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Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Gujarat to create genome database of tribal communities: what's the project, why
In a first in the country, the Gujarat government has announced a genome sequencing project to create a database from 29 tribal groups across 17 districts of the state. The exercise, a local extension of the recently completed Genome India Project (GIP), will be carried out over the next five years. The entire eastern belt of Gujarat, which shares borders with Rajasthan in the north, Madhya Pradesh in the east and Maharashtra in the south, has districts with a predominantly tribal population. The Genome India Project — its report was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January — saw 10,000 genomes from 83 diverse groups processed and stored at the Indian Biological Data Centre. It had around 1,800 samples from Gujarat, which included around 100 samples from tribal communities, not enough to represent them. Thus, the Gujarat Tribal Genome Sequencing Project aims to gain critical insight into the genetic makeup of these tribal groups, which, at 15% of the state's population, consist of approximately 1 crore people. This initiative is also expected to enrich the Central Genome India dataset. The project, approved in the Gujarat budget of 2025-26, will be helmed by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC). Implications of the project Mona Khandhar, Principal Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, said the understanding of genome characteristics will help the government in making more focused programmes. Subject enrollment will take place after a formal launch of the project by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, so that awareness begins before field researchers go to the villages. 'Our field teams will seek help from the local administration, communities, as well as the political leadership. This is why it was important to explain the project to MPs and MLAs. We are also taking help from researchers at Birsa Munda Bhavan and the Tribal Development Department,' said a scientist involved in the project. The project's six-point agenda includes capturing the unique diversity of India's population, improving diagnosis of rare diseases, supporting development of novel drugs, developing precision medical treatments tailored to genetic profiles, building a genomic reference panel for the tribal population, and boosting public health research infrastructure. Many among the tribal communities from Gujarat have excelled in sports. Director of GBRC Prof Chaitanya Joshi said, 'These tribes can be very good in, say, archery, or skills other communities may not have. So what are the genes associated with that? With this project, skill sets associated with genes can be identified.' Health aspect Health problems like malnutrition, anaemia, low BMI, prevalence of genetic diseases like sickle cell anaemia, G6PD deficiency are common in the tribal communities in Gujarat. Scientist and Joint Director at the GBRC Amrutlal K Patel said, 'So far, the medicines developed have been studied on the western population and we haven't explored the Indian genome. Diseases are more prevalent in specific communities and ethnicity also due to the Indian tradition of endogamy, as a result of which genome variations are conserved within castes.' Patel gave an example of how deaths due to organ failure were reported in certain tribes when they crossed 30 years of age. Two years ago, the GBRC researched some patients and their first degree family members, and found this was due to the mutation of the transthyretin (TTR) gene, resulting in the aggregation of protein that reached the organs, causing failure. Some mutations increase the chances of a disease, for instance BRCA1 and 2 genes in breast cancer. These are generally detected after 50 years of age and after tests. 'We can identify these in advance and design a policy that can prevent the prevalence of breast cancer. All these measures decline the disease burden on the community and thus the state government,' a scientist said. The process As part of this project, scientists will collect samples from 4,158 individuals from various tribal communities, including data on their physical measurements and blood biochemistry, and create a 2,000-strong diverse database of tribal genomes. 'We will genotype the samples and remove those that are genetically close to each other. Out of 4,158, we will do SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) type genotyping and take those with the most diverse genetics. The precaution is also because there might be bias during sample collection, which can then be eliminated at the analysis stage,' an official said. Of these, 378 will be trio samples. This means that samples will be taken of three members of the same family, including an individual as well as his/her biological parents. The other 3,780 will be individual samples. Apart from blood samples, stool samples will also be collected for microbial information. The role of the tribal department, according to Shahmeena Husain, principal secretary, will be to facilitate the technical team. 'We will facilitate the technical team as it will be a task to convince people to give samples.' Apart from name, education, medical history, information collected would include genealogical tree and addictions, physical characteristics like height, weight, BP, blood sugar, and waist measurement. The analysis After the samples have been collected, they will be stored at GBRC, where haematological and biochemical analysis of blood samples will take place. 'First, when the samples come from the field to the lab in Gandhinagar, they will be given Unique IDs. So those who receive the samples will neither know the gender nor the tribe of the person whose sample they are running through the process. This first round of encryption will be stored in our servers. Then, when it goes into the final process of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), the data will be encrypted for the second time,' said a researcher close to the project. Joshi said Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, which have 22% and 21% tribal population respectively, have shown interest in the project. 'Modalities on whether they want to be a part of it or contribute to it will be decided by the state, but if they approach us, we are ready.'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Gujarat to launch tribal genome mapping project across 17 districts
Ahmedabad: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Gujarat will begin a large-scale genome mapping project focusing exclusively on its tribal communities. Teams of scientists will travel to towns and villages in 17 districts with significant tribal populations to collect 4,158 biological samples, including blood, leading to the creation of about 2,000 whole genome sequences (WGS) representing over 20 tribal communities. Officials said that while Gujarat samples were earlier part of the national-level Genome India Project, this is the first dedicated effort to build a reference genome database solely for the tribal population of one state. The project, hailed as a major step in integrating science with tradition, was discussed during a session on 'Creation of Reference Genome Database for Tribal Population in Gujarat' held on Wednesday. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Kuber Dindor, minister of tribal development, and Kunwarji Halpati, minister of state (Tribal Development), chaired the session, which was attended by scientists from the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), officials from the department of science and technology, and tribal development experts. "This is the first such initiative in the country, focusing exclusively on tribal groups," said an official. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The genome data will provide valuable micro-level insights into the genetic health and diversity of Gujarat's tribal population, which constitutes nearly 15% of the state's total population. Communities involved in the study include Bamcha, Garasia Bhil, Dholi Bhil, Chaudhari, Dhanka, Tadvi, Valvi, Dubla, Gamit, Gond, Kathodi, Kukna, Kunbi, Nayaka, Pardhi, Patelia, Rathwa, Warli, Kotwalia, and others. The Sidi community, known for its African ancestry, from Amreli, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Rajkot, and Surendranagar will also be part of the initiative. As part of the study design, each tribe will include at least one genetic trio—samples collected from both parents and a child—to trace inherited genetic traits. The survey will involve only healthy individuals aged 18 and above, with no visible blood disorders. Officials also emphasized a target of 50% women representation in the sampling. Local administrative bodies will assist in information dissemination and obtaining informed consent. Dindor described the project as a bridge between science and tradition, adding that it will play a crucial role in addressing the health and welfare needs of tribal populations through personalized and community-level genetic insights. Pointers: Understanding Tribal Genetics - The project will provide a comprehensive repository of genetic markers that will help experts assess the probability of specific diseases or health conditions - National surveys have indicated a relatively higher prevalence of anaemia and malnutrition among the tribal population, along with a relatively higher infant mortality rate - Apart from health, the markers will help create a distinct profile of communities, ranging from genetic attributes to their interaction with larger population markers
India Today
24-04-2025
- Health
- India Today
Why White Blood Cells were used to study genetic past and future of Indians
The Genome India Project - one of India's most ambitious scientific undertaking recently unveiled findings from genetic makeup of over 10,000 project highlights personalised information about the DNA of Indians, what makes them unique from other populations and how information about our genetic makeup can transform the field of preventive in Nature Genetics, the study has analysed whole genomes – a process of complete analysis of genomes of an organism - of a huge population of the But what sets it apart is its unique study approach apart from 135 million genetic variations. Variants found in Indian genomes are not found anywhere around the world. (Photo: AFP) While other countries have used saliva, umbilical cord, or skin cells to extract DNA, Indian scientists have used White Blood Cells (WBCs) for the same are cells produced in the bone marrow and circulated in the bloodstream. Also known as leukocytes, they help protect the body from infections and IS GENETIC INDIA PROJECT?Genome India Project is a scientific study performed by collecting genomes of 10,000 healthy individuals across a collaborative project of 20 institutions, which began in 2020 with the funding of the Department of Biotechnology, to create a comprehensive reference for Indian genomic diversity, establish a robust biobank for future research, enable open access to genomic data, develop affordable genetic tools for diagnostics, pave the way for precision medicine in India, and inspire the next generation of genomic 160 samples from non-tribal groups and 75 samples from tribal groups were collected from 83 population groups. The samples were collected from unrelated individuals to ensure accurate analysis of mutation. Genome India Project is a scientific study performed by collecting genomes of 10,000 healthy individuals. (Photo: Getty) While explaining how mutations can help in analysing diseases over time, Dr. Kumaraswamy Thangaraj, Principal Investigator of Genome India Project told 'Certain mutations are disease-causing; some are distributed over the world, and some are Indian specific. We are looking at those kinds of mutations that will emerge only when we complete our analysis.'WHY HAVE THEY BEEN CHOSEN?The research conducted is unique because of the method of extracting genomes from the WBCs. They are chosen because of their stability, which helps in the accurate extraction of asked about the role WBCs play in genome extraction, 'Any cell is sufficient,' said Dr K Thangaraj. He further added, 'Our idea is to do some biochemical analysis, like creating cell lines, storing blood as such, or isolating cell lines if you store serum separately. All this cannot be done with saliva, as we may not get enough strength for further use.''WBCs are the least contaminated ones, and they consequently offer one of the best sequencing options to derive good quality data at different levels,' said Dr Ravi Gupta, Vice President, Bioinformatics at IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDYThe Department of Biotechnology has said that the variants found in Indian genomes are not found anywhere around the report also mentions the custom of marrying within the local communities, clan, or tribe, known as endogamy, as the reason for increased mutation rates within the population.'Certain mutations are associated with disease,' said Dr Thangaraj. 'If we put all these mutations into an array, the diagnosis of any disease can be developed more cheaply.' It's a collaborative project of 20 institutions. (Photo: Getty) advertisementTreatment for the diseases will depend on the response from the individual. This will be checked after analysing the reaction of individuals to the treatment.'Certain individuals may respond positively to the treatment. For them, the new treatment may work. But in some, it may produce adverse effects, leading to the development of new drug–personalized medicines,' said Dr choice of using WBCs has led to an understanding of gene-disease relationships in the genetically diverse population of the country. However, scientists say a clear understanding of these genetic variations is important for developing targeted treatments and preventive strategies for the Indian population.'The Indian population is endogamous. We find population-specific mutations. Some are very rare, some are disease-causing,' said Dr Thangaraj. 'We are analysing 10,000 genomes in detail, and we will find the actual impact on this and write a bigger paper after 2-3 months.'Must Watch
