IISc develops ICMR-approved mobile RT-PCR lab
Karnataka has launched the first-ever ICMR-approved RT-PCR Lab in the country and it has been developed by the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. It is known as Mobile Infection Testing and Reporting Lab (MITR), which is capable of testing 9000 samples in a month.
Highlights
The Medical Education Minister of the state has launched this unique lab with all the safety features and capable of producing 100% accurate results within four hours only. This lab has been handed over to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. This can also be utilized for molecular diagnostic testing. It is most likely to be deployed in the hotspot areas of the COVID 19 pandemic in the state. Along with COVID 19, this lab will also be helpful in testing H1N1, HCV, TB, HPV, HIV, etc.
What is RT-PCR?
Invented by Kary Mullis, this method involves the creation of a segment of DNA copies. The ‘chain reaction’ signifies how the DNA fragments are copies. Coronavirus is made of RNA and that is why, to detect this, RNA is converted into DNA using the method of reverse transcription. Copies of the DNA are then made and amplified.
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Month: Current Affairs - August, 2020