Genome surveillance for north east region begins

New centre has capacity to take up 1,500 samples a month

The newly-established Centre for Infectious Diseases at the CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat (NEIST), Assam, has been equipped with state-of-the art genome sequencing facility to lead the genome surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 for the country’s north east region. “We have just started genome sequencing of 600 samples this month, and this will be increased to 1,000 next month. We have the capacity to take up 1,500 samples a month for real-time surveillance to understand the spread, transmission, fatality dynamics of COVID, response to vaccines and for identifying mutations,” said director Narahari Sastry. “We are now receiving samples from all north east states; otherwise genome sequencing was being done in a sporadic manner. In fact, INSACOG or Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium database had only 0.71% samples sequenced from this region indicating under-representation and critical dearth of genome surveillance, The government included us in this critical exercise realising the possibility of a third wave,” he said, in an exclusive interaction.