The main focus of the laboratory is to understand the mechanism of action of ETO protein by identifying the novel proteins (ETO-binding protein) that interact with putative transactivation domain of ETO and to study the interaction of ETO-binding protein (EBP) with normal wild type ETO and how this interaction is altered with chimeric protein (AML1-ETO) as seen in leukaemia patients with AML t(8;21). Results from the studies will be important in understanding the primary steps responsible for altered gene expression followed by ALM1/ETO translocation in AML patients. It is envisaged that these results will be highly fruitful in devising methods for the early detection & painless cure of this terminal disease before it is too late.

The second aspect on which the laboratory is involved in is to standardize the PCR-based diagnostic analysis for sexually transmitted diseases (STD), that would allow for the detection of the species that infect indigenous population. For an assay to be useful in the clinical diagnostic setting, careful optimization of the amplification conditions and standardization of protocols and reagent is carried out to ensure proper performance. Method are being devised for the identification of specific strains and for detection of more than one pathogen in the same reaction by using more than one set of PCR primers (multiplex PCT). This will be especially useful for identification of drug resistant strains and causative agent for STD. By using primers specific for each pathogen, the infectious agents, can be identified in the same PCR-based diagnostic reaction. To make the multiplex-PCR diagnostics as a useful protocol, automation, simplification and rapidity will be the important design/objectives so that the method could be used commercially. Careful optimization is being carried out in locations remote from the laboratory facilities. Furthermore the method for sample collection and processing will be simplified in a manner such that a large number of samples could be handled at any given time. The complexity of the multiplex PCR will be reduced by designing kits which include reagents that are standardized to a degree to ensure the reproducibility of test results and are in a customer friendly format.