CRD - Organisation - CRD R & D Lab

        Center for Rheumatic Diseases: Research & Development Laboratory (C R D: R & D Lab) is an autonomous private lab operating in tandem with Arthritis Research and Care Foundation (ARCF) – Center for Rheumatic Diseases (CRD) and catering to the requirement of a state-of-art diagnostic & research facility. C R D: R & D LAB was registered in 2000. Though initiated as a research facility, the lab provides routine diagnostic services to patients referred to CRD, from outside Pune region, in particular the rural regions, at economical costs. The C R D R&D LAB is competitive, customer friendly and simultaneously an academic oriented diagnostic lab. The Lab also participates in quality assurance and standardization program.

        State-of-art equipments like semi-automated biochemistry analyser, (-80°C) deep freezer (Forma), Ultrapure water system (Millipore), EP-Thermal cycler (Eppendorf), nephelometer (Turbox) and ELISA plate reader & washer (Bio-Rad) are some of the equipments which are being used and maintained in CRD : R & D LAB. Today, C R D: R & D LAB provides under one roof a wide range of laboratory test parameters including hematology, biochemistry, clinical pathology, microbiology & immuno-rheumatology. The specialized disciplines include autoantibody testing by nephelometry, ELISA, western blot technique and Immunogenetics with special reference to HLA-B27 and HLA-DR typing.

        Several research projects have been completed. The lab has provided free of cost routine and sometimes advanced investigation facilities to several thousand patients evaluated in arthritis camps & WHO – ILAR COPCORD rural Bhigwan & urban Pune projects since 1994. There has been a focus exploration on antinuclear antibodies and other newer diagnostic tests (e.g. CCP, ANA West Blot) in rheumatology. Since 2001, the lab has also begun working in immunogenetics with special reference to HLA typing.