Research Projects

The core theme of the Advanced Level State Biotech Hub is Discovery Genomics - mitigation of disease burden through an integrated approach of epidemiology and genomics. Public health research deals with the gene influence, environmental risk factors, behavioral, and social determinants and assessing these factors to public health issues (like addiction). We found certain genetic and epidemiological factors playing a significant role in various diseases within the population. We intend to determine the impact of addiction on these diseases and investigate any genetic predisposition to the high prevalence of substance abuse in the population. The extension activities will include spreading awareness through outreach programmes, hands-on trainings/ workshops and popular lectures to the students from various Schools, Colleges, Universities. The research findings and the knowledge generated will be translated for the benefit of the society, clinicians and State Government.

The research activities in Human Disease Genomics and Metagenomics in the Addiction patients from Mizoram are the prime focus of the Advanced Level State Biotech Hub. We have been working towards addiction to substances(DAST, ASSIST,AUDIT, FTND,ACE), food habits (high consumption of smoked or fermented foods) and certain lifestyle habits which could be the root cause of life-threatening diseases, such as Cancers, Diabetes etc.. The unique lifestyle and food habits of the Mizo population along with novel gene variants (mitochondrial and nuclear)are being studied. Therefore, to discern the genetic basis of addiction, we have sampled 135patients (male and female) blood for whole exome sequencing as well as saliva for Metagenomic study. Next generation Sequencing has been performed and data analysis is on-going. The State Biotech Hub is also generating a genomic reference database of the Mizo population which would be helpful in future disease research.