Tue Apr 08 14:52:36 UTC 2025: ## GenomeIndia Project Reveals 180 Million Genetic Variants in Indian Population
**Chennai, April 9, 2025** – Preliminary findings from the GenomeIndia project, published in *Nature Genetics*, reveal 180 million genetic variants in the Indian population. The study, a collaborative effort of 20 institutions, analyzed the whole genomes of 9,772 healthy, unrelated individuals from 85 diverse populations across India – including both tribal and non-tribal groups.
Researchers collected blood samples from approximately 20,000 individuals, with DNA from 10,074 undergoing whole genome sequencing. The data, deposited in the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC), includes approximately 100 samples from each population, allowing for the identification of relatively rare variants crucial for understanding complex diseases.
The analysis identified 130 million variants in non-sex chromosomes and 50 million in sex chromosomes. Dr. Kumarasamy Thangaraj of the CSIR-CCMB, a corresponding author of the study, explained that researchers are now investigating the functional relevance of these variants, focusing on those linked to diseases, drug responses, and adverse drug effects. The data will be used to create a panel of variants for future genotyping studies and to correlate genetic and disease associations within the Indian population.
Potential applications of the findings include developing low-cost diagnostic kits and personalized medicine approaches. The information on variants associated with specific diseases could lead to better disease diagnostics and predictions of drug responses, paving the way for precision medicine in India. A more detailed paper is expected in the coming months.
First Piper 