In News:

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology recently inaugurated the Phenome India “National Biobank” at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB).

About the National Biobank:

• The National Biobank will act as the backbone of a nationwide cohort study, aimed at collecting comprehensive genomic, lifestyle, and clinical data from 10,000 individuals across India.
• It is a part of the Phenome India Project, focusing on long-term health tracking of participants over several years.
• Designed to reflect India's diverse geography, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds, it ensures inclusivity in data collection.
• The biobank will enable researchers to:
  • Uncover disease patterns and gene-environment interactions.
  • Study individual responses to therapies within the Indian population context.
  • Aid in early diagnosis and precision medicine, especially for complex diseases like:
    • Diabetes
    • Cancer
    • Cardiovascular disorders
    • Rare genetic conditions

Phenome India Project (PI-CheCK):

• Full Name: Phenome India – CSIR Health Cohort Knowledgebase (PI-CheCK)
• Launched by: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on 7th December 2023
• Objective: To build India-specific risk prediction models for cardio-metabolic diseases, including:
  • Diabetes
  • Liver diseases
  • Cardiac conditions
• Significance: India’s first pan-India longitudinal health monitoring study focused specifically on cardio-metabolic health.
• Sample Cohort: ~10,000 individuals (primarily CSIR employees, pensioners, and spouses) from 17 states and 24 cities.
• Data Collection Includes:
  • Clinical questionnaires
  • Lifestyle and dietary assessments
  • Anthropometric measurements
  • Imaging and scanning data
  • Extensive biochemical and molecular data