Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC) is now named as Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow, India. The institute is engaged in the field of Toxicology having its main campus in Lucknow city and the other Gheru campus, is located near village 'Gheru' at Lucknow-Kanpur highway.
It is one of the constituent laboratory of CSIR India, which was established in 1965 with the motto of "Safety to Environment & Health and Service to Industry". The founder Director (1965-78) of the institute was Prof. Sibte Hasan Zaidi who died on 5 April 2008 at New York. He was the recipient of Padmashri and prestigious Sir Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar award for scientific excellence. IITR conducts Dr. S.H. Zaidi Oration in his honour every year during its foundation day celebrations on 4 November.
The institute is dedicated towards research in Fundamental and Applied Toxicology. Major thrust areas include Environmental toxicology, Ground and surface water pollution, Safety assessment of food & additives, Toxicity evaluation of substances for human use, Microbial contaminations, Bioremediation, Hazard identification and Toxicogenomics.
The institute attracts students from all over India to pursue research. IITR offers Ph.D. programme in various areas, few to name are In vivo & In vitro Toxicology, Environmental Toxicology, Genetic Toxicology, Immunotoxicology, Neurotoxicology, Food Toxicology, Environmental Microbiology and Carcinogenesis.
The institute also offers services for Toxicological and Analytical evaluation of chemicals / finished products to public and private sectors as per OECD, USEPA, BIS, ISO guidelines.
IITR, dream of a visionary, became a reality in 1965 as Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC) located in Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow. The founder Director, Prof. Sibte Hasan Zaidi, could foresee the need to address health related to work environment of the industrial workers in post independence era of rapid industrialization in our country. It was advocated that the adverse effects of chemicals on health and environment will make an adverse impact on overall development of the country. Hence, studies were needed to develop strategies for sustainable industrial development. ITRC gained national importance by addressing the health problems of our industrial work force in a growing economy. Pioneering studies carried out during the formative years were directly linked to miners' health especially to respiratory ailments.
Like a unique organism, the institute adapted and evolved to grow from strength to strength with addition of new activities and expertise. Today, research in Toxicology is at the crossroad of transformation from classical studies of animal experimentation and histological observations of animal tissues in late sixties to state of the art omic technologies in interdisciplinary area of biology. The concept of biomarkers, alternate to animal models, mathematical modelling and predictive toxicology are to name a few to make toxicological research intrinsic in protection of human health and environment. ITRC was rechristened as the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research in 2008 to empower research activities in new frontiers of toxicology considering the paradigm shifts in our understanding of human and environmental health. In the new millennium, the institute is poised to make an impact in understanding the mode of action of new chemical entities, engineered nanomaterials and genetically modified products on living systems for safe use of new technologies and sustainable development.
IITR website endeavours to provide a reflection of our mission in the new millennium.
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