SRM AP on December 10 launched its first cell culture facility at its campus here to pioneer bio-medical research on cancer cells.

This facility will house the latest equipment related to applications like cellular culture, drug delivery, cell imaging and cell cytotoxicity, a university release said. The Union Department of Science and Technology funded the equipment like Type-2 bio safety cabinet, carbon dioxide incubators, cell counting machine, inverted and upright microscopes, table-top centrifuge and cell storage facility under the 'Early Career Research Award' grant.

"At this facility, the higher-end epi-fluorescence microscope will, in particular, facilitate diagnosis and cure of several life threatening diseases like cancer (solid tumour) and leukaemia," Principal Investigator of the Cell Culture Laboratory Anil K Suresh said. These technologies were not yet available for medical and pharmaceutical use as further intensive research was required before practical applications emerge, he said, adding that research facilities like the one set up at SRM AP would help bridge the gap.

SRM AP Vice-Chancellor Narayana Rao said that eight laboratories would be set up in the next one year as part of the endeavour to make SRM a research-intensive university, A genome research centre would be opened later this month, he said. "Such laboratories can transform the university into a leading international research hub in science and technology," the Vice-Chancellor said. Educational and small-scale research institutions, as also start-up pharmaceutical companies in Amaravati region could avail of the services at the SRM AP cell culture facility, he added.