On July 4, 2022, IBAB was proud to lay the foundation for the Antivenom Research and Development Centre (AVRDC), an initiative funded by the Karnataka Innovative & Technological Society (KITS) of the Department of IT/BT, Government of Karnataka, and developed in collaboration with the Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science. The foundation stone was laid by Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Karnataka Minister for IT-BT and S&T, and IBAB Director, Prof. Hosahalli Subramanya. The 16000 sq. ft AVRDC will house state-of-the-art facilities for snakebite research and also maintain snakes and other venomous creatures like scorpions and spiders etc. collected from different parts of the Indian sub-continent in a world-class serpentarium. Moreover, AVRDC will serve as an incubation space for start-ups pursuing biodiscovery research on venoms. One of the highlights of the centre is its thrust to develop regional antivenoms, including those against venomous creatures that are local to Karnataka.Some other articles covering the event are listed below:
Indian Institute of Science – https://kernel.iisc.ac.in/a-quest-for-quality-antivenoms/
Deccan Herald – https://bit.ly/AVRDC_DH
The Hindu – https://bit.ly/AVRDC_thehindu
Indian Express – https://bit.ly/AVRDC_IA
Economic Times – https://bit.ly/AVRDC_ET