India begins genome sequencing

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 9

In a move that could open up potential treatment lines against the rapidly spreading Covid-19 in India, top researchers with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, and the Institute of Genomics and Integrated Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, today embarked on whole genome sequencing of the virus in collaboration with the National Centre for Disease Control.

“We are receiving samples from various states. In the next three to four weeks we plan to sequence several hundred isolates of Covid 19-causing virus. The viruses of this family (coronaviruses) are known to mutate fast which is why no vaccine is effective. The complete genome sequencing will help us determine whether the Covid19 virus has mutated in India and if yes, to what extent. The sequencing will also enable us to determine the route the virus took to India. That in turn will help us link lineages of patients in the country and respond accordingly,” Rakesh Mishra, Director of CCMB, Hyderabad, explained.

He said research was also on to trace the source of the disease in Delhi’s biggest disease cluster at Nizamuddin.

“The disease in the Nizamuddin cluster probably came from Malaysia. Having analysed samples from the site, we are conducting genome sequencing to find further links. As many as 3,000 genome sequences have been deposited in the public domain. By the next week we will know the source of Nizamuddin disease cluster,” Mishra said.

Genome sequencing will help understand if there is anything unique about the virus circulating in India. Researchers have already concluded that the viral strain circulating in India is no less virulent than the one circulating in other nations like China, the US or Italy.