The Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology is a center of excellence in diagnostic medical microbiology, education, quality assurance, research, and patient-centered laboratory medicine. Its proactive clinical approach ensures that significant results are promptly communicated to treating teams, enabling timely diagnosis and targeted management of common, complex, and rare infections.
Frequently case discussions are encouraged with the treating units along with the decisions for medicine (antibiotics) to be used based on the testing information.
The Institute provides high-volume, comprehensive testing using conventional and advanced technologies. Key services include culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing, automated microbial identification, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, real-time PCR, syndromic molecular panels, mycobacterial and fungal diagnostics, antigen detection assays, and automated serology and immunology testing. These are supported by robust infection surveillance, antimicrobial-resistance monitoring, outbreak investigation, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection-prevention programme.
As an NABL-accredited laboratory and EQAS Centre for North and North-East India, the Institute promotes standardization and quality improvement in microbiology, serology, and molecular testing. IAMM EQAS New Delhi expanded from 271 participating laboratories in 2014 to 997 in 2025 and received the S. K. Joshi Award.
Teaching and training remain central to its mission. The structured DNB programme combines seminars, tutorials, journal clubs, clinical discussions, bench-based learning, technical classes, and rotations across major microbiology disciplines. Thirteen DNB residents were trained over five years, supported by extensive exposure to approximately 1.61 million specimens annually. The Institute also organizes major conferences, CMEs, workshops, and professional capacity-building programme.
Research focuses on antimicrobial resistance, stewardship, healthcare-associated infections, tuberculosis just to name a few.
Faculty and trainees have received prestigious oration, research, quiz, and scientific presentation awards, hold leadership and editorial positions, and have contributed nationally to microbiology practice. Future plans include validated adoption of nanopore and metagenomic sequencing, CRISPR-based assays, expanded syndromic panels, AI-assisted diagnostics, rapid phenotypic susceptibility testing, laboratory automation, and point-of-care stewardship tools, while maintaining affordability, accuracy, clinical relevance, and safety.
