Researchers at Gujarat’s government promoted lab Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) have succeeded in sequencing the whole genome of the coronavirus COVID-19. Researchers at the Gandhinagar-based lab have been able to identify its three new mutations.
Researchers at the institute are confident that the findings will help in developing medicines or vaccines needed to stop the spread of the deadly virus, which has wreaked havoc across the globe.
With this, the GBRC has become the second institute in India after the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune to decode the entire genome sequence of the virus, they said.
“The Gujarat government-run GBRC has become the second institute after the Pune-based NIV to decode the entire genome sequence of Covid-19 virus. Many research institutes in the country are trying to do it,” state Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi said.
She said the breakthrough is a matter of pride for Gujarat.
“The first genome sequence of the COVID-19 virus was found by Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Bejing on January 10. It was made public by China. After that, the GBRC has also done it here. It has found total nine mutations in its genome sequence,” she said.
Gujarat’s Chief Minister Office has heaped praise on the scientists for this unprecedented feat.”Gujarat is proud of scientists at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), the only State Govtlaboratory in India that has reported COVID19 whole genome sequence which will be helpful in tracking origin, drug targets, vaccine & association with virulence,” tweeted CMO Gujarat.
Genome sequencing is used to determine the complete DNA sequence of the genome of a particular organism. The approach for sequencing the coronavirus genome involves obtaining samples from patients that have tested positive for the deadly virus and sending these samples to a sequencing centre.
GBRC director Chaitanya Joshi said that six of the mutations were already found by other research institutes around the world. Three mutations, out of the total nine found by the GBRC, are new and it will help in determining how the virus is changing in our conditions.
