Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : For improving the understanding of the nuances of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing and its public health relevance in the context of the pandemic, the Department of Biotechnology, GoI, on April 23, 2021, conducted a public webinar on the “Genome Sequencing of SARS-CoV-19“.
The webinar aimed at demystifying the science behind mutations in the viral genome, viral genome sequencing, and public health implications of the mutations in the viral genome. A panel of experts from various reputed institutes and organisations discussed different aspects of genome sequencing and highlighted the importance of sequencing the Genome of SARS-CoV-19, and the work done by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium in ascertaining the presence of variants of SARS-CoV-2, establishing sentinel surveillance for early detection, and determining the genomic variants in the unusual events/trends.
Dr Suchita Ninawe, Adviser/ Scientist -G, DBT, gave an overview about the Genome Sequencing of SARS-CoV-19 and said that this webinar aims at simplifying the science behind mutations and genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-19 for easier understanding of common man.
Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, in her address, said that the main purpose of this webinar was to make it easier for the public to understand the need for viral genome sequencing, the process through which viral variants emerge naturally and their relevance in terms of various aspects of public health.
Dr Shekhar C. Mande, Secretary- DSIR & DG-CSIR, in his opening remarks explained different mutations and virus strains. He said that mutations arise through spontaneous errors during the replication of the virus. Some mutations may allow the virus to survive better and evade antibody response and therefore can provide selective advantage to the virus.
After the opening session, a technical session was held which was chaired by Dr Shahid Jameel, Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Group of the INSACOG. In this session, eminent panellists discussed a range of themes, from virus structures to simplifying mutants, different aspects of mutation, understanding of the so-called double and triple mutations, and the public health relevance of all this, according to a PIB release.
In the backdrop of reports of emergence of variants of the SARS-CoV-2 in the UK and some other parts of the world, the Government of India had established a national multi-agency consortium, Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortium (INSACOG) in December 2020, comprising ten laboratories of the Department of Biotechnology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHF&W) with the overall aim of monitoring the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 on a regular basis. The responsibility to correlate the clinical aspects and coordinate the collection of samples from states, for this purpose, was provided to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), MoHFW. INSACOG has a data repository at IGIB, New Delhi, and NIBMG, Kalyani.