Govt approves setting up of bio-medical research facility

The government today approved the setting up of a first of its kind National Resource Facility for Bio-medical Research (NARF) for breeding animals required for research and development of various products.
A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, endorsed the proposal mooted by Department of Health Research under the Union Health Ministry.
The facility will be set up at Genome Valley in Hyderabad by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) at an estimated cost of Rs 338.58 crore. The resource centre is expected to be functional by 2018-19.
"The institution will be the first of its kind for quality laboratory animals for basic and applied biomedical research in the country.

"The facility will be developed as a world-class facility for breeding and housing of animals such as primates and transgenic and knockout rodents required for testing of various R&D products," an official statement said.
The facility will create, develop and provide access to a range of laboratory animals and related technological resources for advancement of biomedical research in the country to facilitate research in medical colleges, research and academic institutions, universities and biotech/bio-pharma companies.
"The facility will also provide training facilities for personnel in the specialised areas in the field of biomedical research," the statement said.
The state government has allotted 102.69 acres of land at Genome Valley in Hyderabad free of cost to ICMR to set up NARF.