Animal Biotechnology

The Department of Animal Biotechnology was established in year 2003. Since then the department is working on various aspects of Animal Biotechnology aiming to the betterment of animal and poultry health. Presently, broad areas of research interest addressed by the Department are the Molecular Diagnostics, Reproductive Biotechnology and Animal Genomics. Under molecular diagnostics, the department has achieved several milestones through development of various molecular diagnostics platforms for livestock and poultry pathogens. Apart from this, the department is also engaged in livestock breed characterization studies and identifying methods for rapid and early pregnancy diagnosis for farm animals.

The Department has so far developed broad range of nucleic acid based diagnostic assays using conventional PCR, real time PCR, LAMP, RPA and Multiplex luminex based diagnostic methods.Testing of various pathogens of livestock and poultry are being carried out in the department under self finance scheme. The department provides a sample screening service on commercial basis to organized farmers, various government and non government organizations.    

This department was ranked A grade by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India on Human Resources Development for Master of Veterinary Sciences (M.V.Sc) in Animal Biotechnology course.The department under self financing scheme conducts two hands on experience trainings every year. The training also provides skill development opportunities to participants in field of molecular biology.Currently department has state of art facilities of MiSeq NGS, Fragment analyzer, Sanger sequencer, MAGPIX luminex system, peptide synthesizer.

S.No.	Degree Programme	No of seats
1	M.V.Sc.	5
2	Ph.D	3

Head of the Department :

Dr. Trilok Nanda
Phone (O): 01662-256130 (O), +91-9996641856 (M)
Email:hod.abt@luvas.edu.in, nandatrilok@rediffmail.com

Dr. Trilok Nanda	Professor and Head	View Details
Dr. Sushila Maan	Principal Scientist	View Details
Dr. Aman Kumar	Scientist	View Details
Dr. Pawan Kumar	Assistant Professor	View Details
Dr. Joshi Vinay Ganeshrao	Scientist	View Details
Dr. Kanisht Batra	Assistant Professor	View Details

Mukesh Indora	Assistant
Shyam Lal	Sr. Lab Assistant
Darshan	Clerk (re-employed)
Krishan Kumar	Lab Assistant
Sandeep	Lab Attendant
Hari Om	Daftari
Dharmpal	Lab. Attendant (re-employed)

• The first ‘Bluetongue Multivalent Inactivated Vaccine’ of India was released in July 2009. The Department of Animal Biotechnology was one of the collaborating centre for this mandate.
• Novel set of primers were developed for the differentiation of buffalo & cattle meat and also for other species.
• Identification of animal species from reminiscent samples such as skin, tissue, bone marrow and feather follicle.

• Reference collection of bluetongue and other related viruses was established through Indo-UK project.

• Real Time RT-PCR have been developed for Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), Bluetongue virus (BTV), Sheep and goat pox virus (SPV and GPV), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine Coronavirus (BoCV), Bovine Rotavirus (BRV), New Castle disease virus (NDV) and Marek’s disease virus (MDV).

• Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay have been developed for Bluetongue virus (BTV), Capripoxviruses (CPV) and Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV).
• RPA isothermal assays have been developed for the diagnosis of Bluetongue virus (BTV), Bovine Corona virus (BoCV) and Bovine Rotavirus (BRV).

• TaqMan probe based multiplex molecular assays have been developed for simultaneous detection of abortifacient pathogens in bovine.
• Magpix multiplex assays were developed for Bluetongue virus (BTV), Bovine Corona virus (BoCV) and Bovine Rotavirus (BTV) and a patent application has been submitted.
• Magpix multiplex assays were developed for circulating strains of BTV and for differentiation of eastern and western topotypes of BTV and a patent application has been submitted for the same.

• Magpix multiplex assays were developed for simultaneous detection of abortifacient pathogens in bovine.
• A1A1 genotype indigenous cattle (Deoni breed) was detected in Allelic discrimination assay.

Animal genomics

• Comparative multiple sequence alignment of translated sequences revealed comparatively shorter OPEN READING FRAME in reference sequence Bos Taurus (AY847714.1 Bos Taurus). This observation indicates possibility of developing a PCR assay to differentiate from Bos taurus however this needs a larger sample study base for validation.
• Molecular diagnostics has been developed for the sensitive and specific diagnosis of genetic disorders [Bovine DUMPS, Factor XI deficiency, Citrullinemia and BLAD] of cattle and buffalo.

   Reproductive biotechnology

• Bovine HY antigen gene was successfully cloned and expressed in prokaryotic host system.
• Monoclonal antibody-based ELISA have been developed for early pregnancy in bovine.
• Density gradient based sorting of semen technology has been developed.
• Real-time PCR based molecular assay have been developed for the quantification of X and Y spermatozoa in semen.

Patent granted/filled

The department has one patent to its credit, another one has been published and four patent applications have been submitted this year. The details of the same are listed below:

• Granted: Novel set of primers were developed for the differentiation of buffalo & cattle meat [590/DEL/2008 & Patent Application No. 591/DEL/2008]
• Published: Novel set of primers and probes combination for simultaneous detection of bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV1), Brucella abortus and pathogenic Leptospira spp. [201911000916].
• In process:Magpix assays for simultaneous detection and differentiation of different serotypes and topotypes of bluetongue virus in India. Appl. No. 202111022745.
• Multiplexed Luminex Magpix Assays for concurrent detection of Bluetongue virus, Bovine Corona virus and Rota virus in India. Appl. No. 202111022744.
• Novel  Immunoassays for the detection of early pregnancy in Bubalusbubalis. Appl. No. 202111022746.
• A novel method for preparing a thermostable dried immunogenic formulation against Newcastle disease of poultry.
• Submitted: Application 1: Reverse Transcription Recombinase Polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) Assay for quick identification of Bovine Coronavirus in livestock.
• Application 2: Reverse Transcription Recombinase Polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) assay for rapid detection of Bluetongue virus.
• Application 3: Reverse Transcription Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RT-RPA) assay for accurate diagnosis of bovine rotavirus.

 

1.	Ramandeep Kaur	2020V02M
2.	Diksha Panwar	2020V64M
3.	Ayusha	2020V65M
4.	Jatin	2020V66M
5.	Niharika	2020V67M
6.	Nidhi Mor	2021V53M

 

 

1.	Neha Singh	2019V23D
2.	Sarshti	2021V21D

Ongoing projects

• Use of molecular markers for characterization of livestock breeds and their relation with traits of economic importance, sponsored by Government of Haryana.
• Development of molecular diagnostics for important diseases of livestock, poultry and pets sponsored by Government of Haryana.
• Development of reproduction biotechniques for improvement of farm animal fertility, sponsored by Government of Haryana.
• Diagnostic services and skillup-gradation  of  Teachers/ scientists and students in the area of animal biotechnologysponsored by Government of Haryana as a Self financing project
• Development of field based diagnostics for porcine viral pathogens and their molecular epidemiology, HSCSIT.
• Identification of novel miRNAs as a biomarker for development of nucleic acid probe based ELISA for early pregnancy diagnosis in Buffalo DST SERB
• DBT Network Programme on Anthrax Diagnosis and Control in India, Govt of India.
• An integrated omics approach to characterize circulating Newcastle disease viruses and intervention strategies to control Newcastle disease in North East India, Govt of India.

Completed research projects

• National Network Project on Bluetongue, sponsored by ICAR, New Delhi
• Human resource development project on animal biotechnology, sponsored by DBT, New Delhi
• Isolation and characterization of animal adenoviruses for development of a novel viral vector for vaccine delivery, sponsored by DBT, New Delhi
• Monitoring and intervention strategy for bluetongue virus(BTV) epidemics in rural India, sponsored by ICAR (India) & B.B.S.R.C.(UK)
• Development of diagnostic systems, reference collections and molecular epidemiology studies for important arboviral pathogens of livestock in India, sponsored by DBT (India) and BBSRC, UK.
• Studies on orbivirus pathogenesis, host responses and epidemiology using molecular and reverse genetics approaches, sponsored by DBT (India).
• Detection of Porcine Viral Pathogens Using Next generation Sequencing Technology (NGS), HSCSIT.
• Establishment of state of art NABL accredited facilities for animal meat speciation and for quality assurance of foods of animal origin. RKVY, GOI.
• Molecular Diagnostics entitled Development of facilities and tools for characterization of respiratory pathogens of  livestock. RKVY, GOI.
• Molecular epidemiology of emerging infectious agent with special reference to bovine leukemia virus in Haryana’, RKVY, GOI.
• Molecular Diagnostics entitled Pen side test for diagnosis of Hemorrhagic septicemia and Peste des petits ruminants virus’, RKVY, GOI.
• Molecular Diagnostics entitled ‘Screening of cattle and buffalo breeding bulls of Haryana for Bovine Herpes Virus 1 infections’, RKVY, GOI.
• Establishment of facilities for quality testing of cattle and buffalo semen/body fluids for genetic disorders and infectious agents using molecular techniques, RKVY, GOI.
• Molecular Tools for the control of Peste des petits ruminants, Bluetongue and Capripox viruses in Haryana, sponsored by Government of Haryana under , RKVY, GOI.
• Development of Antimicrobial Peptide Drug Designs: An Alternative Therapeutic Model for Salmonella, DBT Govt of India.
• Development of peptide and peptide nucleic acid based diagnostic assay for infectious bronchitis of poultry, SERB, DST Govt of India
• Molecular Studies on rotavirus of avian, bovine and human origin and development of multiplex RT-PCR for diagnosis, sponsored by ICAR, New Delhi Studies on Salmonella infections in domestic animals and birds, USAID (PL-480)
• Taxonomy of Viruses, sponsored by Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi
• Studies on prevalence of bacterial & Viral cause of calf scours amongst dairy cattle in India, sponsored by M/s. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd

• Doctoral Thesis
• Masters Thesis