Kerala breaks free from centralized testing, sequencing

Sub: Sci

Sec: Health

Context:

On July 20, the Thiruvananthapuram-based Institute of Advanced Virology tested the Nipah virus sample in four hours and conveyed the result to the State government.

Institute of Advanced Virology, Kerala:

The Institute of Advanced Virology (IAV) has been established by the Government of Kerala through Kerala Biotechnology Commission (KBC) of Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) in the wake of the 2018 Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala.
The Institute will strengthen epidemic preparedness, rapid response and risk communication to the public apart from the high-end research in the area of basic as well as translational virology.
The Institute shall have the biosafety level measures to handle high-risk viruses (Biosafety Level 3 initially and eventually to Level 4.
The Institute has for the first time carried out partial sequencing of the Nipah virus genome.

What is Genome sequencing?

Genome sequencing is the process of determining the entirety, or nearly the entirety, of the DNA sequence of an organism’s genome at a single time.
The first virus to have its complete genome sequenced was the Bacteriophage MS2 by 1976.
Genome sequencing is performed through 4 main steps:
- DNA shearing: Scientists begin by using molecular scissors to cut the DNA, which is composed of millions of bases (A, C, T, and G), into pieces that are small enough for the sequencing machine to read.
- DNA barcoding: Scientists add small pieces of DNA tags, or bar codes, to identify which piece of sheared DNA belongs to which bacteria. This is similar to how a bar code identifies a product at a grocery store.
- DNA sequencing: The bar-coded DNA from multiple bacteria is combined and put in a DNA sequences. The sequencer identifies the A, C, T, and G, or bases, that make up each bacterial sequence. The sequencer uses the bar code to keep track of which bases belong to which bacteria.
- Data analysis: Scientists use computer analysis tools to compare sequences from multiple bacteria and identify differences. The number of differences can tell the scientists how closely related the bacteria are, and how likely it is that they are part of the same outbreak.

Whole genome sequencing should not be confused with DNA profiling, which only determines the likelihood that genetic material came from a particular individual or group, and does not contain additional information on genetic relationships, origin or susceptibility to specific diseases