Tata Group ties up with Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for production of testing kits

Team Udayavani, Jun 2, 2020, 12:03 PM IST

Tata Group has entered into a partnership agreement with the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) for commercial production of Covid-19 testing kits

The SCTIMST is an Institute of National Importance under the Department of Sciences and Technology (DST), Government of India.

The ‘ChitraGene LAMP-N’ test uses an isothermal setup to create copies of viral DNA for detection, which reduces the complexity of overall process compared to the PCR technology.

Dr V K Saraswat, Member- Niti Aayog and President, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, said, “The mass production of RT-Lamp- based Covid-19 testing kits with the active support of the Tata Group will be a significant milestone for the Institute. I would like to commend the efforts of the research & development team of the Institute and the Tata Group in building this partnership at this critical time to serve the needs of the nation,”

The kits will be based on the futuristic RT-LAMP (Reverse Transcriptase of India Loop-Mediated Amplification) technology, which is said to produce results in less time