A constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
(AUTONOMOUS ORGANISATION UNDER THE DEPT. OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH, MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, GOVT. OF INDIA)
The Environmental Epidemiology and Pandemic Management (EE&PM) (Erstwhile Environmental Virology Cell) is actively engaged in long-term projects focusing on environmental health, including Environmental Surveillance (ES), such as monitoring the Physico-chemical, Biological, and Health aspects of the River Ganges in the water and sediments, from its origin in the Himalayas to the draining in the Bay of Bengal.
EE&PM lab at NEERI played a significant role during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, as one of the first institutes in the region, it started Molecular testing (RT PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 and was designated as the Regional Hub for molecular testing by the Government of India. It has coordinated around 2 million tests for the region as a regional hub. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the noteworthy achievements of EEPM include;
The development of innovative methods, particularly in non-invasive samples like gargle rinse, provides a valuable tool for monitoring the virus spread within communities.
The lab collaborated with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation for a pilot study utilizing saline gargle samples for genome surveillance.
The lab joined the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) in January 2022 to expand its activities.
The lab was designated as the Regional Genome Sequencing Lab (RGSL) and sentinel lab for SARS-CoV-2. The lab has so far contributed more than 3000 SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequences on the global platforms.
Beyond its local impact, the lab has established collaborations with national and international research experts, particularly in Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens of public health importance.
Given this contribution, the WHO has recognized EE&PM CSIR-NEERI as the CoViNet member laboratory for environment and wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses of public health importance for the Southeast Asia region.
Contact Details: Phone: 0712-2249971 (Off. Ext.-663& 355) E-mail: k_khairnar@neeri.res.
