic micro organisms like Clostridium.   

Along with this our lab also has a BSL unit, as this is required during culturing and decontamination of samples, as well as for safety during inoculation or culturing of pathogenic samples or medium. Various samples like CSF, sputum, pus, ascetic fluid, pleural fluid etc. are cultured on routine basis for diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To assist in the diagnosis we are also performing staining techniques like Gram staining and AFB staining. We have a culture bank of TB Positive samples isolated from clinical samples containing various body fluids which are being used for the research work in our labs.

Clinical immunology is the study of diseases caused by disorders of the immune system. The specificity of the bond between antibody and antigen has made the antibody an excellent tool for the detection of substances by a variety of diagnostic techniques.

In our institute, we have developed several immunological assays for the detection of antigens and antibodies against various bacterial diseases like Pulmonary and Extra Pulmonary TB; viral diseases like Chikungunya, Herpes Simplex virus Encephalitis, Cytomegalovirus Encephalitis, Epstein Barr virus Encephalitis, Varicella Zoster virus Encephalitis, Japanese virus encephalitis, Dengue virus, Chandipura virus and West Nile virus Encephalitis and Fungal diseases like Cryptococcal Antigen. Also developed a screening test for diagnosis of deadly infection i.e. Scrub Typhus. These all above mentioned tests are developed for routine diagnosis of bacterial, viral and fungal infections in various body fluids like Blood, CSF, Pleural, Sputum, Ascitic, Peritoneal, Synovial fluid etc. ELISA based 30 kD and Rv2623 biomarker can detect patients who have TB in the active and latent form or having exposure of TB. We have also developed Multiplex ELISA assay (targeting five M. tuberculosis biomarkers) for the diagnosis of TB cases. We have also developed ELISA based antigen and antibody detection using E2 envelope of glycoprotein peptides for diagnosis of Chikungunya. An immunological method has also been developed for the detection of antibodies against 8 neurotropic viruses in a single run using synthetic peptides of viral antigenic target proteins. We have also developed Immunological diagnostic tests of Listeriosis, Brucellosis and Zoonotic Tuberculosis; these are now available for diagnosis. Recently we have started Cytokine (IL6) analysis in Covid-19 positive patients; also we have started Covid-19 IgG/IgM analysis by Covid-19 Lateral flow test and Anti-SARS-Cov2 IgG antibody testing by ELISA for Serosurveillance.

Under Indo-UK collaborative project entitled ” C.difficile in urbanized and tribal communities in Central India: A molecular epidemiological study ” the Don Whitley’s DG 250 Anaerobic workstation was installed in our Institute. This will be the first anaerobic culturing technology installed in our Institute. Clostridium Difficile causes antibiotic associated diarrhoea in humans. If not diagnosed and treated on time, it can be proved to be fatal. Diagnosis of C.difficile is mostly available commercially but observed to give false negative results and a costly affair. Timely, accurate diagnosis of CDI is required for appropriate clinical management of patients.

Demonstration of organism by anaerobic C.difficile culture system in our advanced culture cabinet (Don Whitley’s DG 250 Anaerobic Chamber) can be used in routine diagnostic test and will be beneficial for medical fraternity for detection of anaerobic organisms.

Under several Biochemical techniques, our laboratory is working on Adenosine deaminase (ADA) assay. ADA is a protein that is produced by cells throughout the body and is associated with the activation of lymphocytes that plays a role in the immune response to infections. Conditions that trigger the immune system, such as an infection by tuberculosis (TB), may cause increased amounts of ADA to be produced in the areas where the bacteria are present. This test developed in our institute measures the amount of adenosine deaminase present in body fluid in order to help diagnose number of viral & bacterial infections of the body in various fluids like Blood, CSF, Pleural, Ascitic etc.

We are developing Lateral flow kit, a simple screening tool which is rapid, user-friendly, cost effective and have high sensitivity and specificity, and can be performed at a patient’s bedside-i.e  A point of care test (POCT). As it exhibited an outstanding capability for the detection of disease biomarkers owing to the fact that such techniques are fast, easy to perform, efficient, and cost effective, which will enable health practitioners to make faster clinical decisions so that appropriate treatment can be implemented. We develop a POCT by using colloidal gold conjugates for early and efficient detection.

The instrumentation facility at Central lab-I is a specialized area equipped with a diverse range of scientific instruments and tools for conducting experiments, measurements, and analyses. This facility plays a crucial role in supporting research and development across various disciplines. The brief description of the key aspects of instrumentation facilities: Lateral Flow development facility, Cooloing and Analytical centrifuge, PCR workstation, water bath.

A Central Laboratory-II lab instrumentation facility is a specialized area within a laboratory equipped with a variety of scientific instruments and tools designed to facilitate research, experimentation and analysis across different disciplines. The brief description of the key aspects of instrumentation facilities: 1D Electrophoresis system, Isoelectric focusing, Gel documentation system, ELISA Plate analyzer, Lyophilization system, Gel dryer, ELGA water purifier, Transilluminator, Water bath with thermostat, Deep freezer.