Pune: The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, has established a national facility for gene function in health and disease for scientific research on rats, mice, and rabbits.
Scientists would earlier import animal models from abroad which was both time-consuming and expensive.
The department of biotechnology funds the facility that will engage in breeding, genotyping, maintenance, and supply of laboratory animals to researchers. Union minister of education
Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the facility last week.
It is used by over 10 research groups from IISER, Pune and provides services to
TIFR
, ministry of Ayush, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and National Chemical Laboratory (NCL).
IISER, Pune officials said that the purpose was to study diseases and provide new knowledge on health and medicine.
Dean
of research and development at IISER, Pune,
Anjan Banerjee, said, “Humans cannot always be used for experimental investigations. Rats, mice, and rabbits are chosen for their physiological similarity to humans.”
The technological expertise includes sperm and embryo cryopreservation and in-vitro fertilisation, and stereotaxic surgery. The facility strictly adheres to animal ethics and adopts best practices in handling, he added.
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