In a landmark development for India's scientific community (life sciences and biomedical researchers), CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CSIR-CDRI), Lucknow, under the esteemed leadership of Dr Radha Rangarajan, Director, CSIR-CDRI, executed the signing of a pivotal agreement with ESSCEE Biotech India Pvt. Ltd that introduces a new modified quencher for life sciences research and biomedical applications. Quenchers are substances capable of absorbing energy from fluorescent dye and re-emitting much of that energy as visible light for visualising the specific substance/molecule. The agreement signifies a pivotal stride towards self-reliance in the realm of lab reagents and API starting materials for life sciences research.

The collaborative effort, spearheaded by Dr Atul Goel, Chief Scientist, CSIR-CDRI, and his dedicated team, in the creation of a cutting-edge modified quencher, devised through an economical route, primarily intended for biomedical applications, particularly in the field of phosphoramidite-based oligonucleotide synthesis, which are modified nucleosides and widely used as a standard chemical in modern DNA synthesis reactions. These molecules permit the sequential addition of new bases to the DNA chain in an exquisitely simple and exceptionally efficient cyclic reaction. Traditionally, such fluorescence quenchers were solely imported from abroad, posing challenges to the country's public healthcare initiatives. So this achievement is especially noteworthy as the current market heavily relies on imported fluorescence quenchers for these critical applications.

Dr Radha Rangarajan expressed her enthusiasm about the project, stating, “Product development in public healthcare is the need of the hour. By designing and synthesising this modified quencher locally, we are taking a significant step towards achieving self-sufficiency in lab reagents and API starting materials, which is crucial for the growth of our nation.”