Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics

Center for DNA Fingerprinting & Diagnostics
Established 1990
Type Autonomous
Location Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Campus Urban, Nampally
Website cdfd.org.in

The Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) is an Indian Biotechnology research center, located in Hyderabad, India, operated by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

CDFD is Sun Microsystems Center of Excellence in Medical Bio-informatics, supported with a strong bioinformatics facility, and is the India node of the EMBnet.[1] In addition, DNA fingerprinting and diagnostics services provided by the centre support some of the activities.[2][3][4] The center utilizes the Combined DNA Index System for DNA profile Matching. The CDFD and the U.S. FBI had signed an MoU early this year for the acquisition of CODIS.[5]

CDFD receives funding from other agencies like the Wellcome Trust on specific collaborative projects.[6] The Centre is recognized by the University of Hyderabad and Manipal University for pursuing doctor of philosophy in Life Sciences.[7] Research at CDFD has focused largely on molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens, structural genetics, molecular genetics, bioinformatics and computational biology.[8]

History

CDFD was conceptualized by then CCMB director Prof. Lalji Singh. It evolved into its current form of a modern institution encompassing both basic and applied research in diverse areas of modern biology under its founder director, Professor Seyed E. Hasnain (former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad), who pursued this aim aggressively during his tenure from 1999 to 2005. The centre is equipped with instrumentation and computing infrastructure to facilitate working in frontier areas of research in Life Sciences. There are twenty two groups working on diverse research areas and the centre continues to attract leaders in related disciplines.[9] Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology

Campus

CDFD started its operations at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research organisation, and was housed in an interim building in Nacharam from early 1999 to December 2008.[10] In 2009, it was moved to a sprawling new building in Gandipet locality at the outskirts of Hyderabad. But, due to some of the governmental objections pertaining to the proximity of the new campus to Osman Sagar lake, any of the wet-lab work was not allowed. As a result, the building raised at Gandipet was completely vacated by CDFD in early 2009[11]

A new laboratory complex was refurbished at Nampally, Hyderabad. The interim complex consists of two separate blocks situated about one kilometer apart within Nampally and houses a temporary hostel building also. The diagnostic screening at CDFD is operated from the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS). The Animal house facility is operated from Vimta Laboratories, at Genome Valley. Currently, CDFD is actively working towards making permanent campus at Survey of India land at Uppal (5 km from CCMB) in Hyderabad.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Hindu : Decks cleared for Sun Micro centre at CDFD". Hinduonnet.com. 2004-02-12. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  2. ↑ "CDFD helps identify U'khand copter crash victims - The Times of India". The Times Of India. 2013-07-02.
  3. ↑ "States / Andhra Pradesh : CDFD gets samples of Tiwari, two others". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2012-06-02. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  4. ↑ "Air crash: CDFD to conduct DNA tests". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2010-05-24.
  5. ↑ http://gadgets.ndtv.com/science/news/cdfd-to-use-fbis-codis-software-for-dna-profile-matching-547689
  6. ↑ "DBT alliance". Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  7. ↑ "Academics" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  8. ↑ Bashyam MD, Chaudhary AK, Manjari S, Nagarajaram HA, Devi AR, Bashyam L, Reddy EC, Dalal A. Molecular genetic analysis of MSUD from India reveals mutations causing altered protein truncation affecting the C-termini of E1α and E1β. J Cell Biochem. 2012 May 16.
  9. ↑ "CDFD - On an innovation drive - Institutions - Express Pharma Pulse". Expresspharmaonline.com. 2002-11-21. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  10. ↑ "Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : CDFD may be shifted to IISM premises". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2010-09-04. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  11. ↑ TNN Jun 18, 2011, 12.34am IST (2011-06-18). "CDFD campus to come up at Survey of India premises". The Times of India. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  12. ↑ http://www.cdfd.org.in/images/AR_2012_13.pdf

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics.