CSIR-CDRI launches new Make-in-India product GreenR™: A nucleic acid staining dye for biomedical research & diagnostics

GreenR is highly versatile and binds to all nucleic acids including genomic DNA, PCR products, plasmids and RNA

0
179
New Delhi: CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow is celebrating CSIR-One Week One Lab (OWOL) program from 13th to 18th February 2023. On the fourth day of the program, CDRI launched its new made-in-India product GreenRTM, a safe and cost-effective DNA staining dye and its Real-Time GreenR Master Mix in the market with its Industry partner GenetoProtein Pvt. Ltd. (GTP), a start-up company registered in Uttar Pradesh.
Alok Kumar, Director General, UPCST was the chief guest for the product launching event. Other dignitaries in the program included Dr. VP Kamboj, former Director CSIR-CDRI, Dr. GN Singh, former DCGI and Advisor to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Prof. Alok Dhawan, Director, CBMR, Dr. Huma Mustafa, Joint Director, CST-UP, along with Dr. Atul Goyal, Chief Scientist, CSIR-CDRI, and Dr. Shraddha Goenka, MD, Gene to Protein Ltd. who leaded the team that took this product from lab to market. Many other eminent scientists and researchers were also witnessed the event.
CSIR-CDRI Director, Dr. Radha Rangarajan said that the nucleic acid staining dye, GreenRTM developed by scientists from CSIR-CDRI and industry partner, Biotech Desk Private Limited (BDPL) is an example of a successful industry-academia collaboration. Indian researchers are dependent on costly, imported nucleic acid staining dyes; GreenRTM is a safe and effective alternative with similar staining outcomes to commercially available dyes. The technology for manufacturing of the dye has been transferred to Gene to Protein Pvt. Ltd., a sister concern of BDPL, situated in the Biotech Park, Lucknow.
Chief Scientist Dr. Atul Goel who led the development of the product said that GreenRTM is an economical alternative to imported dyes that are used to stain DNA/RNA.  GreenRTM is highly versatile and binds to all nucleic acids including genomic DNA, PCR products, plasmids and RNA. Dr Goel said that this indigenous dye has varied applications in molecular diagnostics and life sciences research. The chemical synthesis of GreenRTM was standardized by Dr. Goel’s team comprising of Ms. Sajiya Mr. Kundan, Ms. Suchitra, Mr. A. P. Dwivedi and the BDPL team has studied its biological applications in real time PCR and DNA binding.
While briefing how this product is different from the commercially available products in this category and why her company decided to bring it into the market, Dr. Shradha Goenka, Director of Gene to Protein Pvt. Ltd. commented that the efficacy and toxicity of GreenR™ have been tested and various applications for this dye are being studied.
“We have been dependent upon stains like Ethidium bromide which intercalates between the DNA strands and is a known mutagen to bacteria, animals and humans. Hence its usage is risky for the user and its disposal needs special treatment as well”, she said.
“The development of a new, safe dye which the team has named “GreenR™” will be a cost-effective solution for researchers in the field of Lifesciences and DNA-based diagnostics. So we have chosen this product to enhance the product portfolio of our company and help Indian research go one step closer to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”, she remarked.
The product also has applications in molecular diagnostics such as PCR based tests to detect disease.