Facilities available:                        

1. For culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing of bacteria
2. Fungal culture facilities
3. Complete tissue culture facilities used for viral and Chlamydial culture
4. Acanthomoeba culure facility: This service is also provided for other departments of AIIMS for CSF culture.
5. Chlamydia reference laboratory built under Indo-UK Colaboration.  This facility is also used by other departments of AIIMS and other Institutions of the country.

6.    Molecular biology laboratory

Services provided by the Ocular Microbiology Secttion:

-         Bacterial culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing.

-         Fungal culture.

-         Culture for Acanthomoeba.

-         Preparation of in house culture medium for all the above.

-         Chlamydia antigen detection.

-         Chlamydia culture.

-         Chlamydia antigen production.

-         Chlamydia serology.

-         Herpes simplex virus antigen detection.

-         Viral isolation in tissue culture

-         PCR assays for bacteria, fungi, viruses and Chlamydia

 

CHLAMYDIA LABORATORY

1. Chlamydia laboratory at Dr RP Centre has culture facility along with all other laboratory diagnostic facilities including molecular diagnostics.  It provides patient care service facilities to various Departments of AIIMS: 

     Dr. R.P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences,  Deptt. of Obstetrics & Gynecology,   Dermatology & Venerology,   Deptt. of Pediatrics and       Deptt. of Medicine and many other Departments and other Institutions in the country like: -

     Shere- e- Kashmir Institute, Srinagar,     GTB Hospital & University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi,      Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute, Lucknow & many other Institutes. Till today more than 10,000 patient specimens have been processed.

2.  This facility was created over a period of 10 years with efforts of many in India, viz. AIIMS, ICMR, Ministry of Health & FW and abroad like WHO, Chlamydia reference Laboratory, London, Institute of Ophthalmology, London and Overseas Development Authority, UK.

 3. The laboratory is providing research and diagnostic facilities for Chlamydial infections of male and female reproductive tracts, respiratory infections and other systemic infections.  Work was done   for determining the association of Chlamydia pneumoniae with atherosclerosis with the help of Cardiology Department of AIIMS.  There are research projects with the Deptt. Of Dermatology and Venerology, Obstretics & Gynaecology in these aspects and the Lab technician is involved in these works.

EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH PROJECTS :

1.   Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) ad hoc research project: “Evaluation of polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR) for detection of HSV genome in tear specimens as a rapid diagnostic tool for laboratory diagnosis of HSV keratitis, particularly stromal keratitis and atypical epithelial keratitis vis a vis antigen detection and genomic DNA detection by PCR assay in corneal scrapings:” .Started  February 2007: For 3 years.

2. CSIR NMITLI ( New Milenium Technology  Leadership Initiative) Project:  Novelmolecular diagnostics for eye diseases and low vision enhancement devices.April 2003- Continuing

 

3.   Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) ad hoc research project. Standardisation of antifungal susceptibility testing for filamentous fungi and characterisation of drug sensitive and drug resistant fungal isolates in mycotic keratitis Apr2006- March2008

4.  ICMR ad-hoc Research project: .Phenotypic and molecular characterisation of ocular isolates of coagulase negative Staphylococci:implications in colonuisation and virulenceJan. 2002  to  April 2005

5.   ICMR ad-hoc Research project : Molecular characterisation of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates causing various infections in human beings

      March 2001- Aug.2004

6. .Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, project: Collection of well   characterised Chlamydiae isolates and development of suitable diagnostic assays. April 2000- Maarch 2003

7. ICMR ad-hoc Research project:  Chlamydia pneumoniae and coronary artery disease: Use of polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR), agent detection and serology in investigating the association.March 2000- Feb. 2003

8. ICMR ad hoc research project: Construction of genomic library of C trachomatis serovar L2, identification and characterisation of immunodominant recombinant clones.April 1996 – October 1999

9.   Indo-UK project "Establishment of Chlamydia Reference Centre at the  RP Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi. April 1993- March 1998

10.  Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) ad hoc research project: “ Development of sandwich ELISA method using monoclonal antibodies for detection of Chlamydia antigen and it’s evaluation vis-a vis indirect immunofluorescence assay in rapid diagnosis of Chlamydial ocular and genital infections. April 1996- March 1999

11.  Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) ad hoc research project: “ Development and use of polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR) and restriction fragment length pattern (RFLP) analysis of PCR products for C trachomatis in epidemiology.”October 1993 to October 1996

12.   Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) ad hoc research project: “ Study of group specific antigens od C trachomatis using monoclonal antibodies and use of such antibodies in screening for acute follicular conjunctivitis caused by C trachomatis.” August 1989 to August 1993.

13.  WHO project: Mycotic keratitis (1.4.84 to 31.3.1987).

14.  Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) ad hoc research project: Medical management of keratomycosis  (1.1.84 to 1.1.86).

 

RESEARCH PROJECTS FUNDED BY ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCINECES 

1. All India Institute of Medical Sciences research project “Characterisation of staphylococcus epidermidis in corneal ulcer – a clinico – microbiological study” 1.4. 2000 to 31.3.2002

2.   All India Institute of Medical Sciences research project: “Acanthomoeba keratitis- a prospective study.” April 1992- March 1993

3.   All India Institute of Medical Sciences research project: Comparision of inclusion immunofluorescence assay with EIA using commercial kits in serodiagnosis of trachoma.April  1990-March 1991

4. All India Institute of Medical Sciences research project: “ Evaluation of indirect immunofluorescence assay using monoclonal antibody in rapid diagnosis of keratitis caused by Herpes Simplex Virus. March 1989- April 1990

 

Collaborative Research Projects:

Funded by Population Council & Global Network for reproductive and perinatal health:

Case management of reproductive tract infections in India. An analysis of clinical   protocols and cost. Collaborative Department: Department of  Obstretics & Gynaecology,   AIIMS. Completed2004

 

    ICMR Project  -  Validation of alogarithms proposed by NACO for syndromic management of urethral and vaginal discharge in a  tertiary care centre in northern India.Collaborative Department: Department of Dermatology and Venerology, AIIMS.