Under the drug discovery platform, in turn, the research will explore separation of therapeutic and valuable medicinal components from the peel and seeds of fruits and utilization of natural garlic essential oil as an ACE 2 protein inhibitor for preventing SARS-CoV-2 invasion.
By Sunderarajan Padmanabhan
Twitter handle: @ndpsr
New Delhi, April 23(India Science Wire):
Department of Biotechnology’s Centre of Innovative and Applied Bio processing (DBT-CIAB) at Mohali has planned a bouquet of research projects aimed at generating products that could be used for prevention, diagnosis or cure for the deadly COVID-19 infection that is currently sweeping over the entire world.
The plan has been designed so as to utilise the expertise of its scientists, who come from a diverse range of research backgrounds including chemistry, chemical engineering, biotechnology, molecular biology, nutrition, and nanotechnology.
Under the preventive platform, the Institute has planned to work on lignin-derived noble metal nanocomplexes for developing antiviral coating materials, and rose oxide-enriched citronella oil, carbopol and triethanolamine-formulated alcoholic sanitizer.
Under the therapeutics platform, the effort will be focused on polypyrrollic photosensitizers and their nano formulations for antiviral photodynamic therapy, microbial production of immunomodulatory and antiviral fructan biomolecules, and development and commercialmanufacturing of nasal spray kit to ease chest congestion suffered in corona infection, etc.
Under the drug discovery platform, in turn, the research will explore separation of therapeutic and valuable medicinal components from the peel and seeds of fruits and utilization of natural garlic essential oil as an ACE 2 protein inhibitor for preventing SARS-CoV-2 invasion.
Besides, studies are to be conducted for development of lignin-derived nanocarriers (LNCs) with potential for antiviral drug delivery and using curcumin-fortified whey protein powder as a nutraceutical. The researchers would endeavour to come out with products that are biocompatible, low cost and scalable and have set out with a timeline of six months to one year. The studies would be conducted in collaboration with chemical industries and other government laboratories with BSL-3 facility.
