Tuberculosis laboratory

Laboratory Services  

The laboratory is NABL accredited, fully equipped to offer complete diagnostic services for diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), Non-tubercular Mycobacteria (NTM), and drug resistance to various anti-tubercular drugs by molecular as well as conventional methods. The laboratory offers microscopy, culture (both liquid and solid), PCR and Gene-Xpert for diagnosis of TB and NTM. In addition, the conventional drug sensitivity testing in liquid and solid culture media, Gene-Xpert, Line Probe Assay are available for detecting resistance to both first line and second line drugs. The laboratory is equipped with state of art molecular typing techniques for TB. All the techniques are quality assured.

The laboratory carries out research under several funded schemes (Extramural funding support for Whole Genome Sequencing, Early Bactericidal Activity, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Point of Care tests (Aptamer based), Novel biomarkers, Rapid molecular drug resistance detection, Molecular Epidemiology of MDR-TB).  

List of investigations available:

S. no	Test performed	Product/ material of the test (Sample)
	AFB Smear (Ziehl Neelsen Staining)	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	Fluorescent staining for M. tuberculosis	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	MGIT 960 Mycobacteria Liquid Cultures.	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	Lowenstein Jensen Solid Culture for Mycobacteria	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	Drug Susceptibility Test – MGIT 960 Liquid Culture DST first line and second line drugs	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	Drug Susceptibility Test – Lowenstein Jensen Solid first line and second line drugs	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	Drug Susceptibility Test for NTM	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	Gene Xpert MTB/Rif	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	Polymerase Chain Reaction targeting Mpt64 gene	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	TRUNAT-MTB-RIF detection	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples
	Line Probe Assay (Hain’s)	Pulmonary & Extrapulmonary samples

 Research (Ongoing)

1. Whole genome sequencing of M. tuberculosis

2. Molecular Sequencing & species identification of non-tubercular mycobacteria

3. Target Sequencing for drug resistance genes of M. tuberculosis

4. Quantitation and Viability detection using m-RNA Real-time PCR

5. High resolution melt analysis (HRM analysis) for drug resistance genes of M. tuberculosis

6. Novel biomarkers for identification of M. tuberculosis

7. Molecular Epidemiology of MDR-TB

8. Point of Care tests (Aptamer based)

9. Proteomics and Metabolomics studies in Pulmonary and Extra-pulmonary TB

10. Early Bactericidal Activity studies for novel regimen