Research
Research Programmes
The Centre has identified following major programmes for
research
1. Surveillance and monitoring of important
equine diseases including emerging and existing diseases with special emphasis
on foal mortality and production losses.
2. Development of effective, affordable and preferably field based diagnostics
against major equine diseases threatening equine health and production in
India.
3. Development of effective, affordable and potent immunoprophylactics against
important equine infectious diseases threatening equines in India.
4. Development of effective plant based products for management of some
economically important equine diseases and to enhance performance in equines.
5. To provide diagnostic and consultancy services for beneficiaries
particularly equine farmers and breeders.
6. Development of sustainable and economically viable AI technology for mule
production in India using cryopreserved jack semen for use at farmers’ door.
7. Development and perfection of artificial insemination techniques in horse
production using frozen semen of true to breed indigenous stallions for the
consortium of threatening species in India.
8. Breed characterization and in situ conservation of various indigenous breed
of horses.
9. Exploiting importance of equine draught power for economically weaker
section of the society.
10. Extension activities and Institute Development Programmes for the
upgradation of the indigenous breeds of equids in the different parts of the
country in collaboration with the State Departments.
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Ongoing
projects
Equine Health (2010-11)
|
Sr. No. |
Title |
Team |
Date of Start |
Date of Completion |
|
1. |
Development of vaccine(s) against equine herpes
virus-I infection. |
B.K. Singh*, B.R. Gulati and N. Virmani |
June, 2003 |
March,
2010 Extended
up to March, 2011 |
|
2.
|
Development
of sensitive and specific diagnostics for Japanese encephalitis in Equines |
Baldev R. Gulati*, B.K. Singh, N.
Virmani & H.S. Singha |
Oct., 2006 |
March, 2010 Extended up to March, 2011 |
|
3.
|
Surveillance, Monitoring and Control of Emerging and
Existing Diseases of Equines |
R.K. Singh*, B.K. Singh, S.K. Khurana, S.C. Yadav, Baldev
R. Gulati, Rajender Kumar, P. Malik, Sanjay Kumar, Nitin Virmani, Sanjay
Barua, Rajesh Kumar Vaid, A. Arangasamy & Ramesh Dedar |
April, 1995 |
Continuous Service Project |
|
4.
|
Cysteine
proteinase, a defined antigen of T. evansi for control of
trypanosomosis |
S.C.
Yadav*, Rajender Kumar, Sanjay Kumar & A.K. Gupta |
Sept.,
2008 |
Aug., 2010 Extended up to Aug., 2011 |
|
5.
|
Genetic
and antigenic differentiation of equine influenza viruses |
B. K. Singh*, Nitin Virmani, B. C.
Bera, B. R. Gulati, |
Sept., 2009 |
Aug., 2012 |
|
6.
|
Development
of diagnostics for equine influenza |
Nitin
Virmani*, Baldev. R.Gulati, Bidhan.C. Bera, B.K.Singh and R.K.Singh |
Sept., 2009 |
Aug., 2012 |
|
7.
|
Evaluation
and Updation of the inactivated equine influenza virus vaccine |
R.K.
Singh*, Baldev R. Gulati Nitin Virmani, A.K. Gupta and B.K. Singh |
Oct., 2009 |
Sept., 2012 |
|
8.
|
Diversity
of Mx gene and association of polymorphic markers with susceptibility
vis-à-vis resistance against Equine Influenza |
Balvinder
Kumar*, R.C. Sharma, Anju Manuja, R.K. Singh |
Sept., 2009 |
Aug., 2012 |
|
9.
|
Development of monoclonal
antibodies and recombinant antigens based assays for detection of Trypanosoma
evansi infection in equines |
Rajender Kumar*, S.C.
Yadav, Sanjay Kumar and Baldev R. Gulati |
Sept.
2010 |
Sept.
2012 |
|
10. |
Characterization of
Toll-like receptor 9 and its role in CpG immuno-modulation in equines |
Anju Manuja*, Balvinder Kumar, Sanjay Kumar,
H.S. Singha and R.K. Singh |
Oct.
2010 |
Oct.
2013 |
|
11. |
Development of recombinant
protein-based immune-diagnostic kit for equine infectious anemia (EIA) |
R.K. Singh*, Praveen Malik H.S. Singha and
Sameer Srivastava |
Sept.
2010 |
Aug.
2012 |
|
12. |
Development of targeted drug
release therapeutics using nanoparticles in Equine Medicine |
Anju Manuja*, Neeraj Dilbaghi, Sandeep Kumar,
Rajender Kumar, Balvinder Kumar and S.C. Yadav |
Oct.
2010 |
Oct.
2013 |
|
13. |
Studies on donkey
lactoferrin and its therapeutics application |
Sanjay Gupta*, AK Gupta, TP Singh, R. Kumar, Rajesh
Vaid, Anju Manuja & RK Singh |
Sept
2009 |
August
2010 |
Equine
Production (2010-11)
|
Sr.
No. |
Title |
Team |
Date
of Start |
Date
of Completion |
|
1.
|
Molecular characterization of indigenous breeds of
horse for genetic diversity within and between different breeds. |
A.K.
Gupta* and Anuradha Bhardwaj |
Oct.,
2006 |
March
2011 |
|
2.
|
Characterization of indigenous non-descript and
geographically distinct donkeys |
A.K.
Gupta*, Yash Pal, R.C. Sharma, Anuradha Bhardwaj and Sanjay Kumar |
Aug.
2010 |
July,
2014 |
|
3.
|
Enhancing reproductive efficiency in horses through
semen cryopreservation and embryo transfer technologies |
A.
Arangasamy*, Thirumala Rao Talluri,Yash Pal and Jitendar Singh |
Sep.
2009 |
Aug.
2011 |
|
4.
|
Studies on class I and II genes of Major
Histocompatibility Complex in donkeys |
R. C. Sharma*, Balvinder Kumar and A. K. Gupta |
April
2010 |
March
2013 |
|
5.
|
Draughtability studies and utilization of equine
(mule and donkey) energy in agricultural operations including transport
(AICRP) |
Yash
Pal*, R A Legha, P A Bala, N. Lal and A K Gupta |
April
2009 |
March
2011 |
|
6.
|
Cloning Expression and characterization of equine chorionic
gonadotropin (eCG) |
Anuradha
Bhardwaj*, A.K. Gupta, Sanjay Kumar and Varij Nayan |
Dec.
2010 |
Nov.
2013 |
VTCC (2010-11)
|
Sr.
No. |
Title |
Team |
Date
of Start |
Date
of Completion |
|
1 |
Isolation, maintenance and characterization of
bacterial pathogens and their molecular identification |
Rajesh
Kumar Vaid*, Sanjay Barua, Mamta Tigga, Shanmugasundaram & B.C. Bera |
June,
2007 |
May,
2010. Extended up to May 2011 |
|
1.
|
Isolation, molecular characterization and reposition
of viruses of animal origin |
R.K.
Singh*, Sanjay Barua, B.C. Bera, R. K. Vaid, |
Sep
2009 |
Aug
2012 |
The Centre is providing not only
consultancy and advisory services to its end users but also takes care about
equine health, reproduction, conservation, evaluation and improvement of the
equine germ plasm. The technologies developed by the Centre in the areas of
equine health, reproduction and production are assessed and refined by testing
in the field before these are transferred to the equine owners directly or
through the established institutions of State Animal husbandry Departments and
other Government agencies, practising veterinarians and equine industry by
providing appropriate literature, organization of training courses, publication
of information bulletins and organization of seminar, symposia, exhibits and
horse show etc.
Consultancy
The Centre provides consultancy and
advisory services efficiently and effectively to the beneficiaries in the areas
of equine health and production, by providing (i) schedules for vaccination,
deworming and other preventive sprays to control arthropod vectors of infectious
agents, (ii) package of practices for the production of superior quality mules
and donkeys by employing artificial insemination and superior donkey germplasm,
and (iii) early pregnancy diagnosis through ultrasonography. The diagnosis,
treatment and prevention of infectious and non-infectious disease conditions
are being done for the benefit of the poorest of the poors, who cannot afford
the cost of equine health care. The Centre has adopted one village near Bikaner
in Rajasthan and another village in Hisar district in Haryana to provide the
services free of cost to the equine owners by making frequent visits. Adoption
of more villages and poor equine owners is underway.
Patents
The Centre has applied for two patents in the field of disease diagnosis.
Patent has been granted by the Patent Office, Government of India on
application (2199/DEL/96) entitled "A method for preparation of a diagnostic
kit useful for forecasting Equine Herpes Virus-1 disease" authored by Rattan et
al. This has been notified on October 25, 2003 in the Gazette of India,
classified as 55E4 1891278. The patent has been granted both for the process
and product.
Another application for complement fixation test (CFT) based diagnostic
COFEB-Kit developed by NRCE for the detection of Babesia equi antibodies
was filed to the patent office Delhi. Patent application no 36/Del/2001
entitled "Complement fixation test based COFEB-Kit for diagnosis of Babesia
equi infection in equines" has been finally submitted after first examination
report. A divisional application for patenting of product has also been
submitted through ICAR to Patent Office, New Delhi.
Commercialisation of Technology
The services for diagnosis of equine infectious anaemia are being provided to
equine industry on payment basis to generate resources. Similarly equine
influenza vaccine is also being supplied to equine industry and equine owners
on payment basis. The Centre is earning revenue to the tune of Rs.16 lakhs
through Contract Service during one year. In order to achieve the targeted
goals on given time scale, the infrastructure and capabilities would be updated
and linkages will be established for sharing of expertise and technologies and
to improve facilities for national and International trainings. Involvement of multi-institutional
Faculty will be sought with appropriate collaborations.