An advanced virology institute will soon be set up at the campus of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) Life Science Park at Thonnakkal near Kerela. The institute is being established to address the frequent threats of infectious viral diseases, its early detection and rapid prevention besides carrying out research in the area.

The Institute of Advance Virology (IAV) is envisioned as a virology institute of global standards with most modern laboratories complying with high end international bio-safety levels in order to research, diagnose and manage the emerging and re-emerging infectious viral diseases, focussing on the Kerala scenario.

Subhash Vasudevan, National University of Singapore, M G Sargadharan, University of Maryland, USA, Navin Khanna, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (ICGBE), New Delhi and Devendra Maurya, National Institute of Virology, Pune are among the experts, expected to be a part of this initiative.

Kerala Biotechnology Commission (KBC) and Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) have been entrusted with the task of spearheading the establishment of the institute. The IAV is expected to be a reality by July 2018.