E-Paper
Fire will not hamper Covid-19 testing or genome sequencing: IISER
A major fire was reported on Friday morning at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune (IISER)
A major fire was reported on Friday morning at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune (IISER). No one was reported to be injured in the fire. The institute also confirmed that the fire would not hamper the ongoing Covid-19 testing or genome sequencing work going on at the institute.
The fire was reported at the chemistry lab while the sequencing work happens at the Biology lab or the adjacent laboratory under CSIR-NCL, both IISER and NCL are part of the INSACOG, a consortium of labs to monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2.
In a press statement issued by IISER the institute stated that the fire broke out in a chemistry laboratory on the second floor of the main building of IISER at around noon time. Fire tenders rushed in by 12.45 pm and by 2:30- pm the fire was under control.
“The building was evacuated immediately after the fire broke out. There are no casualties. A student sustained minor injury on his hands and has been attended to with first-aid. The student is doing fine. The extent of damage to research labs is being assessed. The institute shall appoint a committee to investigate the incident,” read the statement.
The institute is part of the 28 national laboratories to monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 which causes Covid19. INSACOG is a multi-laboratory, multi-agency, pan-India network to monitor genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 by a sentinel sequencing effort. The network carries out whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 virus across the nation, aiding the understanding of how the virus spreads and evolves, and provides information to aid public health response. The labs are also involved in identifying the various strains of the virus including delta variants which is a variant pf concern.
Officials From both IISER and NCL confirmed that the fire would not hamper the sequencing work.
Prof LS Shashidhara, co-founder of Pune Knowledge Cluster, which is coordinating genome sequencing efforts in Pune in partnership with BJMC, CSIR-NCL and IISER Pune said, “IISER Pune and CSIR-NCL are sequencing viral genomes from patient samples. We are not specifically looking for Delta or Delta plus but the idea is to discover which strains are prevalent across Maharashtra but mainly Pune and how various strains emerged and spread since January 2021. It could be any variant present. IISER Pune sequencing efforts are larger scale and results are not yet out. IISER Pune sequencing efforts are larger scale and results are not yet out.”
Dr Anu Raghunathan, principal investigator at CSIR-NCL said, “Ours is an independent institute than ISSER although we are in the same premises and adjacent to the building that caught fire. However, both ISSER and NCL are part of INSACOG. The fire would not hamper the genome sequencing work at NCL.”
