Chandigarh: IMTech all equipped to carry out whole-genome sequencing – The Indian Express

With Covid-19 cases rising in Chandigarh since the last week, and with the first case of Omicron detected in the city, the Chandigarh Administration had been considering starting whole-genome sequencing of Covid samples in the city. The samples are now being sent to the National Centre of Disease Control, Delhi for testing, with the report taking about two weeks.

Dr Sanjeev Khosla, Director, IMTech, Chandigarh, which is part of the National Laboratory Network says, The Institute is all equipped and ready to carry out whole genome sequencing of the samples as and when received from the Chandigarh Administration and neighbouring states. We have already informed the Chandigarh administration about our willingness and capabilities. It usually takes a minimum of seven days to process the samples for whole-genome sequencing.

The CSIR-IMTech is a research institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTech), Chandigarh, is part of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG), which is mandated to carry out genome sequencing for studying the virus variations of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains in India.

In August, the Department of Virology, PGI, had done a pilot project on genome sequencing of some samples. According to Prof. Surjit Singh, Director PGI, whole-genome sequencing for Covid is not in the mandate of PGI, as the institute is involved in a host of other services related to patient care, with the OPD numbers very high. We are also taking care of mentoring and training for doctors across the region. Genome sequencing for other diseases in the Department of Paediatrics is being done for more than 13 years now, adds Prof. Singh.

Prof. Mini P Singh, Professor and Nodal Officer, Covid-19 Testing at PGIMER, says, We are involved in so many diagnostic portfolios in the Department of Virology, so we cant justify the work of whole-genome sequencing. Here at PGI, we are deeply immersed in diagnostics and patient care and are also handling seven portfolios of the ICMR, and the idea is to do the best in your area of work. Also, this is an extremely sensitive area, and a lot of criteria have to be fulfilled before you can even apply for such a facility. Also, there is a dedicated system and experts needed to run such a facility, and we dont have a Next-Gen Sequencer in Virology. Since March 2020, we have been doing Covid testing 247 and testing close to 2,000 samples a day, even when the cases were not too many. None of the premier institutes in the country are doing this kind of work, and we want to focus and give our best to the diagnostic services and portfolios at hand.

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Chandigarh: IMTech all equipped to carry out whole-genome sequencing - The Indian Express