Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology selected next generation sequencing hub for metagenomic syndromic surveillance

Thiruvananthapuram: Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) was selected as one of the four next-generation sequencing (NGS) hubs for Metagenomic Syndromic Surveillance Programme under National One Health Mission initiative.metagenomic syndromic surveillance The programme aims to address the challenge of undiagnosed acute febrile illness, encephalitis, diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections. It also integrates clinical syndromic screening with unbiased metagenomic sequencing, enabling the simultaneous detection of known, rare and novel pathogens that traditional diagnostic pathways often miss. The project will be carried out in collaboration with Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), ICMR–NIE Chennai and ICMR Headquarters. As the designated NGS hub for acute febrile illness, RGCB will contribute through its advanced sequencing and data-analysis capabilities housed within the institute's Bio Safety Level-3 (BSL-3) facility, RGCB director (additional charge) T R Santhosh Kumar said. Leveraging its expertise in viral genomics, host–pathogen interactions and high-throughput sequencing, RGCB will analyse thousands of samples from national surveillance sites to identify elusive etiological agents behind some of India's most common yet unresolved clinical conditions, said Kumar. This integrated approach will generate a real-time genomic picture of circulating pathogens and antimicrobial resistance patterns, helping national bodies detect emerging threats and respond more effectively.

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