IISc with support from United Way Bengaluru, an NGO and in partnership with corporate partners - global clinical research organisation Parexel International, State Street and Bharath Benz, have designed a mobile diagnostic lab – Nodal Hub. This is part of the 4-van series of which three vans were made ready in August 2020.

Being the first of its kind, this mobile lab is fully equipped with BSL-2+ infrastructure and instruments including mini-spins, vortex mixers, centrifuge, pipettes, and RT-PCR to carry out sample collection, inactivation, RNA extraction and RT-PCR testing which is considered the gold standard for the detection of the coronavirus.

M1 - sample collection and inactivation. M2 - RNA extraction. M3 - RT-PCR testing. M4 - Nodal hub. This is a 20ft container on a Bharat Benz chassis intended for sample and kits storage, biomedical waste management and master mix preparation. This unit can also function as an independent testing unit with the recently launched CRISPR FELUDA test by Tata Medical and Diagnostics, can be used for research purpose and vaccination drive as well.

Also named as Mobile Infection Testing and Reporting (MITR) Labs, these vans are designed by IISC incubated start-up ShanMukha Innovations and approved by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

“Mobilising the caring power of communities is our ethos and UWBe is grateful to all our corporate partners who also believed in the same ethos and came forward to support this initiative,” said Rajesh Krishnan, Executive Director, United Way Bengaluru.

Sanjay Vyas, Senior Vice President, India Country Head & Managing Director, Parexel, said “Parexel is pleased to support this important initiative bringing labs to patients.”