India's First Tribal Genome project

Science & Technology

Why in News?

Gujarat has launched India’s first Tribal Genome Project to address inherited diseases by mapping the genetic makeup of tribal populations.

About India's First Tribal Genome project

What it is: A genomic research project to sequence the genomes of 2,000 tribal individuals from 17 districts of Gujarat to promote precision medicine.
Implemented by: Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC).
Objectives: Identify genetic risk markers for inherited diseases likess
- Sickle cell anaemia
- Thalassemia
- Hereditary cancers
Develop personalised healthcare based on tribal genetic data.
Promote science-based tribal empowerment and health equity.

Genome Sequencing

A genome is the complete set of DNA in an organism, including all genes and regions between the genes.
Human DNA is organized into 23 pairs of chromosomes.
Each chromosome is made of a long strand of DNA, consisting of millions of nucleotides (also called bases).
There are four types of nucleotide bases:
- Adenine (A)
- Thymine (T)
- Guanine (G)
- Cytosine (C)
These bases are arranged in varied combinations and sequences, repeated millions of times.
Whole-genome sequencing means decoding the entire DNA sequence in a human cell, i.e., finding the exact order of the four bases (A, T, G, and C).

Q. Which Indian state has launched the country’s first Tribal Genome Project?

(1) Maharashtra
(2) Odisha
(3) Gujarat
(4) Madhya Pradesh

Answer: (3) Gujarat