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Context

• The Human Genome Project is two-thirds through- the Department of Biotechnology.

What is a genome?

• Every organism’s genetic code is contained in its Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid (DNA), the building blocks of life.
• A genome, simply put, is all the genetic matter in an organism.
• It is defined as “an organism’s complete set of DNA, including all of its genes.
• Each genome contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism.
• In humans, a copy of the entire genome — more than 3 billion DNA base pairs — is contained in all cells that have a nucleus”.

Genome India Project

About

• Taking inspiration from the Human Genome Project, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) initiated the ambitious “Genome India Project” (GIP) on 3rd January 2020. It is a Central Sector Project.

Aim

• The GIP aims to collect 10,000 genetic samples from citizens across India, to build a reference genome. The genome contains all the genetic matter in an organism, i.e., the complete set of DNAs. 

Goal

• The goal of the research is to develop predictive diagnostic indicators for several high-priority diseases and other uncommon and genetic disorders.
• In phase 2, the project would collect genetic samples from patients with three broad categories - cardiovascular diseases, mental illness, and cancer.
• Through whole-genome sequencing, the plan is to build an exhaustive catalogue of genetic variations for the Indian population.

Targeted areas

• Some of the priority areas are Precision health, Rare genetic disorders, Mutation spectrum of genetic and complex diseases in the Indian population, Genetic Epidemiology of Multifactorial Lifestyle Diseases, and Translational Research.

Significance

Predictive Diagnostic Markers

• Whole-genome sequencing and subsequent data analysis of the genetic data of these 10,000 individuals would be carried out. This would aid our understanding of the nature of diseases affecting the Indian population, and then ultimately support the development of predictive diagnostic markers.

Add greatly to the current information about the human species

• This is a landmark initiative, particularly because it would bring valuable addition to existing genome research, which has so far been limited to the Western context. It allows India to draw upon its tremendous genetic diversity, given the series of large migrations historically, and thus, add greatly to the current information about the human species.
• This would aid in the designing of genome-wide association chips which will facilitate further large-scale genetic studies in a cost-effective manner.

Next-Generation Personalized Medicine 

• Furthermore, it would also open new vistas for advancing next-generation personalized medicinein the country, paving the way for predicting health and disease outcomes and modulating treatment protocols based on the genome sequences.

Targeted Preventive Care

• The initiative would also support the development of targeted preventive care, as it has the potential to help identify those population groups which are more susceptible to various risk factors for certain diseases.
• For instance, if a region shows a tendency towards a specific disease, customized interventions can be made in the region, accordingly, leading to more effective treatment overall.

Precision Medicine

• This initiative reflects India’s progress in gene therapies and precision medicine, and its movement towards emerging next-generation medicine which yields the possibilities for greater customization, safety, and earlier detection.
• This initiative would help lay the foundation of personalized healthcare for a very large group of persons on the planet.

HUMAN GENOME PROJECT: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/human-genome-project

Precision Medicine:

A form of medicine that uses information about a person's own genes or proteins to prevent, diagnose, or treat disease.

Precision medicine is an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person. This approach allows doctors and researchers to predict more accurately which treatment and prevention strategies for a particular disease will work in which groups of people.

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Genome India Project is a landmark initiative, particularly because it would bring valuable addition to existing genome research, which has so far been limited to the Western context. Throw light on the broader goals and objectives of the Genome India Project.

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