The possibility for high magnifications and greater
resolutions has made the Transmission Electron
Microscope (TEM) a valuable tool in both biological
and materials research. A TEM facility costing about
Rs. 1.80 crores is available in a dedicated building
at NIHSAD campus. This was made possible through a
special grant sanctioned by Hon’ble Director General
ICAR, Dr. Mangla Rai during Xth plan after the first
outbreak of bird flu (Avian influenza HPAI-H5N1) in
2006. The unit was inaugurated on 31.07.2009. EM
unit of NIHSAD has a 120 kV class high-resolution
transmission electron microscope (JEM-1400, Jeol,
Japan). The
unit also has an ultramicrotome (Ultracut-UCT, Leica)
and a knife maker (EMKMR2, Leica) for ultra-thin
sectioning of tissue samples. The services of the
TEM unit add to the existing array of diagnostic
facilities available at NIHSAD for quick
confirmation of various exotic and emerging viral
infections of animals. Apart from being useful in
ultrastructural studies on viral infections, it
can be of great help in identification and
confirmation of viral etiology in case of unknown
disease outbreaks.
