From Independence to Innovation: How India and Genomics Grew Together
Although DNA was discovered in the latter half of the 19th century, when Friedrich Miescher isolated the hereditary material that was later understood to be DNA, the attempt to decode it was made only in 1944 – when Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty demonstrated its role as carrier of genetic information, laying the foundation for the genomic era.
The 1950s & 60s witnessed India's investment in building expertise, with the establishment of CSIR, ICMR, and the IITs. Similarly, on the other side, expertise in genomics was evolving, with Rosalind Franklin's X-ray images showing the DNA structure, Watson and Crick deciphering this structure, and early tools for reading it beginning to emerge.
During the 1960s and 70s as India launched its space program, expanded higher education, and began investing in biotechnology, on the genomics front, Frederick Sanger, Allan Maxam, and Walter Gilbert developed methods to sequence DNA and genomics witnessed the birth of recombinant DNA technology giving way to the development of the first drug, human insulin, in 1982.
The 1990s brought global integration for India. India's market was unlocked because of Economic liberalisation, unleashing new opportunities in IT, healthcare, and biotechnology. It was also a turning point in the genomics revolution with the launch of the
Human Genome Project
, aided by automated
DNA sequencing
and the mapping of disease-related genes. The project was aimed at identifying all the genes in human DNA and determining the sequences of the 3 billion base pairs that make up that DNA.
The project took 13 years to complete. Its results opened doors to a new era of precision medicine and targeted disease management. In parallel, the dawn of the millennium also ushered in India as a global services hub. For Indian healthcare, this was also the era of several breakthroughs in clinical research and generics.
The last couple of decades have been defined by leadership and innovation. India's digital revolution and the start-up boom showed the world its ability to lead in both scale and speed.
In genomics, new technologies such as
CRISPR genome editing
and next-generation sequencing (NGS) have brought rapid improvements in throughput and cost, making NGS mainstream for research and clinical applications.
Global quality genetic diagnostic tests, which can identify the root cause of complex diseases, are now available in India at affordable costs.
High-end genetic tests developed in India and validated and backed by credible research stand testimony to India's scientific excellence, innovation, and talent, while also reiterating the country's commitment to its Make in India initiative.
Population-scale projects like the
Genome India Project
aimed at sequencing one million genomes, a national effort by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to build a comprehensive reference genome for India, reflect India's contribution to advancing genomics, strengthening precision medicine and ensuring that genomics led early intervention and disease management are accessible to India's diverse and dynamic landscape.
As we celebrate the 79th year of independent India, this reflection on India's remarkable journey in parallel with the journey of the source code of our life, our DNA, highlights not just the freedom of governance, but the freedom to have healthier, longer, and better lives.
The article is written by Dr Venkataswamy Eswarachari, Senior Director, Lab Operations, MedGenome
(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETHealthworld.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETHealthworld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly)
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