The department of biotechnology (DBT) has granted ₹29 lakh to Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University for a project to develop advanced diagnostic tool for diseases in pigs.
The project aims to address a critical virus affecting the pig population in Punjab, where commercial pig farming has become a highly lucrative venture.
The project is titled “A Diagnostic Tool (Tetra ARMS PCR) to Differentiate Porcine Parvovirus Types and Using Computational Methods for Analyzing Their Emergence.”
Vice-chancellor JPS Gill underscored the significance of the pig industry and the diseases affecting it. He congratulated principal investigator Gurpreet Kaur along with co-principal investigators Mudit Chandra, Deepti Narang and Mousumi Bora.
Director of research AK Arora also commended the team, highlighting the crucial need for research on pig diseases.
“Viral diseases that compromise the reproductive system of pigs pose significant challenges, resulting in substantial economic losses to farmers due to fetal mortality and infertility in sows. The research team will develop a novel diagnostic assay to enable early and rapid diagnosis of this disease. Additionally, the project will investigate the emergence of the virus within the pig population, aiding in the control of its spread,” the Varsity said in a release.