Glimpses 2009-2010.pdf - LV Prasad Eye Institute

the Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV), Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) and Cytomegalovirus (CMV), which
can be used quite conveniently in patients with ocular infections at secondary and primary health
care facilities. The LAMP assay is a simple molecular diagnostic tool, in which the reaction takes place
in a single tube that contains buffer as well as target DNA, Bst DNA polymerase and primers. The
tube containing this reaction mixture is incubated at 650C in a regular laboratory water bath or heat
block that maintains a constant temperature. This overcomes the need for a thermal cycler because
the entire amplification cycle can be achieved at a constant temperature. The technique does not
require the more expensive components of the original test. The final amplified product in the LAMP
is detected by unaided visual examination by adding SYBR green dye to the reaction tube. The initial
findings using this test in patients with retinitis have been promising.
G Ashok Kumar Reddy
Jhaveri Microbiology Centre
Saroja A Rao Immunology Laboratory
How does vision develop in infants
The newest addition to the Prof Brien Holden Eye Research Centre is the Visual Optics and Psychophysics
Laboratory, headed by Dr Shrikant Bharadwaj. Research conducted in this lab seeks to understand
how infants, children and adults use their focusing and eye-alignment responses to achieve clear and
single vision of their world and why some individuals develop abnormalities like eye-turn and lazy eye,
while other age-matched controls do not. With help from his former colleague, Prof T Rowan Candy
of the Indiana University School of Optometry, Dr Bharadwaj has put together equipment that will
enable non-invasive investigations on very young children. Dr Bharadwaj intends to study the focusing
and eye-alignment responses of both typically developing infants and children and those children with
visual abnormalities. The responses of these children will be interpreted using computational models
of how the visual system uses various sensory clues to achieve and maintain simultaneous clear and
single vision. The laboratory will engage individuals with a clinical and/or a basic science background to
participate in its various research activities. Optometry and ophthalmology students and fellows will
have an opportunity to participate in short or long term projects in this laboratory.
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