Zeenews Bureau
Ahmedabad: A research team led by Indian origin scientist, Jay Shendure, assistant professor in the department of genome sciences at the University of Washington has successfully mapped the first Indian genome (genetic code).
The individual in questions is Gujarati woman from Houston in US; her identity has been kept under wraps.
The research, ‘Haplotype-resolved genome sequencing of a Gujarati Indian individual` was published in the online edition of Nature Biotechnology.
Scientists hope the genome sequencing will be useful in designing large-scale studies better suited for Indian population.
Talking to a newspaper, Shendure said that the newly-sequenced Indian genome, mapped using a new technique, can determine a mutation to the specific parent.
However, he added that the study on how a particular individual is predisposed to certain diseases due to the genetic difference is still underway.
Shedure also pointed that a detailed research would require sequencing of many more Indians from different parts of the country.
The research is co-authored by Rupali Patwardhan, a graduate student in Shendure`s lab.
