In a boost to efforts to carry out genome sequencing in Telangana, Gandhi Hospital will now have a full-fledged genome sequencing lab in the medical college premises. The lab, funded in collaboration with the state government's funds, will be able to test 48 samples in one batch, the results of which would be obtained in three days.
On Monday, the lab took its first set of samples. Previously, they tested a batch of COVID samples and sequenced them, the results of which were shared with the National Institute of Virology, (NIV) Pune and were found to be 100 per cent accurate upon cross-verification. After this go-ahead from NIV, the lab started full-time sequencing work.
"The lab has been set up with funding by Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) and the Telangana State government has supported us with all reagents and other equipment to increase genome testing," said Dr Naga Mani, HOD, Gandhi Hospital, Virology Department.
The doctors have also trained their staff on how to extract the DNA and use the software for bioinformatic analysis of the samples to determine which variant the samples correspond to.