Latest news with #NationalInstituteofVirology
The Hindu
20 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
ICMR sets up high performing computing facility to boost genomic surveillance and pandemic preparedness
Working to address limitations faced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to conventional computing infrastructure, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has now introduced its first high-performance computing facility at its National Institute of Virology (NIV) facility in Pune. The acquisition of the state-of-the-art computing cluster, named NAKSHATRA, comes soon after India reported a surge in COVID-19 cases, though the number of active cases have dipped marginally over the last two days. ICMR-NIV Pune director Naveen Kumar noted that several new pathogens and COVID variants are being reported. 'It's essential that we upgrade to stay ahead in enhancing public health research capacity,' he said. Genomic research upgrade Attributing the emergence of novel pathogens to increased globalisation, global warming, and deforestation, Dr. Kumar said that his centre has been doing extensive sequence analysis using multiple strains, which used to take weeks. 'Now with the upgrade we can do the same work in 24 to 48 hours. It has increased the capability of our country for genomic surveillance, which will help us in pandemic preparedness,' he said. The NAKSHATRA facility enables enhanced storage and optimises the pipeline for genomic research, which ensures better viral genomic surveillance capacity and national preparedness for any future pandemic. The facility supports faster analysis of complex genomic data, allowing scientists to detect new disease threats sooner, respond to outbreaks more efficiently, and accelerate AI-driven vaccine and drug development. Central data repository Developed under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM), the facility forms the cornerstone of a new project, called the High Performance Computing Next Generation Sequencing Hub. The Pune facility will initially serve five ICMR institutes across the country, acting as a central repository for sequencing data. Sarah Cherian, group leader of the Bioinformatics and Data Management Group and principal investigator of the project, provided a comprehensive overview of the cluster's capabilities and its role in genomic research. She said that the computing cluster is tailored to support complex bioinformatics workflows, including next-generation sequencing, transcriptomics, phylogenetics, metagenomics, and structural bioinformatics. Genomic monitoring impact Already, NIV Pune has played a key role in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously significant genetic alterations in the virus had triggered the second and third wave and ongoing genomic monitoring and analysis helped in early detection of variants of interest and concern. 'This in turn had helped in paving the way for implementing the booster dose of vaccination for COVID,' the institute noted.
News18
a day ago
- Health
- News18
Dengue To Nipah: NIV Developing Vaccines For These Deadly Viruses In India
Last Updated: With Nakshatra supercomputer at NIV Pune, virus mutations can be tracked in real time, speeding up vaccine development and enabling swift national response The National Institute of Virology's (NIV) fight against deadly viruses is gaining momentum far beyond dengue. While India's first indigenous dengue vaccine has reached the final phase of human trials—an important breakthrough in tackling the mosquito-borne illness—NIV is also developing vaccines and diagnostic tools for several other high-risk viruses, aiming to reduce the country's reliance on imported technology and boost epidemic preparedness. The Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) virus, prevalent in Karnataka and surrounding forests, causes a severe fever, and its vaccine is now in an advanced stage. Chandipura Virus The Chandipura virus, which induces high fever in children, is also being targeted by NIV for a vaccine. Nipah Virus India is developing a vaccine for the highly lethal Nipah virus using monoclonal antibody technology. CCHF Virus The zoonotic Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) virus is also under surveillance by the NIV, where work on a vaccine and diagnostic kit is already underway. These advancements signify India's growing self-reliance in addressing biological threats. With Nakshatra in place, virus mutations can be tracked in real time, accelerating vaccine development and enabling faster national response during outbreaks. The arrival of this supercomputer is being hailed as a revolutionary step in India's virology efforts. Eradicating Dengue India's first indigenous dengue vaccine could mark a turning point in the country's decades-long battle against the disease. The vaccine has shown promise against all four serotypes of the dengue virus, thanks to modern biotechnology advances in the NIV labs. If the final phase of trials is successful, India will soon have its first homegrown and safe dengue vaccine. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
NIV Pune isolating 4 Omicron sub-variants responsible for recent rise in Covid cases: Director
Pune: The National Institute of Virology (NIV) Wednesday said it is genome sequencing and isolating four new sub-variants of Omicron which are believed to be responsible for the recent rise in Covid cases across India. This effort will help in assessing vaccine effectiveness , Dr Naveen Kumar, director of Pune-based NIV under the ICMR, said. An upsurge of Covid cases was noticed since the second week of April. Kumar said that after genome sequencing of samples across India, four sub- variants of Omicron -- LF.7, XFG, JN.1. 16 and NB. 1.8.1 -- have been found. Genomic analysis revealed that the surge was due to JN.1.16 sub lineage of Omicron variant and since May, it was replaced by the XFG (LF.7 and LP.81.2) recombinant variant. Whole genome sequences have been submitted to Indian Biological Data Centre and Global Initiative On Sharing All Influenza Data, Kumar said. "Scientists at NIV are doing monitoring, genome sequencing and isolating the new variants. The strain, which was circulating in Singapore, was also found in India five-six weeks ago. "Isolation is important to replace the existing vaccine strain if at all it is required. Whether or not this needs to be replaced is something which is to be critically analysed based on the severity of the disease. So far it appears that the strains are not much severe. However, the decision of making a new vaccine using the currently circulating strains is taken by policy makers after extensive discussion," Kumar said. Currently, two monovalent Omicron-based vaccines are available - Biological E Limited's Corbivax and Serum Institute of India's COVOVAX. The situation is being continuously monitored by the health ministry. Meanwhile, the active Covid caseload in the country has marginally dropped. As of June 18, there are 6,483 active cases as compared to 6,837 cases on Tuesday. Official sources have maintained that severity of infections has been low and most of the patients are being managed under home care. Since January 1, 113 deaths have been reported, primarily among individuals with pre-existing illnesses. Kerala continues to be the most-affected state, followed by Gujarat, Karnataka and Delhi, according to the health ministry's data released on Sunday. Meanwhile, all states have been instructed to ensure availability of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators, and essential medicines to deal with Covid cases, official sources said on Wednesday.
Mint
2 days ago
- Health
- Mint
Covid-19 in India: Pune NIV identifies and isolates 4 new Omicron sub-variants driving the current surge in cases
The National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, announced on Wednesday that it has successfully sequenced and isolated four new sub-variants of the Omicron coronavirus variant. These sub-variants are believed to be driving the recent rise in Covid-19 cases across India. Dr Naveen Kumar, director of the Pune-based NIV under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), explained that genome sequencing of samples collected nationwide revealed four distinct Omicron sub-variants: LF.7, XFG, JN.1.16, and NB.1.8.1. Genomic analysis indicated that the surge in Covid infections was initially caused by the JN.1.16 sub-lineage of Omicron. However, since May, this has been largely replaced by the recombinant XFG variant, which includes LF.7 and LP.81.2 strains. Dr Kumar emphasised the critical role of genome sequencing and isolation of new variants in assessing vaccine efficacy. 'Isolation is important to replace the existing vaccine strain if needed. Whether this is necessary depends on the severity of the disease caused by these variants,' he said. So far, the new strains do not appear to cause severe illness. Decisions regarding the development of new vaccines based on currently circulating variants will be made by policymakers after thorough evaluation. At present, India has two monovalent Omicron-based vaccines available: Biological E Limited's Corbevax and Serum Institute of India's Covovax. The Ministry of Health continues to closely monitor the evolving situation. As of 18 June, India's active Covid caseload has marginally decreased to 6,483 from 6,837 the previous day. Official sources report that the severity of infections remains low, with most patients managing their illness through home care. Since 1 January, India has recorded 113 Covid-related deaths, predominantly among individuals with pre-existing health conditions. Kerala remains the most affected state by Covid-19, followed by Gujarat, Karnataka, and Delhi, according to health ministry data released on Sunday. In response, all states have been instructed to ensure adequate availability of oxygen supplies, isolation beds, ventilators, and essential medicines to effectively manage Covid cases.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 days ago
- Health
- Business Standard
Pune scientists isolating Covid sub-variants behind India's new cases
Amid the recent rise of new Covid cases in India, the National Institute of Virology (NIV) on Wednesday said it is conducting genome sequencing and isolating four new sub-variants of the Omicron virus that are believed to be responsible for the new outbreak. Genome sequencing is the process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism, giving scientists information about the reproduction, evolution and functions of the organism. This effort will help in assessing vaccine effectiveness and whether a new vaccine needs to be developed, said Dr Naveen Kumar, director of the Pune-based NIV, which operates under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). An upsurge of Covid cases has been reported since the second week of April this year, beginning in southeast Asia. "Scientists at NIV are doing monitoring, genome sequencing and isolating the new variants. The strain which was circulating in Singapore was also found in India five to six weeks ago," Dr Kumar said. "Isolation is important to replace the existing vaccine strain if at all it is required. Whether or not this needs to be replaced is something which is to be critically analysed based on the severity of the disease. So far, it appears that the strains are not much severe. However, the decision of making a new vaccine using the currently circulating strains is taken by policymakers after extensive discussion." Kumar said that after genome sequencing of samples across India, four sub-variants of Omicron - LF.7, XFG, JN.1.16 and NB.1.8.1 - have been found. Genomic analysis revealed that the surge was due to the JN.1.16 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant, and since May, it was replaced by the XFG (LF.7 and LP.81.2) recombinant variant. Whole genome sequences have been submitted to the Indian Biological Data Centre and the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, Kumar said. Currently, two monovalent Omicron-based vaccines are available: Biological E's Corbivax and Serum Institute of India's COVOVAX. The Covid caseload in the country saw a marginal dip on Wednesday, with 6,483 active cases compared to 6,837 cases on Tuesday. Since 1 January, 113 deaths due to Covid-19 have been reported, primarily among individuals with pre-existing conditions. Kerala has seen the steepest dip in caseload; however, it remains the most-affected state, followed by Gujarat, Karnataka and Delhi, according to data released by the Ministry of Health. Medical experts believe that the current upsurge in cases is a 'mini wave', as the virus is behaving more like a seasonal flu now. They also believe that such seasonal flus will become more common in the near future.
