Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 27 In a significant national recognition, the Kerala capital city-based Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (BRIC-RGCB) has been selected as one of the four national Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) hubs for the Metagenomic Syndromic Surveillance Programme under the Government of India's ambitious 'One Health Mission'.
The initiative aims to tackle India's persistent burden of undiagnosed infectious diseases, including acute febrile illnesses, encephalitis, diarrhoeal conditions, and respiratory infections.
As the designated national hub for acute febrile illnesses (AFI), RGCB will leverage its advanced sequencing and data-analytics capabilities housed within its Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) facility.
The centre will analyse thousands of biological samples collected from surveillance sites across the country to detect known, rare, and emerging pathogens that often go undetected through traditional diagnostic methods.
"This selection underscores our expertise in viral genomics, host–pathogen interactions, and high-throughput sequencing," said Dr. T.R. Santhosh Kumar, Director (Additional Charge), RGCB.
The integration of clinical syndromic screening with unbiased metagenomic sequencing, he added, will provide a real-time genomic overview of circulating pathogens and antimicrobial resistance trends, helping national authorities pre-empt outbreaks and devise targeted public health responses.
The multi-institutional project is being undertaken in partnership with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), ICMR–NIE Chennai, and the ICMR Headquarters.
Senior scientist Dr. Rajesh Chandramohanadas, faculty-in-charge of the BSL-3 Lab at RGCB, will lead the research initiative.
The programme is expected to generate transformative insights into India’s infectious disease landscape, strengthen epidemic intelligence, and support the development of indigenous diagnostic tools tailored to the country's unique pathogen diversity.
Beyond public health, the programme marks a major step in building an integrated surveillance ecosystem that links human, animal, and environmental health -- central to the One Health framework.
With growing concerns over zoonotic diseases and rising antimicrobial resistance, this initiative is seen as crucial for strengthening India’s preparedness against future health emergencies and pandemics.
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