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Raipur, November 18, 2024: India has launched the ‘One Day One Genome’ initiative to showcase enormous microbial potential of India, official sources said today.
‘One Day One Genome’ initiative will highlight the unique bacterial species found in our country and emphasize their critical roles in environment, agriculture and the human health.
Centre’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) introduces the ‘One Day One Genome’ initiative to showcase enormous microbial potential of India.
Amitabh Kant, India’s G-20 Sherpa and Former CEO NITI had announced the launch of ‘One Day One Genome Initiative’ on the 1st foundation day of BRIC held in National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi on November 9, 2024.
‘One Day One Genome’ initiative will highlight the unique bacterial species found in our country and emphasize their critical roles in environment, agriculture and the human health. Microorganisms are crucial for our ecosystem. They play an important role in all biogeochemical cycles, soil formation, mineral purification, degradation of organic wastes and toxic pollutants along with methane production. Cumulatively they help to maintain the homeostasis in our planet.
In agriculture, they help in nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, maintaining soil fertility, controlling pest and weeds and stress responses.
Microorganisms symbiotically associate with plants and help them in nutrient and water uptake. They are indispensable part of human body. There are much more microbial cells than the number of human cells in a human body. They are essential for our digestion, immunity and even mental health.
All infectious diseases are mainly caused by pathogenic microorganisms on the other hand non-pathogenic microorganisms are indispensable for our defense against infectious diseases.
Genome sequencing will allow the visualization of the hidden potential of the microbial world to the community at large. Sequencing data can be analyzed to identify the genome encoded capacities for various important enzymes, antimicrobial resistance, bio active compounds etc. Research in this field will lead to the benefit of better protection and management of our environment, development in agriculture and improvement in human health.
This initiative coordinated by Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (BRIC-NIBMG) an institute of the Department of Biotechnology. This initiative aims a release a fully annotated bacteriological genome isolated in the country freely available to the public. This will be complemented with a detailed graphical summary, infographics and genome assembly/annotation details. These documents will thus give an idea about the scientific and industrial use of these microbes.
Consequently, microbial genomics data will become more accessible to the general public, scientific researchers and thereby stimulate discussions; innovations directly benefit the entire community and ecosystem, the sources added.
