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First project to map genomes in the Indian Ocean

Posted on March 5, 2021 by admin1  55

In News –CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has been commissioned to conduct genome and proteome mapping (micronutrients) present inside single-cell organisms in the Indian ocean.

Key Points

  • The 90-day long expedition will start from the east coast of India, travelling all the way to the Southern hemisphere up to 30 degrees south, touching upon waters between Australia Maldives and ending at Goa, covering over 9000 nautical miles.
  • Scientists expect to go as deep as six kilometres into the Indian ocean to collect samples using the non-metallic system to avoid any biological contamination.
  • The scientists will use next-generation sequencing (massively parallel sequencing of DNA fragments) and Sanger sequencing techniques (single DNA fragments at a time) to extract genetic information of the organisms they come across.
  • They will also collect sediments and use piston and gravity coring techniques in the ocean.
  • They will use 8000m long Kevlar cable and famous McLane pumps to collect water and check for particulate matters.
  • The project will also map the genetic diversity of organisms, micronutrients and trace metals in them.
    • The efforts will be to check the presence of micronutrients such as Iron, Zinc, Magnesium and trace-metals such as Cadmium, Cobalt, Copper and so on.

Objectives

  • To identify and characterise the genes and proteins in the ocean to understand the cellular level operations of organisms in the ocean.

Significance –

  • It may help in strengthening the country’s research into commercial biotechnology applications including anticancer treatments as well as help understands new climate change patterns.
  • The Indian Ocean is the third-largest in size and plays a great role in the functioning of climate, regulating atmospheric oxygen.
    • These studies will allow us to understand cellular biochemistry and the response of the ocean to climate change, nutrient stress, increasing pollution.
    • Exploration of the ocean at a genetic level will result in new insights into taxonomy to optimise conservation effort.

What is a Genome?

  • Every organism’s genetic code is contained in its Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid (DNA), the building blocks of life.
  • Genome refers to an organism’s complete set of DNA, which includes all its genes and mapping these genes simply means finding out the location of these genes in a chromosome.
  • Each genome contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism.

Genome Mapping –

  • Genome mapping, therefore, essentially means figuring out the location of a specific gene on a particular region of the chromosome and also determining the location of and relative distances between other genes on that chromosome.
  • Genome mapping enables scientists to gather evidence if a disease transmitted from the parent to the child is linked to one or more genes.
  •  Furthermore, mapping also helps in determining the particular chromosome which contains that gene and the location of that gene in the chromosome.

 Human Genome Project (HGP) –

  • It was an international programme that led to the decoding of the entire human genome.
  • It has been described as “one of the great feats of exploration in history.
  • It Began on October 1, 1990, and completed in April 2003.
  •  HGP gave us the ability to read nature’s complete genetic blueprint for building a human being.

The ‘Genome India’ Project

  • This is being spearheaded by the Centre for Brain Research at Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science as the nodal point of about 20 institutions, each doing its bit in collecting samples, doing the computations, and then the research.
  •  Its aim is to ultimately build a grid of the Indian “reference genome”, to fully understand the type and nature of diseases and traits that comprise the diverse Indian population.
  • For example, if the Northeast sees a tendency towards a specific disease, interventions can be made in the region, assisting public health, which makes it easier to battle the illness.

Source: TOI


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