India’s “One Day One Genome” Initiative

Overview

• Launched by: Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC).
• Announced: On BRIC’s 1st Foundation Day (specific date not provided, but likely 2023–2024).
• Objective: Daily release of an annotated microbial genome to democratize access to microbial genomic data for researchers, startups, and industries.

Key Features

1. Daily Genome Releases:
   • Annotated Genomes: Each genome includes detailed biological information (e.g., gene functions, metabolic pathways) alongside raw sequence data.
   • Focus: Highlight India’s unique microbial diversity from diverse ecosystems (e.g., Himalayas, mangroves, deserts, agricultural soils).
2. Scope:
   • Environmental & Agricultural Impact: Study microbes for bioremediation, soil health, crop productivity, and climate resilience.
   • Human Health: Explore novel antibiotics, probiotics, and enzymes from Indian microbial strains.
   • Industrial Applications: Identify enzymes for biofuels, bioplastics, and waste-to-energy technologies.
3. Platform:
   • Open-Access Database: Genomes will be hosted on public platforms like the Indian Microbial Genome Atlas (IMGA) or integrated with global repositories (e.g., NCBI, EMBL).
   • Collaborations: Partnerships with research institutes (e.g., NCCS Pune, CSIR labs), startups, and international consortia.

Significance

1. Boost to Bioeconomy:
   • Startups & Employment: Catalyze bio-entrepreneurship in synthetic biology, agri-biotech, and bio-mining.
   • BioE3 Policy Alignment: Supports India’s Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment (BioE3) vision by linking research to economic growth.
2. Scientific Innovation:
   • Underexplored Diversity: India hosts ~20% of global microbial diversity, but <1% is characterized.
   • Drug Discovery: Potential to uncover novel antimicrobials (critical for antibiotic resistance crisis).
   • Climate Solutions: Microbes for carbon sequestration, methane reduction, and pollution cleanup.
3. Global Leadership:
   • Positions India as a contributor to global genomics initiatives (e.g., Earth Microbiome Project).
   • Addresses gaps in microbial databases, which are skewed toward Western ecosystems.

Infrastructure & Implementation

• Sequencing Hubs: Leverage DBT’s network of institutes (e.g., NCCS, IMTECH) and next-gen sequencing facilities.
• Bioinformatics Support: Use AI/ML tools for rapid annotation and predictive modeling of microbial functions.
• Capacity Building: Train researchers in metagenomics, computational biology, and intellectual property (IP) management.

Challenges

1. Data Quality: Ensuring high-quality annotations and avoiding contamination in sequencing.
2. Sustainability: Maintaining daily releases requires long-term funding and skilled manpower.
3. Translation to Applications: Bridging the gap between genomic data and real-world biotech solutions.

Global Context

• Similar initiatives:
  • U.S.: NIH’s Human Microbiome Project.
  • EU: MicrobiomeSupport Consortium.
  • China: CAS Microbial Resource Center.
• India’s initiative uniquely focuses on tropical/subtropical ecosystems and links genomics to economic growth.

Future Prospects

• Phase 2 Goals: Expand to viral/fungal genomes, host-microbe interactions, and microbiome mapping.
• Commercialization: Licensing of microbial strains for agriculture, pharma, and environmental tech.
• Global Partnerships: Collaborate with WHO, CABI, or CGIAR for global health and food security.