CIIMS-ARC started working on waste water surveillance from year 2020. The major project going on is detection of SARS-CoV2 and other pathogenic microbes. Our surveillance can compliment clinical diagnostic surveillance by providing early signs of transmission to enable more active public health responses. At present CIIMS-ARC has been at the forefront of sewage surveillance and working with the INSACOG consortium for SARS-CoV2 study leveraging their expertise in surveying different pathogens especially COVID 19. To comprehensively monitor the presence of COVID-19 in the community, the dedicated CIIMS-ARC team has been meticulously collecting sewage water samples from recognized sewage treatment plants and open nullahs across the city regularly. The team adheres to a weekly sample collection regimen, ensuring a consistent and up-to-date analysis of the city’s wastewater. Over the past 1 year, CIIMS-ARC’s remarkable efforts have yielded mesmerizing results.

CIIMS-ARC in collaboration with Gou Vigyan Kendra, Deolapar will study the bioenhancing activity of Cow urine distillate, CUD when used along with TB drugs for TB infection. This project comes under Ministry of Ayush, Government of India and this three year study will be undertaken under funds sanctioned by it. Through the present project, scientist will investigate CUD as bioenhancer for increasing the efficacy of TB drug for treatment. This will be first study in India to do in depth investigation of bioenhancing activities of Cow urine against TB infection. The studies will be undertaken in in-vitro models to evaluate bioenhancing effects of CUD. The scientific data obtained from this project can be used as metadata for developing effective treatment of M. tuberculosis which will also enable to cure within short period of time. The study if successful will have direct implication in drastically reducing the dosage of antibiotics and drugs by increasing the efficiency & absorption of bio active molecule thereby reducing the cost, toxicity and time duration of treatment.

CIIMS-ARC in collaboration with the University Of Nottingham, United Kingdom has worked intensively on an epidemiological study reflecting the need of understanding the complications of Clostridium difficile infection in Urbanized and Rural population. The objective of the studies had been very clear to establish a regional centre for studying the incidences of Clostridiodes difficile- an antibiotic associated diarrhoea causing pathogen in Central India. To set this goal, CIIMS has installed an Anaerobic culturing facility- DG250 by Don Whitley, which is one of its kinds in Central India. It’s a closed gas chamber inhibiting the growth of aerobes and solely allowing the anaerobic bacteria’s to grow. In the scientific community, culturing is considered as a Gold standard and so with this high throughput instrument, identification and diagnosis of gut microbiome could now be done with ease. The lab has reviewed that the incidences of clostridium difficile is not much studied in the Asiatic countries as compared to the west, but with a pilot study under the same banner, CIIMS has found around 10-15% positivity of C.diff in the Indian population. The true prevalence of CDI in India still remains largely unknown, despite the widespread use of antimicrobials. To survey this, CIIMS has installed this facility in its Research Laboratory.

The Gut-Brain Axis (GBA) research project aims to investigate the intricate and bidirectional communication system between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system. This project seeks to comprehend the impact of this dynamic relationship on various aspects of human health, including neurological function, mental well-being, and overall systemic homeostasis. Understanding the Gut-Brain Axis has the potential to revolutionize approaches to mental health and neurological disorders. Findings from this research may pave the way for innovative treatments, including personalized microbiome-based interventions, contributing to advancements in the fields of neuroscience, gastroenterology.