BENGALURU: While Westerners come to India for sun therapy, there are many Indians who use high-level ultraviolet (UV) protection sunscreen in large quantities to protect themselves from the UV-A and B rays. There are also many instances where drugs developed based on European standards have not suited Indian body types, or have shown strong resistance. A particular community in Andhra Pradesh is resistant to anaesthesia, so doctors here inquire about people’s backgrounds before undertaking operations and medical procedures.
All this is because of the diverse, yet unique, gene pool each individual has. Geneticists studying gene diversity said these are some of the many findings they have discovered. They point out that a person’s genes and lifestyle play a crucial role in shaping an individual. It also plays a role in protecting one from diseases and builds immunity. Each individual is unique, and his/her genetics shape that uniqueness. How and to what extent individuals are different, yet connected, is what scientists and experts from Centre for Brain Research Centre (CBR), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), are studying under the Genome India project.
“The project started in January 2020, and in January 2025, a report was submitted to the Department of Biotechnology, under the Ministry of Science and Technology. We sequenced over 10,000 samples from 83 population groups (people categorised based on their tribe, caste, region etc). So far, 130 million genetic variants have been found. Of this, 10% have been found to have unique variations. Further studies are on to understand the uniqueness for drug resistance and medical implications. Diversity mapping of heterogeneous diseases burden across India is also being studied,” said CBR Associate Professor Bratati Kahali, heading the programme.
CBR is the coordinating centre for the study and along with 19 other centres, it forms the consortium. Team researchers said the study will help understand the migration pattern of humans over thousands of years. India has the second largest diverse gene pool after Africa, and very little is known about it. The gene study will help understand the disease susceptibility, pharma co-genomic implications and reasons for various drug responses. The study will also help understand the reasons for immunological influences, resistance to drugs and other infections and diseases like Covid.
Bratati said the interest in this study increased post pandemic where many were found Covid-resistant. The study will help understand the population-wide disease burden by studying their genetic variations. Brain is complex and its study and research is catching the attention of people. The study is helping understand how the human body reacts and responds to particular issues and see if there are similar linkages elsewhere and, if so, why with the help of gene analysis.