As part of the Genome India Project, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of over 2,000 individuals spanning different ethnic, linguistic and socio-cultural sections of the northeastern states will now be carried out.

The aim is to identify the genetic disease burden of specific subsets of populations, which will have far-reaching implications in improving the healthcare landscape of this region.

Imphal-based Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) is a national institute of the Department of Biotechnology and it will be actively collaborating with the Genome lndia initiative undertaken by the Centre for Brain Research at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

This will lead to a new understanding of the different ethnic groups of India,  which puts India in a unique position for the mapping of the human genome.

The objective of this initiative is to systematically document the genetic information from whole genome sequencing for thousands of Indian individuals belonging to different geographical locations and diverse population groups across the country. It is also meant to facilitate genome wide association studies at a cheaper cost in India for any genetic disease or trait.