GADVASU experts discuss need to develop animal vaccines

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 16

The School of Animal Biotechnology at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) successfully completed the ICAR-sponsored 21-day winter school on ‘Recent Approaches in Animal Disease Diagnostics and Vaccinology’.

Simrat Sagar Singh, Dean (Postgraduate Studies), Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), and Dr N S Sharma, Controller of Examination, were the chief guests.

Simrat Sagar Singh said the Indian Animal Husbandry sector made significant contribution to the agricultural GDP. The targeted growth rate for livestock sector is 6 per cent. is sector has potential to grow if livestock and poultry management was addressed properly, he said.

He revealed that presently, the domestic market for animal vaccines, mainly for controlling canine diseases, was only of Rs 180 crore as compared to Rs 1,600 crore for the human vaccines. The public investment in the research and development of vaccines for animals in India is meagre and there was a need for more research on the development of safe and potent new-generation cost-effective vaccines against important animal diseases. He congratulated the faculty for the excellent work being done for training on diagnostics and vaccinology.

NS Sharma said 26 scientists and faculty members from nine states of the country attended the winter school. The school provided hands-on training on various advanced molecular biology tools used in the disease diagnosis and vaccine development.

He said the School of Animal Biotechnology had earned several extra mural funded research projects from various funding agencies.

Dr Ramneek, Director of the winter school, said practical sessions were excellent opportunities for the participants to gain laboratory exposure of the basic and advanced molecular biological techniques which shall surely help to broaden their research aptitude. The knowledge gained in training could be applied by participants in enhancing animal health and productivity at their respective organisations through the intervention of these cutting-edge technologies.