NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday released genome sequencing data of 10,000 Indian citizens and said it will be a milestone in the field of biotechnology research.
He India Genome Datawhich represents the genetic diversity in the country, will be available to researchers of the India Biological Data Center (IBDC) through managed access. “I am sure this will be a milestone in the field of biotechnology research,” Modi said in a video-recorded statement played at the Genomic Data Conclave organized by the Department of Biotechnology.
Modi said this national database will facilitate advances in the treatment of genetic and infectious diseases, encourage the development of new medicines and precision medical techniques, and enable research into the lifestyles and habits of diverse communities.
A genome is the complete set of DNA sequences of an organism and contains all the instructions necessary for that organism to function, including embryogenesis, growth, response to the environment, and healing from diseases. The primary goal of Genome India is to build a comprehensive catalog of genetic variations for the Indian population that better captures our unique diversity. Launched in January 2020, its goal is to sequence 10,000 genomes of healthy Indian individuals across the country.
The Human Genome, the complete map of the 23 large DNA sequences (chromosomes) that our species encodes, comprises a total of around three billion base pairs contained in the nucleus of each of our cells.
According to Martin Carkett and Alexander Honkala, experts in the field, although this sequence of base pairs is practically identical in each human being, which differentiates us from, say, a chimpanzee or a mouse, there are nevertheless subtle differences in each one. of our individual genomes that make us unique. Whole genome sequencing allows us to read a person’s individual genome and, among other things, identify differences from the average human genome that are often associated with disorders and diseases, but can also be associated with other factors such as resistance to the diseases.