Covid genome sequencers lying defunct at two Rohtak institutes

Genome-sequencing equipment at PGIMS as well as Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) in Rohtak, which were launched with much fanfare to identify Covid variants, have been lying unused for want of reagents even as fresh cases of the disease are being reported from different parts of the state. Reagents are substances used to measure, detect or create other substances during chemical reactions conducted in laboratories.

A Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) facility was set up at the Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine of PGIMS in August 2022. Under the project, an Oxford Nanopore Sequencer machine was provided by the United States Agency for International Development.

“The machine was used to identify Covid variants in more than 100 samples, but is currently not in use for want of reagents,” said Dr Dhara Dhaulakhandi, Head, Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine at PGIMS. He said the institute’s administration had been requested to provide the requisite reagents.

A next-generation genome-sequencing laboratory, set up on the MDU campus at a cost of Rs 1.2 crore by Rockefeller Foundation in October 2021, is also not being used currently for want of reagents.

“We have not got any Covid samples from the PGIMS for identification of variants as of now. Genome sequencing may be resumed once we have the requisite reagents and start getting Covid samples,” said Prof Anil K Chhillar, the Principal Investigator of the project at MDU.

PGIMS Director, Prof Suresh Kumar Singhal, said efforts were being made to procure the requisite reagents from a Bangalore-based company as it is the only supplier of the specific type of reagents in the country. “We also plan to purchase another genome-sequencing machine for the Multi-disciplinary Research Unit (MRU) at the institute so as to resume genome sequencing of Coronavirus,” the director maintained.

He pointed out that genome sequencing of Coronavirus has no role in the testing or treatment of Covid, but it helps in the identification of the Coronavirus variant, which is crucial for research purposes.

Medical experts maintain that different variants of Coronavirus have already been detected and identified, but the possibility of the prevalence of new variants cannot be ruled out.

“Like other viruses, Coronavirus also mutates frequently and appears in the form of multiple variants. Identification of the emerging variants is crucial to carry out research on the virus. The variants seen in the current wave are highly infectious, but not as deadly as those found in the initial wave,” said Prof Dhruv Chaudhary, State Nodal Officer for Covid-19.