Pre 2025
"Research is the distance between an idea and its realization."
- David Sarnoff
Genomic Surveillance of Sars-CoV-2
This project brought together national research institutes, hospitals, and regional laboratories to enable rapid, coordinated sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 across diverse geographic settings. It was designed to strengthen genomic surveillance capacity through the implementation of a scalable hub-and-spoke model of sequencing laboratories. This model significantly enhanced diagnostic testing to genome sequencing, enabling near real-time tracking of viral evolution and transmission dynamics.
At the core of the project was a distributed network of labs, mega and micro labs. “Mega labs”, included CSIR institutes and other national facilities serving as central hubs, equipped to process large volumes of samples with standardized sequencing capabilities. Then there were smaller “micro labs” ensuring equity and geographic diversity, across hospitals and regional research institutions, which focused on sample collection, initial processing, and localized sequencing. This structure ensured both scale and representativeness, allowing surveillance to extend beyond major urban centers to under-sampled regions. Data generated across this huge network were integrated into centralized pipelines, supporting timely identification of variants of concern and informing public health responses. Beyond immediate pandemic needs, this project emphasized capacity building through standardized workflows, training programs, and shared data practices strengthened institutional capabilities within India and supported partners across the globe seeking to establish similar surveillance systems. The project was funded by the Wellcome Trust, UK.
