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Centre for DNA Fingerprinting & Diagnostics
Type	Autonomous
Established	1990; 34 years ago
Director	K. Thangaraj
Location	Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Campus	Urban - Uppal
Website	cdfd.org.in

Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) is an Indian biotechnology research centre, located in Hyderabad, India, operated by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. CDFD is a Sun Microsystems centre of excellence in medical bio-informatics, supported with a strong bioinformatics facility, and is the India node of the EMBnet.^[1] In addition, DNA fingerprinting and diagnostics services provided by the centre support some of the activities.^[2]^[3]^[4] The centre utilises the Combined DNA Index System for DNA profile matching. The CDFD and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation signed a memorandum of understanding in 2014 for the acquisition of CODIS.^[5]

CDFD receives funding from other agencies like the Wellcome Trust on specific collaborative projects.^[6] The centre is recognised by the University of Hyderabad and Manipal University for pursuing a doctor of philosophy in life sciences.^[7] Research at CDFD has focused largely on molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens, structural genetics, molecular genetics, bioinformatics and computational biology.^[8]

History

CDFD was conceptualised by then CCMB director Lalji Singh. It evolved into its current form of a modern institution encompassing both basic and applied research in diverse areas of modern biology under its founder director, Seyed E. Hasnain (former vice-chancellor of the University of Hyderabad), who pursued this aim aggressively during his tenure from 1999 to 2005. The centre is equipped with instrumentation and computing infrastructure to facilitate working in frontier areas of research in life sciences. There are twenty-two groups working on diverse research areas and the centre continues to attract leaders in related disciplines.^[9]

Campus

CDFD started its operations at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research organisation, and was housed in an interim building in Nacharam from early 1999 to December 2008.^[10] In 2009, it was moved to a sprawling new building in Gandipet locality at the outskirts of Hyderabad. But, due to some of the governmental objections pertaining to the proximity of the new campus to Osman Sagar lake, any of the wet-lab work was not allowed. As a result, the building raised at Gandipet was completely vacated by CDFD in early 2009^[11] and institute operated from its rented building in Nampally and with an MoU for the diagnostic screening with the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).

Following the appointment of Dr. Debashis Mitra as its new director w.e.f. 1 November 2017, CDFD commenced its move to its permanent campus in Uppal, and as of 15 March 2018 the institute is housed in its permanent building next to Nagole Metro Station.

References

^ "The Hindu : Decks cleared for Sun Micro centre at CDFD". Hinduonnet.com. 12 February 2004. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ "CDFD helps identify U'khand copter crash victims". The Times of India. 2 July 2013. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013.
^ "States / Andhra Pradesh : CDFD gets samples of Tiwari, two others". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 2 June 2012. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
^ "Air crash: CDFD to conduct DNA tests". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 24 May 2010. Archived from the original on 30 May 2010.
^ "CDFD to Use FBI's CODIS Software for DNA Profile Matching".
^ "DBT alliance". Retrieved 21 August 2012.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Academics" (PDF). Retrieved 21 August 2012.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Bashyam MD, Chaudhary AK, Manjari S, Nagarajaram HA, Devi AR, Bashyam L, Reddy EC, Dalal A. Molecular genetic analysis of MSUD from India reveals mutations causing altered protein truncation affecting the C-termini of E1α and E1β. J Cell Biochem. 2012 May 16.
^ "Best Diagnostic Centre in Lucknow". www.ipsumcare.com/. 21 November 2002. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
^ "Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : CDFD may be shifted to IISM premises". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 4 September 2010. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
^ TNN (18 June 2011). "CDFD campus to come up at Survey of India premises". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.