NABL Accredited Genetic Testing at the Bureau

Achieving a landmark feat, Animal Bureau has been accredited with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard on the facilities of genetic testing on 17^th May 2024, for six genetic tests of cattle and buffalo conducted in ‘Genetic Testing Laboratory (GTL).  The accreditation is given by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for two years in the field of ‘Testing’ under ‘General Requirement for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories’.

The Bureau has been working, since long, on the karyotyping of cattle and buffalo and DNA based testing of genetic diseases – Bovine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency (BLAD), Citrullinemia, Factor XI Deficiency, Deficiency of Uridine Monophosphate Synthase (DUMPS) in cattle. These accredited tests are important for early identification of carriers of genetic diseases in dairy bovines, specifically breeding males. Another test, A1A2 allele genotyping in cattle, introduced recently, has also been accredited. The test is important for valuation of milk and selection of desired A2 allele in cattle.

These tests are routinely conducted following international standard, however, NABL accreditation would enhance the credibility of these tests among the stakeholders including semen banks of various states and farmers.  The GTL of the Bureau is among few NABL accredited laboratories involved in genetic testing of dairy animals, in the country.