Dibrugarh's VRDL Lab Receives Silver Shield for Excellence in Disease Detection and Diagnostics

Dibrugarh: The Regional Virus Research & Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) at ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre North East (RMRCNE), Dibrugarh, has been awarded the prestigious Silver Shield for Excellence at the National VRDL Conclave 2025.

This honour recognises the lab’s exceptional contributions to disease detection and diagnostic innovation across northeastern region. Union minister of state for health and family welfare, Anupriya Patel, presented the award during the inaugural session of the two-day conclave held in New Delhi on Sept 11-12. The event brought together scientists from 165 VRDLs nationwide and featured key dignitaries, including Dr Rajiv Bahl, secretary of the department of health research and director general of ICMR, and Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, drug controller general of India.

Dr Suman Kanungo, director of ICMR-RMRCNE, said, “This recognition reflects our commitment to advancing biomedical research and public health in the northeast. Our team has tirelessly worked to strengthen disease surveillance, outbreak response, and diagnostic innovation for the region.” Established in 2014 to serve all eight northeastern states, the Regional VRDL has become a cornerstone of infectious disease surveillance.

Since inception, it has conducted over 30,000 diagnostic tests for viral diseases and played a pivotal role during the Covid-19 pandemic, processing approximately 380,000 RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2. In June 2020, the lab became the first in northeast — and only the second govt-funded facility nationwide — to successfully isolate the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Its scientists also developed a real-time RT-PCR kit capable of detecting the Omicron variant and distinguishing between sub-variants BA.1 and BA.2 within two hours, significantly enhancing mutation tracking capabilities. The VRDL has investigated 52 viral and bacterial outbreaks across the region and sequenced 529 complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes, 250 influenza A samples, and numerous others for dengue, enterovirus, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus, contributing vital epidemiological data. Recent collaborations include a partnership with Tezpur University to develop capacitive biosensor technology for rapid Covid-19 diagnosis. The lab also conducts specialised research on high-risk HPV infections among northeastern women, exploring links with epigenetic markers and genetic polymorphisms. As part of the DHR-ICMR VRDL network, the lab continues to support pan-India respiratory virus surveillance, screening over 4,500 subjects for influenza A, influenza B, and SARS-CoV-2 since 2021.