Genetics: Research in India

chillibreeze writer — Monika Nigam

Introduction:

Today the most prevalent word in the field of biology is “Genetics”, the branch of biology that deals with the study of heredity and variation. It has always been the subject of great curiosity that why we resemble our parents/ancestors and why a seed of an apple give rise to an apple plant only! All through the years, the outcome of rigorous research established the fact that it is the genes which play the crucial role in deciding the fate of every zygote!

Among the developing nations, India has made remarkable progress after the industrial revolution. The augmentation of science and technology has unlocked tremendous potential in exploring the nature for every small reason and also coming up with the hidden facts that nature has endowed. Genetics is the core of life. The survival of living beings is solely based on their genes. The expression of genes is the matter of great concern to carry out research in the field of genetics. The knowledge of a person about the man/ animal/ plant or in fact any living being, their growth pattern, their behaviour, their thinking, their impact on the environment and how they influence the environment, their eating habit, their productivity, each is the category of vast exploration and it takes years to explore the information.

The study has wide promising possibilities in every field of life especially in:

1. Agriculture:
The green revolution in India has revolutionized the productivity of crops. The improved and high yielding varieties of the seeds are available may be it is food, fodder or vegetables, fruits or genetically engineered cotton, sorghum, pulses or maize. Understanding the language of genetics not only enables the researcher to explore the impending facts that are buried deep down the ATCG sequences but also to set new horizons in providing people with the improved variety of the crops with the amplification of desired characteristics.

A correlation was also established between the significance of various fruits and vegetables with the different organs of human body e.g. the tomato resemble the heart, the beans resemble the kidney, the walnut resembles the brain. This shows that some of the genes in the plant kingdom were conserved and they are being expressed in the form of fruits which has the homology with the human organs. This is of a great concern and a point to give a thought that how these genes are being expressed in plants! The evolution tree says that life originated from the co-acervates, do the fate of these genes was already decided in this primitive form of life? Or they were modified later on?

2. Medicine:
The demographic factor in India provides a sound ground to carry out research in the field of genetics. The devastatingly growing population due to high birth rate, and consanguineous marriage favoured in many Indian communities cause prevalence of genetic disorders in India.

Filariasis, cystic fibroses, thalassaemia, Parkinson’s disease, various chromosomal anomalies (Down syndrome) etc are the various genetically oriented disease and still hunting of genes for various other diseases is going on. The microarray technology, the gene therapy are not prevalent research topics in India we are more on the classical genetic research whereas the genetic research has taken leaps and bounces after the Genome Project (2001).

The list is endless we are only at the tip of the ice-berg! Now-a-days the genomics is being utilized to understand the toxic nature of various chemicals in Toxicogenomics and also to design the drugs in the field of Pharmacogenomics.

To encourage research and teaching in the field of genetics and molecular biology the 15th International Congress of Genetics held in New Delhi in 1983. Dr. M. S. Swaminathan was its President. This was organised keeping in mind that the presence and presentations of the work would definitely sensitize the science policy makers and research institutions in India so as to encourage teaching and research in genetics in India. This symposium was attended by 40 active scientists from all over the country involved in molecular genetics and research. Different themes relating to molecular genetics were selected for the review and base paper was prepared in the selected areas- Gene expression and regulation, molecular genetics of development and evolution, structural and functional genomics, transgenic crops, molecular mapping and marker assisted breeding, isolation of useful genes and promoters, biodiversity characterization and utilization.

This has served as a benchmark to encourage the discipline of Genetics and Molecular biology in India. Various research laboratories based on Drosophila genetics its developmental cycle and of Neurospora genetics were established. These research models not only have helped us in the deep understanding of the regulation of genes, how the gene is switched on and how it is switched off because of their homology with the human genome but also provide platform to carry out research and develop understanding for the same. The role of various virus especially retrovirus in activating the oncogenes is underway for exploration. (Current Science, 2005, Advancing frontiers of molecular genetics: Where does India stand)

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in India has been playing imperative role to promote research in the field of biotechnology, genetics and molecular biology along with the basic biological sciences. The vital step taken in this direction is creating the basic infrastructure of molecular biology research. The centres for the plant molecular biology in number of Agricultural Universities and nine research institutes at various centres of India namely NII (National Institute of Immunology) New Delhi, NCCS (National Centre for Cell Science) Pune, CDFD (Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics) Hyderabad, NBRC (National Brain Research Centre) Manesar, Institute for Bioresources and Sustainable Development, Imphal; Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneshwar, Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited, Bulandshehar and Indian Vaccines Corporation Limited Gurgaon have been established. These institutions are equipped with world-class instrumentation and have been provided with highly competent human resources. Some other organisations like as ICAR, ICMR, CSIR, MOEF, DOS, UGC/academic institutes, DAE and some NGOs have also joined hands with the DBT to endorse the research in the field of Molecular biology and genetics to provide India a better and more progressive outlook (Current Science, 2005, Advancing frontiers of molecular genetics: Where does India stand).

For this a large number of research projects in various disciplines of agriculture, medicine, environmental sciences, food and sericulture biotechnology as well as in areas of basic research such as, stem cell research, bio-informatics and social development are being supported by DBT (Current Science, 2005, Advancing frontiers of molecular genetics: Where does India stand). The total out come of the symposium was to carryout the meaningful research in biological science, by strengthening the classical and molecular techniques. We will have to leave behind the Indian crab mental makeup and should take lesson from the Chinese Scientists, to work in collaboration and not in isolation. We can also produce a great variety of mutant indica rice through retro-transposons. The basic infrastructure needed for this is creation of accredited laboratories to test the bio safety for human health and assessment of its ecological impact.

India is a member of the World Trade Organization and so it becomes essential that research-cum service centres to be equipped with essential amenities required for genomics to keep pace with the globalization of trade.

In India many of the universities under the UGC system do not even have well equipped laboratories for practical work in molecular genetics. The courses are running in the traditional Departments of Botany and Zoology in most of the universities. They have little concern with the basic concepts and techniques of molecular biology and genetics. More over even if they get the projects and fundings then the trained hands are lacking in the interiors of the nation. It is therefore very difficult to spread the roots of genetics and molecular biology evenly throughout the country. In our day-today life we come across various things that hold something to do with the genetics and molecules of life but in this hussel-bussel we hardly notice them and those who want to explore especially in India then the circumstances prevail and we are stopped by various compromises may be cultural, moral or ethical!

With such a huge population and limited resources we are still struggling with our basic needs. Only handful of people go out of their way to do research and do their higher degrees rest all are in the race to earn as much as possible and fulfil the basic desires required for life and settle down fast in life. This approach has deprived Indian population from exploring the secrets of life! If we compare with the western world, their basic requirements are fulfilled and they do not have to struggle hard for the survival. They do not have more than half of the population undernourished and below the poverty line. They are rich with knowledge and awareness to promote research. In India most of the government grants and funds are generated at the first place to fight out the poverty!

It is really a misfortune that the corruption is creeping and spreading its roots, the funds released are red-tapered and people are making misuse of the amenities. The basic psychology and inculcation of the feeling of belongingness and knowledge is lacking which is the reason why still India equipped with tremendous man-power is lacking in its perspective potentials. It is really embarrassing that we are the world’s highest rankers in population and our economy is also growing fast but we are no where as far as knowledge of life and existence is concerned, we are still the slaves in the hands of western world for their research outcomes in science and technology even after 61 yrs of Independence. We have made tremendous progress in setting up the framework and network for research in biotechnology, bioengineering and pharmaceuticals related with all the possible fields of science but still we have a very long way to go!

References:
Jain, H. K., Sharma, R. P., 2005 “Advancing frontiers of molecular genetics: Where does India stand” 1314 Current Science, VOL. 89, NO. 8, A report on the two-day Symposium organized by the Genetics Congress Trust at the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi during 21–22 January 2004.

Agriculture Gateway for India- Crop Science

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