INTERACT WITH VC 
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, CUKerala joins hand with the community and the health authority to fight against COVID-19
CoVID

      COVID-19 pandemic is entering into the year 2021 as a looming public health threat. Slowly, the human population is getting adjusted to live with the situation by careful approach following the COVID-19 preventive protocol, which has been shaped us during the year 2020. For any viral outbreak, the early diagnosis and implementing the preventive measures becomes the ‘mantra’ to contain the spread of disease into the community. COVID-19 disease caused by SARSCoV2 infection became a toughest viral disease in the human history, to tackle due to its rapid pandemic spread. The Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) based detection of genetic material of SARSCoV2 became the global technique for the detection of the early infection with more than 95% sensitivity, still it’s a gold standard for the diagnosis of SARSCoV2, even though several kind of alternative tool came into picture. Prof Karry Banks Mullis, American Biochemist and Nobel Laureate, who invented the revolutionary molecular biology tool “Polymerase Chain Reaction” in 1983, became a platform for the early detection of pandemic spread of deadly SARSCoV2 infection in human nasopharyngeal swab. It’s unfortunate that he could not witness the most significant benefit of his discovery for the human race during the pandemic spread of a deadly virus, as he had passed away four months before the outbreak of SARSCoV2.

      “RT-PCR testing for the SARSCoV2 infection in Kasaragod!”, an historically backward northernmost district of Kerala became a question in front of the health authorities of Govt of Kerala as well as public of the district. This demands a high end molecular biology lab with virus handling biosafety facility and above all highly skilled biochemist and molecular biologist. During Jan and Feb 2020, the district health authorities used to send samples to Pune or Alleppey virology lab and used to wait for weeks long to get the results, meanwhile, the virus was spreading every minute through mutual contact of the individuals. In this context, The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology under the leadership of Dr Rajendra Pilankatta, Head, an established scientist in the area of molecular virology of dengue viruses and adenoviral based gene delivery teamed up with the Dr VB Sameer Kumar, an established cancer biologist along with the senior research scholars Mr Ranjeet, Ms Lathika, Mr Prajit and Mr Vishnu and Mr Ratheesh as technical staff to initiate the RT-PCR based SARSCoV2 testing at CUK on 28 th Mar 2020. ICMR gave the approval for the same as per the recommendation of Hon Vice Chancellor, CUK and Dept. of Health, Govt of Kerala for conducting the test. CUK was the first university in India to set up the SARSCoV2 RT-PCR testing eventhough it is only a decade old university, thereby CUK became a model in the country by serving the community during the pandemic outbreak of deadly virus, SARSCoV2.

      The team got expanded later on by the joining of four alumni researchers, Dr Sharath Shankar, Dr. Lincy Edatt, Dr. Prabitha Mohan and Dr. Sruthi M V. Further strength to the team was contributed by the joining of senior PhD Scholars, Ms Rabina, Ms Aswathi, Mr Rajesh, Mr Manoj, Mr Ashuthosh, Ms Anjali and Central University technical staff Mr Rajesh. Also, the team was fortunate obtain great support from the District Collector, Dr Sajith Babu, District Programme Manager, Dr Raman, District Medical Officer, Dr Ramdas, District Surveillance Officer, Dr Manoj in terms of providing NHM staffs as Lab Technician and Data entry operator. Mr Abhijith, Mr Amaljith, Mr Amalraj, Mr Ashwin, Mr Prathap, Mr Sanal, Ms Arathi, Ms Aswathi, Ms Kshithi, Ms Neethu, Ms Roshna, Mr Krijith, Mr Maneesh Mr Roopesh, Mr Sufaid, Mr Suneesh, Mr Abdul Razak, Mr Jithin and Mr Simsar contributed their excellent services as Laboratory technical staffs. Similarly, Mr Rizwan, Mr Nikhil, Mr Sachin, Ms Arpitha, Ms Varsha and Ms Sukanya imparted significant contribution as DEO. Mr Rajagopal and his engineering wing gave constant support and help for developing and maintain lab facilities for conducting the COVID-19 RTPCR testing. Ambulance drivers Mr Praveen, Mr Vivekanandhan and Mr Sharath, Security staffs, electric staffs and cleaning staffs contributed a selfless services towards the same.

      CUK as well as the testing team was highly fortunate to have Prof H Venkateswarlu as Vice Chancellor during the peak COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala, which accelerated the activity of the lab significantly. The lab provided an unprecedented support to the entire community of Kasaragod District as well as entire Kerala state during the COVID-19 pandemic and the process is being continued. Presently, the lab has completed 68,000 number of tests. The northern most region of Kerala, Kasaragod suffers from serious lacunae of medical facilities. The services of COVID- 19 testing facility of CUK significantly decreased the time lag for obtaining the test results and hence augmented the quarantine procedure, which was instrumental in the controlling the spread of the disease in the locale.

      In line with the expertise available in the field of virology and molecular biology, BIRAC, DBT, Govt of India grant was also awarded in Collaboration with MagGenome Technologies Pvt. Ltd. to develop a less invasive diagnostic tool to detect the presence of SARS-COV2 in saliva of the patient instead more invasive throat and nasal swab.

      Currently, CUK is in the process of strengthening the existing COVID-19 RTPCR diagnostic laboratory by establishing a separate Virology lab within the campus by the support of National Health Mission and the Dept of Health, Govt of Kerala. The laboratory will cater the needs of the community by providing advanced molecular diagnosis for the emerging and re-emerging viral diseases apart from the ongoing COVID-19 diagnosis. In this regard, Hon’ble former Vice chancellor of CUK Prof (Dr.) H. Venkateshwarlu has met Hon’ble Minister for Health and Social Justice, Smt. K K Shailaja and the Revenue Minister, Sri E Chandrasekharan on 29th Sept 2020 and decided to accelerate the process especially based on the current situation of increased rate of SARSCOV2 infection. An MoU was executed earlier in this regard between CUK and the Dept of Health, Govt of Kerala.

      Molecular virology lab in the CUK campus will be a milestone in the development of Ksaragod District and aims to continue the service for the mankind beyond the geographical boundary.