Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Uppal campus
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.
^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.
