Vaccine Research Centre – Viral Vaccines was started on 10th October 1983 for conducting research and development on the vaccines and diagnostics for the important and emerging viral diseases affecting livestock and poultry. VRCVV is located in Madhavaram Milk Colony since 1995. It is one of the constituent units of the Centre for Animal Health Studies, TANUVAS, as a plan scheme of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
OBJECTIVES
Development of cost effective vaccines to cater to the needs of farmers and livestock breeders and to improve the quality of existing vaccines
Development of field level diagnostic kits for rapid identification of causative agent
Development of conventional vaccines for the control of emerging poultry diseases
Establishment of Centre of Excellence in Veterinary Viral Vaccinology
Disease investigation of the viral diseases affecting the livestock and poultry
Education and training of students, field veterinarians and personnel from industry in the diagnosis and control of viral diseases affecting the livestock and poultry
Awareness programmes for the farmers on the diagnosis and control of viral diseases affecting the livestock and poultry
Internal validation of vaccines developed by the departments of TANUVAS
Laboratory Facilities
The Cell Culture Laboratory is being utilized for the propagation of viruses and for development of vaccines for important poultry and livestock diseases
The Serology Laboratory facilitates for the sero monitoring and sero diagnosis of important poultry and livestock diseases
The Molecular Virology Laboratory facilitates for the molecular characterization of vaccine and field viruses and also for the molecular epidemiological studies of the viruses
Identification facility for bluetongue virus vector, Culicoides
Research
Research Schemes Completed - National
ICAR funded "All India Net Work Programme on bluetongue" TANUVAS Centre
SERB, DST funded scheme on, “Development of Diagnostic Tools and Vaccine for Porcine Circovirus 2, an Emerging Pathogen”
NAIP scheme on “Toll-Like Receptors in Phylogenetically Divergent Fish Species and their Contribution in Modulation the Innate Immunity” as Co-centre
DST scheme on “Identification and Assessment of the Expression Profiles of Important Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) in Commercially Important Food and Ornamental fishes”
DBT Scheme on “Development of Molecular and Immunodiagnostic Kits for Hepatopancreatic Parvovirus (HPV) in Shrimp”
NADP Scheme Component 4 (Sheep pox) on “Development of Multiplex PCR assay and Flow Through Membrane Assay”
ICAR funded scheme on “Antigenic, pathogenic and Molecular Characterization of Field isolates of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus”
ICAR funded scheme on “Development of a Homologous vaccine for Contagious Ecthyma”
National project on Rinderpest Eradication funded scheme on “Development of a Homologous vaccine for Peste des petits ruminants”
Board of Research on Nuclear Sciences, Government of India funded scheme on “Molecular Characterization of polypeptides of Rinderpest and PPR viruses”
Research Schemes Completed - International
SEPPIC, France and its Indian affiliate Yasham Specialty Ingredients Pvt Ltd, Mumbai funded project on “Large Scale Field Testing of Inactivated Multivalent Adjuvanted Vaccine for Bluetongue”
Indo UK BBSRC funded project on “Monitoring and Intervention Strategies for Bluetongue Virus Epidemics in Rural India”
Seppic , France and its Indian affiliate Yasham Biosciences Pvt. Ltd. funded collaborative project on “Development of Efficacious Inactivated Newcastle Disease Virus Vaccine”
Research Schemes Completed - Government of Tamil Nadu Schemes
Development of inactivated swine fever virus vaccine
Development of cell culture based vaccine for sheep pox
Studies on Chicken anaemia virus
Simultaneous antibody screening to three major poultry diseases
Development of Bluetongue diagnostic kit
Scheme on strengthening the Vaccine Research Centre – Viral Vaccines for molecular epidemiology
Development of Bluetongue vaccine for sheep
Assessment of physical and microbiological score for evolving standards for chick quality
Research Schemes Completed - Self-financing scheme
Production and supply of biologicals, diagnostic reagents and for diagnostic services
Ongoing Research Schemes
TANUVAS Scheme on Unit XII- Veterinary Education and Research – Veterinary – Plan – Institute of Higher Studies - Rs. 147.68 Lakhs for 2020-2021 funded by TANUVAS
Revolving fund scheme on TANUVAS Biocontainment Animal Disease Laboratory (TANUVAS-BCADL) Rs.10.00 lakhs funded by TANUVAS
“Strengthening of Vaccine Research Centre Viral Vaccines at Madhavaram Milk Colony to develop vaccines against several emerging viral pathogens”Rs.74.78 Lakhs for 2020-2021 funded by Govt. of Tamilnadu
”One Health approach for Animal and Public Health to Augment Food Safety and Productivity” (VRCVV as a participating unit with Zoonoses Research Lab as the coordinating unit with a budget of Rs. 5.04 crores funded by TANII
ICAR funded scheme on “Veterinary Type Culture Collection Network Project” TANUVAS Centre with Scheduled Caste Sub-plan Programme”. Rs.21.60 lakhs for 2020-2021
ICAR funded project on “Outreach programme on Zoonotic diseases” (ORPZD) as a participating unit with Zoonoses Research Lab as the coordinating unit with a budget of Rs. 95.00 lakhs
Reliance Life Sciences, Navi Mumbai funded scheme on "Isolation, characterization and preparation of canine challenge virus banks such as Canine Parvovirus, Canine Distemper virus, Canine Adenovirus type 1, Canine Adenovirus type 2, Canine Coronavirus and Canine Parainfluenza viruses" with a budget of Rs.21.59 lakhs
Workshops/Training programmes organized
Hands on training on viral zoonoses was organized on 07.10.2021 and 08.10.2021
Farmers awareness workshop on the theme“Disease management in livestock and poultry to augment production at PGRIAS Kattupakkam on 29.10.2021 for the benefit of farmers
National level workshop on Bluetongue vector identification from 02.11.2015 to 06.11.2015
Annual scientist meeting of the ICAR funded All India Network Programme on Bluetongue on 02.11.2015
ASCAD workshop on Bluetongue diagnosis and control on 17.11.2015 to 75 veterinarians from the Department of Animal Husbandry, Tamil Nadu
ASCAD training programme on Diagnostic assays for detection of bovine viral diseases during 2015 to 22 veterinarians from the Department of Animal Husbandry, Tamil Nadu
International programme on Stake holders meeting of Bluetongue risk assessment was held at the Institute of Animal health and Veterinary Biologicals, Hebbal, Bangalore from 20.05.2014 to 21.05.2014. The programme was jointly organized by Indo-UK project, IBV Net centres of Hisar, TANUVAS, SVVU, IAHVB and the UK collaborator from Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Oxford, UK. Veterinary officers from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh participated in the programme
The International Training Programme on Bluetongue vector identification during 01.07.2013 to 05.07.2013. The Programme was funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), UK as part of the ongoing UK-India collaborative project 'Monitoring and Intervention strategies for Bluetongue virus epidemics in rural India'
ASCAD specialized training on the diagnosis of viral diseases of Ruminants to Veterinary Assistant Surgeons in the Animal disease intelligence units from Dept. of Animal Husbandry, Tamil Nadu from 11.06.2013 to 30.07.2013
ASCAD training on Tissue Culture Techniques and Virus Isolation to Veterinary Assistant Surgeons from Dept. of Animal Husbandry from 5-3-2013 to 18-3-2013
Annual scientist meeting of the ICAR funded All India Network Programme on Bluetongue from 04.05.2010 to 05.05.2010
Training on Animal Tissue Culture to life science undergraduate students, postgraduate students and faculty members of Universities on need basis
Inactivated vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle
Live attenuated vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle
Inactivated vaccine for contagious eczyma in sheep and goats
Live attenuated vaccine for contagious eczyma in sheep and goats
Inactivated vaccine for sheep pox
Live attenuated vaccine for sheep pox
Diagnostic Kits Developed
Infectious bursal disease Agar gel immunodiffusion test kit
Ranikhet disease virus haemagglutination inhibition test kit
Hydropericardium syndrome Agar gel immunodiffusion test kit
PCR-RFLP assay for porcine circovirus 2
Commercialization of the Technology
Bluetongue multivalent inactivated vaccinecontaining BTV serotypes 1, 2, 10, 16 and 23 was developed
The technology of Bluetongue Multivalent Inactivated Adjuvanted Vaccine was transferred to four animal vaccine companies Indian Immunologicals Ltd, Hyderabad, Biovet Pvt. Ltd., Malur, Sanvita Biotechnologies Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad and Brilliant Biopharma Private Limited, Hyderabad during 2011 - 17 and the vaccine is available commercially
M/s Biovet Private Limited, which has received the BTV vaccine technology, was awarded with Technology Day Award during 2013 by the President of India in recognition of the efforts of the company to commercialize the vaccine
Technology transfer
Transfer of three porcine vaccines
The technology of three porcine vaccines developed at VRC-VV, viz., Live attenuated classical swine fever vaccine, inactivated classical swine fever vaccine and inactivated porcine circovirus 2 vaccine was transferred to M/s Biovet Pvt Ltd ., Hyderabad in the year 2021, for a technology transfer fees of Rs.10 Lakhs for the three technologies to TANUVAS
Technologies (Inactivated classical swine fever virus vaccine, Live attenuated classical swine fever vaccine, Inactivated porcine circovirus 2 vaccine) were transferred to Biovet Pvt Ltd (BPL), Hyderabad in the year 2021
transfer of BTV vaccine to Reliance Life Sciences, Navi Mumbai
Bluetongue multivalent inactivated vaccine containing BTV serotypes 1, 2, 10, 16 and 23 was developed
The Memorandum of Understanding has been executed with Reliance Life Science, Navi, Mumbai for the technology transfer of Bluetongue Multivalent Inactivated Adjuvanted Vaccine for a technology transfer fees of Rs. 17 lakhs
Establishment of Culicoides species identification facility
Established collaboration with UK laboratories such as London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Rothamsted Research and Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Pirbright Institute Logistics for the collection and identification of Culicoides Sps. have been developed and at VRCVV, the facility for identification of the Culicoides of livestock importance has been established for the first time in India
FACULTY
Dr. T.V. Meenambigai, Professor and Head
Dr. A. Ramesh, Professor
Dr. S. Rathnapraba, Associate Professor
Dr. M. Madhanmohan, Assistant Professor
Dr. N. Sweetline Anne, Assistant Professor
Professor and Head,
Vaccine Research Centre-Viral Vaccines,,
Centre for Animal Health Studies, TANUVAS,
Madhavaram Milk Colony, Chennai – 600051.
Phone: +91-44-25551573
E-mail: vrcvv@tanuvas.org.in
