Genome sequencing lab at MMCRI

Amid the Omicron threat, a genome sequencing laboratory in Mysuru is expected to be ready soon. The Mysore Medical College and Research Institute is awaiting the technical team from the government for installing the equipment procured for the hi-tech lab.

Such labs are coming up in four medical colleges in the State, including the MMCRI in Mysuru, to detect mutations of Coronavirus, thereby helping the authorities in taking adequate precautions against the mutated strains.

As the samples sent for genome sequencing are handled by a lab at NIMHANS, the government wanted to ease the burden on NIMHANS and set up similar lab facilities in four places in the State that could handle the samples sent for detecting mutations of virus.

Once the lab is fully functional, it will be part of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG) network.

INSACOG was set up in December last. It is a confederation of laboratories established for carrying out whole genome sequencing and surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants. These labs can detect mutations in case of an outbreak of new strains of virus. The Mysuru lab will be added to the consortium once it starts to analyse the samples.

MMCRI Dean and Director C.P. Nanjaraj said the samples from the medical colleges in the neighbouring districts will be sent to the new lab here once it becomes the part of the network.