India completes landmark sequencing of 10,000 healthy genomes

NEW DELHI: India has completed the sequencing 10,000 healthy genomes from different regions of the country, the Minister for Science, Technology, Atomic Energy and Space Dr. Jitendra Singh announced yesterday. This will lead to the creation of gene-based remedies for illnesses, new healthcare strategies and better public health. Genome sequencing is an advanced scientific technique of identifying the unique DNA fingerprint of all organisms, including humans. It leads to advanced disease detection, according to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). India has an ambitious programme of large-scale human genetic studies, which will place India on the world map of genome research, said Dr. Suchita Ninawe, Advisor, to India's Department of Bio-Technology, at the event announcing the completion of 10,000 cases of genome sequencing. Dr. Singh said India's bio-economy has grown 13-fold in the last decade from a worth of $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion this year. He added that the biotec hnology sector has seen a rapid growth in the last 10 years and India is now among the top 12 bio-manufacturers in the world. He said the government has created Genome India, a consortium of 20 national scientific institutes to advance collaborative, nation-wide, mission-oriented scientific partnerships. Source: Emirates News Agency