The Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, recently chosen for human Covid-19 vaccine trial, has taken up advanced next generation sequencing study of SARS-CoV-2 virus in collaboration with Delhi-based Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Keeping in view the situation emerging out of the Coronavirus pandemic in Odisha and the rising number of cases, the project’s objective will be to understand the Covid-19 molecular and transmission pattern in the State, Director (Research), IMS and SUM Hospital Dr Jayashankar Das said.
Dr Das, who is the Lead Investigator of the project, said the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing would be carried out not only to understand the transmission ability, mutation and evolution of the virus but also to develop quick strategy for effective screening and new diagnostics.
“Six clusters of human Coronavirus were randomly found in India of which presence of four had been confirmed in different parts of Odisha. We propose to conduct sequencing of 500 viral genomes to understand the mild, moderate and critical coronavirus infection along with its transmission capabilities,” he said.
