IIT-G working on developing COVID-19 drug
The premier institute also said it has developed apolymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine, which can analyse1,000 samples in 12 hours, and two such units have alreadybeen supplied to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital(GMCH).
"As there are no approved drugs presently availablefor the disease, the faculty members are in the process ofdeveloping small molecules inhibitors for the treatment ofCOVID-19 using modern biotechnological tools," the IIT-Guwahati said in a statement.
The overall idea is to develop safe, efficacious andaffordable drug for the treatment of COVID-19 patients andother dreadful viral infections, it added.
Multiple efforts are being made for developingvaccine at the department of bio-science and bio-engineering,while other departments are involved in finding multipleroutes to have a diagnostic and therapeutic approach for earlydetection of various viral infections, the statement said.
"The faculty members of bio-science and bio-engineering and chemistry departments and Centre forNanotechnology have also initiated research to combat COVID-19," it added.
The institute is in the process of setting up anadvanced research centre for COVID-19 analysis, which willhelp the northeast region to test for the novel coronavirusand detection of other such deadly virus.
"Our idea is to make this a state-of-the-art facilityfor the northeast region.
"This centre in future will help to develop highlycompetent manpower for diagnosis of different infectiousdiseases in the early stage of infection and their preventiontoo," IIT-G Director T G Sitharam said.
He said it has provided two real-time PCR machines,which have been developed in-house and patented, to the GMCHfor the diagnosis of coronavirus.
"These machines will help in ramping up the testingprocess by analysing 1,000 samples if run for 12 hourscontinuously and 2,000 samples in 24 hours," the statementsaid.
In addition, the departments of mechanicalengineering and electronics and electrical engineering aremaking efforts to develop robot-based drug and food carryingunit to work in isolation wards, robotic screening units amongothers.
The institute is also working on to manufacturehospital beds, ventilators, medical waste disposal in theisolation wards and masks and hand sanitisers, the statementsaid.
"IIT-Guwahati has prepared hand sanitisers and is inthe process of preparing at least 5,000 sanitiser bottlesto provide them to the GMCH and the Assam government," itsaid.
The department of design has also developed aprototype 3D printed full-face shield, including head gear,which can be scaled up immediately, an official said. TRBDC BDC