- Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan on July 20, 2019 inaugurated the Next Generation Sequencing (NSG) facility at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad.
- The facility includes technology for high genome sequencing and also diagnostic sequencing of clinical samples. The state of art machine, acquired at a cost of Rs. 8 crore can sequence 18,000 samples in 8 minutes. The NSG would help prenatal genetic screening and counselling, thereby generating large scale genomic data critical for diagnosis and therapy.
- Dr Harsh Vardhan also laid the foundation stone for a new Skilling, Training and Lecture hall complex at CCMB.
- The NSG facility would help in finding drugs for rare genetic diseases, which the drug industry does not manufacture due to high costs involved. He said there is a need to develop Scientific Social Responsibility and ensure that research is transferred to industry, and help the public at large.
