Genome Sequencing

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – Most States ‘still lax in Covid genomic analysis’.

Concept –

Genome sequencing is figuring out theorder of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome—the order of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanines, and Thymine that make up an organism’s DNA.
For RNA viruses like SARS-CoV2, mutation is a normal process. It happens often when they replicate themselves in the cells. Sometimes, such mutations around the spike protein region — which the virus uses to gain entry into the human cells — can be a concern. So, there is a need to regularly monitor such mutations.
Proper collection and genomic sequencing of these samples are important for detecting the emergence of variants that have potential to set off another wave of the pandemic.

Indian SARS-CoV2 Genomics Sequencing Consortium (INSACOG)

This is a network of 28 national laboratories — jointly set up by the Health Ministry, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research — has been sequencing samples collected from all over the country since the emergence of alpha variant (B.1.1.7) in the UK.
INSACOG is a multi-laboratory, multi-agency, Pan-India network to monitor genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 by a sentinel sequencing effort