Recently, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) officially announced the completion of the ‘10,000 genome’ project. In all, 99 distinct population groups were covered by the project.
- It is an attempt to create a reference database of whole-genome sequences out of India.
- With each sequence requiring 80 GB storage space, the huge dataset of 8 petabytes will be stored at the Indian Biological Data Centre in Faridabad. This dataset will be made available to researchers as “digital public good.”
- The Indian population of 1.3 billion consists of over 4,600 population groups, and many of them are endogamous. These factors have contributed to the genetic diversity of the current population.
- India first sequenced a complete human genome in 2006, The United Kingdom, China, and the United States are among the countries that have programmes to sequence at least 1,00,000 of their genomes.
- The Genome India project was approved by the government in 2020 with the aim of creating a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variations found in the Indian population.
Genome sequencing
- The human genome is essentially a biological instruction manual that we inherit from our parents.
- It is a tome written with just four letters, A,C,G, and T — the four bases that come together to create everyone’s unique genetic makeup.
- There are around 3 billion pairs of bases in the complete human genome. This contains all the information needed to create your physical form and maintain it throughout life.
- A map of genetic diversity is essential for understanding the history of our evolution, discovering the genetic basis for various diseases, and creating therapies of the future.
