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Mega lab and Genome sequence

  • August 13, 2020
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Subject: Science and tech

Context:

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is working on developing “mega labs” to ramp up testing for COVID-19 as well as improve the accuracy rate.

Concept:

  • These labs will be repurposing large machines, called Next Generation Sequencing machines (NGS), which are normally used for sequencing human genomes, to sequence 1,500 to 3,000 viral genomes at a go to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
  • They can substantially detect the presence of the virus even in several instances where the traditional RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests fail.
  • RT-PCR test identifies the SARS-CoV-2 virus by exploring only specific sections, whereas the genome method can read a bigger chunk of virus genome and thereby provide more certainty that the virus is present
  • It can also trace the evolutionary history of the virus and track mutations more reliably.
  • Unlike the RT-PCR that needs primers and probes, a key hurdle in operationalising such tests on a mass scale early on in the pandemic, the NGS only needs custom reagents.
Mega lab and Genome sequence Science and tech

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