Indigen program: important upsc topic: The aim of the programme was to undertake whole genome sequencing of thousands of individuals representing diverse ethnic groups from India with the objective to enable genetic epidemiology and develop public health technologies applications using population genome data.
Results from the extensive computation analysis of the 1029 sequenced genomes from India were published recently.
- This analysis was carried out under IndiGen Program.
Key findings:
- The analysis led to the identification of 55,898,122 single nucleotide variants in the India genome dataset.
- Comparisons with the global genome datasets revealed that 18,016,257 (32.23%) variants were unique and found only in the samples sequenced from India. This emphasizes the need for an India centric population genomic initiative.
Scientists have now analysed genomes (complete DNA set) of 1,029 healthy Indians. … In order to fill the gap of whole genome sequences from different populations in India, CSIR initiated the IndiGen programme in April 2019. The programme completed the entire genome sequencing of the 1,029 self-declared health Indians.
Why this genome data is significant? What can it be used for?
- It helps to classify variants involved in mendelian disorders and improve precision medicine outcomes.
- The resource can also enable the identification of markers for carrier screening, variations causing genetic diseases, prevention of adverse events and provide better diagnosis and optimal therapy through mining data of clinically actionable pharmacogenetic variants.
- The data will allow researchers to build Indian-specific reference genome dataset and efficiently impute haplotype information. This resource can provide useful insights for clinicians and researchers in comprehending genetics not only at the population level but at the individual level.
About the Genomics for Public Health in India (IndiGen) programme: IndiGen Project
CSIR initiated the Program in April 2019.
It aims to undertake whole genome sequencing of thousands of individuals representing diverse ethnic groups from India.
- The objective is to enable genetic epidemiology and develop public health technologies applications using population genome data. indigen program upsc
What is Gene Sequencing?
Genome sequencing is figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome—the order of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanines, and Thymine that make up an organism’s DNA. Human genome. It is made up of 23 chromosome pairs with a total of about 3 billion DNA base pairs.
A genome is the DNA or sequence of genes in a cell.
- Most of the DNA is in the nucleus and intricately coiled into a structure called the chromosome.
- Every human cell contains a pair of chromosomes, each of which has three billion base pairs or one of four molecules that pair in precise ways
- The order of base pairs and varying lengths of these sequences constitute the “genes”.
Sequencing a genome means deciphering the exact order of base pairs in an individual.