Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh inaugurated the nation’s first ‘Animal Stem Cell Biobank’, a state-of-the-art facility that will store and preserve high-quality stem cells from various animal species, at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), a premier institute under the Department of Biotechnology’s Biotechnology Research Innovation Council (BRIC), in the city on Saturday.
The Minister also unveiled a set of five breakthrough technologies developed by NIAB for protecting animal health and safeguarding farmer livelihoods like BruDIVA – diagnostic test that distinguishes between animals infected with brucellosis and those vaccinated to track and control the disease more effectively.
Udder Care: An affordable, field-friendly kit for early detection of mastitis, a common udder infection in dairy cattle which reduces milk production and quality.
CureCheck: A portable device for rapid antibiotic sensitivity testing in livestock infections such as mastitis providing results in under two hours.
Toxo Antibody Rapid Test:A simple, on-the-spot test for detecting toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease affecting both humans and animals causing abortions and stillbirths in livestock.
RapiChex JE NS1 Test: A rapid, point-of-care diagnostic kit for Japanese Encephalitis, a mosquito-borne viral disease affecting humans and animals.
Dr. Singh praised the NIAB research team and said that field-ready and affordable innovations will play a crucial role in improving animal health, increasing livestock productivity, and securing farmers’ livelihoods. Besides, such advances also strengthen India’s ability to combat zoonotic diseases, illnesses that spread from animals to humans and account for nearly two-thirds of new and emerging diseases globally, including COVID-19.
Director General of BRIC and DBT secretary Rajesh S. Gokhale noted that knowledge-driven livestock production and the sustainable use of livestock as a biological resource form a key pillar of India’s growing bioeconomy. He commended NIAB director Dr. G. Taru Sharma for steering farmer-focused innovations that bridge cutting-edge science with field-level impact.
The Animal Stem Cell Biobank, developed in partnership with HiMedia Laboratories, will provide quality-controlled animal stem cells and indigenous, cost-effective cell culture media to veterinary clinics, research institutions, hospitals, and industry, he said.
He also laid the foundation stone for a new hostel and residential block on the institute’s campus to support its growing scientific community, said a press release.
Published – August 09, 2025 09:00 pm IST
