Genome India
What is the Genome India Project?
- A Department of Biotechnology (DBT) initiative aimed at
sequencing 10,000
genomes
of healthy individuals from 99 Indian ethnic groups .
-
Launched in 2020 with collaboration from 20 scientific
institutions .
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Aims to create a baseline genetic diversity map for India.
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In future, it plans to sequence up to a million genomes .
Why is the Project Important?
- India’s Genetic Diversity
-
India has 4,600+ distinct population groups , making
genetic diversity
highly complex .
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Of the 135 million genetic variations found globally,
7
million are unique
to India and not in other databases.
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Helps identify India-specific genetic markers for
diseases.
- Medical and Healthcare Benefits
-
Helps in identifying genetic basis of diseases.
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Enables development of targeted therapies and
precision
medicine .
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Can identify resistance-indicating variations (e.g., why
some people don’t
respond to anesthesia).
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Example: MYBPC3 mutation linked to early cardiac
arrest
(4.5% in
India vs.
global average).
Second Phase – What’s Next?
- Focus on sequencing people with specific diseases .
- Comparing diseased genomes with healthy ones to identify genetic triggers
.
- Studying how genetic changes occur when a person is affected by
a disease.
- Identifying disease-prone populations and developing
early
intervention measures .
Data Privacy and Sharing
- Highly sensitive data , not publicly available.
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Only accessible to partner research institutes .
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Data is double-blinded to maintain anonymity:
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Samples sequenced at partner institutes.
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Encoded before upload to a central database.
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Re-decoded only for research sharing.
Economic and Policy Implications
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Boosts indigenous research and reduces dependency on
foreign
genetic
databases .
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Can inform healthcare policies for disease prevention.
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Helps in drug development and personalized medicine .
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Potential application in forensic science and ancestry studies .
