ICMR-NIV Pune inaugurates High Performance Computing facility to boost genomic research and pandemic preparedness
High Performance Computing
(HPC) facility at the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
The computing cluster named 'Nakshatra' was officially inaugurated by Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of the Department of Health Research (DHR) and Director General of ICMR, according to an official statement from ICMR.
"Developed under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM ABHIM), the HPC facility forms the cornerstone of a new project titled "High Performance Computing
Next Generation Sequencing
(NGS) Hub".
The initiative aims to revolutionize how genomic and
bioinformatics
data are processed, addressing limitations faced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to conventional computing infrastructure," the statement added.
Addressing a gathering regarding the inauguration of the computing facility, the Director General of ICMR commended the institute for its timely and strategic step towards '
Viksit Bharat 2047
' vision by strengthening the country's genomic surveillance and data analysis capacity.
He highlighted how enhanced computing resources are crucial in preparing for technology-driven
pandemic preparedness
and future public health emergencies.
Meanwhile, Director of ICMR-NIV, Dr Naveen Kumar, emphasised the critical role the HPC cluster will play in supporting rapid, data-driven responses to outbreaks. Dr 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
.
According to the official statement, the newly commissioned HPC cluster features twelve compute nodes offering a total of 700 cores and 1 petabyte of storage.
"The infrastructure is tailored to support complex bioinformatics workflows, including next-generation sequencing (NGS), transcriptomics, phylogenetics, metagenomics, and structural bioinformatics.
Initially, the facility will serve five ICMR institutes across the country, acting as a central repository for sequencing data and extending support to Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) soon, making the institute as a critical hub for outbreak investigations and pandemic preparedness, with the potential to accelerate AI-driven drug and vaccine discovery," the statement added.
Highlighting the advantages of the HPC facility, ICMR highlighted how it is a "national investment in speed, precision, and preparedness."
The statement mentioned, "By enabling faster analysis of complex genomic data, the facility positions India to detect new disease threats sooner, respond to outbreaks more efficiently, and accelerate AI-driven vaccine and drug development."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
16 hours ago
- News18
ICMR study finds shortfall in radiotherapy utilisation across all cancer types
Agency: Last Updated: July 24, 2025, 21:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) A recent ICMR study has highlighted a substantial shortfall in radiotherapy utilisation across all cancer types and underscored the need for interventions to meet the gap in machines required for equitable cancer care. Published in the BMC Cancer journal, the study stated that 28.5 per cent of cancer patients receive radiotherapy, which is lower than the estimated optimal rate of 58.4 per cent. Breast, head and neck, lung and cervical cancer account for 60 per cent of India's radiotherapy needs, it said. Data from the Australian Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CCORE) were used by the researchers of ICMR-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, Bengaluru, for conducting the study. Epidemiological data on stage, subsite and histology from the National Cancer Registry Programme were used to assess the optimal utilisation proportion for India. A sensitivity analysis was carried out. Similarly, the optimal radiotherapy fraction has also been calculated. These measures have been used to estimate the existing radiotherapy utilisation gap by comparing with the current radiotherapy utilisation from the cancer registry as well as to estimate the optimal radiotherapy machines required for the country. 'This study provides a comprehensive assessment of radiotherapy demand and existing gaps in radiotherapy utilisation and in the number of machines in India based on an epidemiological analysis of the cancer burden from the National Cancer Registry Programme. Our analysis shows that approximately 58 per cent of all cancer cases in India should ideally receive radiotherapy based on clinical indications. 'However, the current radiotherapy utilisation in India is only 28.5 per cent, which is less than half of the required level," the researchers said. The study also recommended that India would require 1,585 to 2,545 machines, which may increase to a range of 2,016 to 2,291 external beam radiotherapy machines if the assumptions from previous benchmark studies are followed. The burden of four cancer sites — breast, head and neck, lung and cervical cancer — constitutes around 60 per cent of the total radiotherapy requirement for cancer care in India, the study said. This points towards an increasing demand for radiotherapy in the coming years as there is expected to be a 70-100 per cent increase in breast, head and neck and lung cancer in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Radiotherapy utilisation of most cancer sites is lower compared to optimal radiotherapy utilisation. Among the major indicated cancer sites, the deficit is more prominent in lymphoma and lung cancer (relative deficit of more than 70 per cent), followed by prostate, breast and oesophagus, it said. The study mentioned that India accounts for 7 per cent of global cancer incidence, ranking third after China and the USA. By the end of 2025, the incidence of cancer in India is projected to reach 1.57 million cases, posing a significant public health challenge. As the fifth leading cause of death in the country, cancer demands urgent attention to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment, it said. Radiotherapy, a cornerstone of cancer treatment, plays a crucial role in controlling tumour growth, reducing tumour size pre-surgery, and alleviating pain in advanced stages. However, its availability in low and middle-income countries like India remains insufficient due to high setup and operational costs, creating a significant gap between demand and resources. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of one radiotherapy machine (external radiotherapy machine) per million population, with an optimal target of four per million, the study stated. For India's projected population of 1.45 billion in 2025, this translates to a need for a minimum of 1,450 machines. Yet, only 794 megavoltage (MV) machines are currently available. The shortfall is about 45 per cent from the minimal required standard, the study said. The study highlighted that in India, greater investment is needed to expand radiotherapy facilities to meet the growing demands of cancer patients. 'Aside from increasing the number of equipment, addressing the inequitable distribution of radiotherapy services is also crucial. To align with the country's cancer burden and ongoing cancer control efforts, India must meet evidence-based targets for radiotherapy machine availability. 'As a part of this, India is also ramping up efforts to develop and deploy affordable indigenous radiotherapy machines to improve access and reduce dependence on costly imports," the study stated. Furthermore, a detailed situational study of radiation equipment deployment with its features and complexity, utilisation and throughput is required for informed planning and policymaking. Cancer screening and early detection programmes can facilitate the diagnosis of cancers at earlier stages. This could reduce the required quantum of radiotherapy shortly and thus, improve the overall survival of patients, the study said. The cancer registry data informs the policy-makers to identify gaps in radiotherapy access, assess resource needs and guide decisions to ensure equitable and effective cancer care delivery. Swipe Left For Next Video View all Optimal radiotherapy utilisation (RTU) calculated for India was higher than optimal radiotherapy utilisation estimation done for developed countries like 48·3 per cent for Australia and 51 per cent for European countries, the study said. The optimal RTU calculation for middle income countries also has an average optimal radiotherapy utilisation value of 52 per cent ranging from 47 to 56 per cent. PTI PLB KSS KSS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments News agency-feeds ICMR study finds shortfall in radiotherapy utilisation across all cancer types Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
20 hours ago
- News18
ICMR recommends interventions to meet gap in machines needed for cancer care
New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) A recent ICMR study has highlighted a substantial shortfall in radiotherapy utilisation across all cancer types and underscored the need for interventions to meet the gap in machines required for equitable cancer care. Published in the BMC Cancer journal, the study stated that 28.5 per cent of cancer patients receive radiotherapy, which is lower than the estimated optimal rate of 58.4 per cent. Breast, head and neck, lung and cervical cancer account for 60 per cent of India's radiotherapy needs, it said. Data from the Australian Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CCORE) were used by the researchers of ICMR-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, Bengaluru, for conducting the study. Epidemiological data on stage, subsite and histology from the National Cancer Registry Programme were used to assess the optimal utilisation proportion for India. A sensitivity analysis was carried out. Similarly, the optimal radiotherapy fraction has also been calculated. These measures have been used to estimate the existing radiotherapy utilisation gap by comparing with the current radiotherapy utilisation from the cancer registry as well as to estimate the optimal radiotherapy machines required for the country. 'This study provides a comprehensive assessment of radiotherapy demand and existing gaps in radiotherapy utilisation and in the number of machines in India based on an epidemiological analysis of the cancer burden from the National Cancer Registry Programme. Our analysis shows that approximately 58 per cent of all cancer cases in India should ideally receive radiotherapy based on clinical indications. 'However, the current radiotherapy utilisation in India is only 28.5 per cent, which is less than half of the required level," the researchers said. The study also recommended that India would require 1,585 to 2,545 machines, which may increase to a range of 2,016 to 2,291 external beam radiotherapy machines if the assumptions from previous benchmark studies are followed. The burden of four cancer sites — breast, head and neck, lung and cervical cancer — constitutes around 60 per cent of the total radiotherapy requirement for cancer care in India, the study said. This points towards an increasing demand for radiotherapy in the coming years as there is expected to be a 70-100 per cent increase in breast, head and neck and lung cancer in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Radiotherapy utilisation of most cancer sites is lower compared to optimal radiotherapy utilisation. Among the major indicated cancer sites, the deficit is more prominent in lymphoma and lung cancer (relative deficit of more than 70 per cent), followed by prostate, breast and oesophagus, it said. The study mentioned that India accounts for 7 per cent of global cancer incidence, ranking third after China and the USA. By the end of 2025, the incidence of cancer in India is projected to reach 1.57 million cases, posing a significant public health challenge. As the fifth leading cause of death in the country, cancer demands urgent attention to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment, it said. Radiotherapy, a cornerstone of cancer treatment, plays a crucial role in controlling tumour growth, reducing tumour size pre-surgery, and alleviating pain in advanced stages. However, its availability in low and middle-income countries like India remains insufficient due to high setup and operational costs, creating a significant gap between demand and resources. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of one radiotherapy machine (external radiotherapy machine) per million population, with an optimal target of four per million, the study stated. For India's projected population of 1.45 billion in 2025, this translates to a need for a minimum of 1,450 machines. Yet, only 794 megavoltage (MV) machines are currently available. The shortfall is about 45 per cent from the minimal required standard, the study said. The study highlighted that in India, greater investment is needed to expand radiotherapy facilities to meet the growing demands of cancer patients. 'Aside from increasing the number of equipment, addressing the inequitable distribution of radiotherapy services is also crucial. To align with the country's cancer burden and ongoing cancer control efforts, India must meet evidence-based targets for radiotherapy machine availability. 'As a part of this, India is also ramping up efforts to develop and deploy affordable indigenous radiotherapy machines to improve access and reduce dependence on costly imports," the study stated. top videos View all Furthermore, a detailed situational study of radiation equipment deployment with its features and complexity, utilisation and throughput is required for informed planning and policymaking. Cancer screening and early detection programmes can facilitate the diagnosis of cancers at earlier stages. This could reduce the required quantum of radiotherapy shortly and thus, improve the overall survival of patients, the study said. The cancer registry data informs the policy-makers to identify gaps in radiotherapy access, assess resource needs and guide decisions to ensure equitable and effective cancer care delivery. PTI PLB KSS KSS view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 18:15 IST News agency-feeds ICMR recommends interventions to meet gap in machines needed for cancer care Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Genes and the brain: The role of testing in early diagnosis
We are all aware that the brain is one of the most vital parts of our bodies. Despite this, it remains largely overlooked in broader conversations on physical health. In India, concerns around brain health are steadily increasing, with nearly 15 million people affected by neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, stroke, and epilepsy, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).advertisementIndia Today spoke with Dr Thenral S Geetha, Principal Scientist at MedGenome, to understand how genetics is transforming the way we approach brain health and what this could mean for individuals and families navigating complex neurological ROLE OF GENES IN BRAIN HEALTHAnswers to our brain's health often lie in our genes. From a seizure in a child to an adult's struggle with memory, understanding our genetic makeup is increasingly helping us uncover the true origins of various brain conditions across all ages. It is essential to acknowledge this crucial relationship between genetics and brain health, addressing the factors that influence our predisposition to neurological diseases, cognitive function, and mental the right tests, doctors and families can now get a clearer picture sooner, leading to more accurate diagnoses, more effective treatments, and, importantly, peace of mind. These tests aren't just about figuring out "why"—they're also about discovering "what's next," whether that involves treatment, family planning, or long-term BRAIN PROBLEMS ARE LINKED TO YOUR GENESWhile some brain conditions are inherited, others arise from new variations in genes that weren't passed down but still impact how the condition develops. Doctors may consider a genetic cause when symptoms begin early in life, when multiple family members are affected, or when the condition shows unusual example, epilepsy is more likely to have a genetic basis if seizures begin in babies or young children, especially when no other cause is clear. Identifying the gene involved can help clinicians choose the right treatment early. In children, developmental delays, learning challenges, or autistic traits—particularly when combined with other physical anomalies—can also have a genetic conditions, however, emerge later in life. Huntington's disease, for example, typically begins between the ages of 30 and 50 and affects movement, cognition, and behaviour. It results from a mutation in the HTT gene. Even Alzheimer's disease, which is usually linked with ageing, can have a genetic link, especially in early-onset cases or when there's a strong family history. Similarly, Parkinson's disease may have a genetic influence even when there is no clear family history, with specific gene mutations interacting with environmental risk GENETIC TESTING CAN DO FOR YOUIf conventional scans and exams don't explain a brain condition, doctors may recommend genetic testing to uncover the cause. Today, several testing methods are available in India, including:advertisementGene panels: Targeted testing of genes known to be linked to specific conditions like early-onset epilepsy or Parkinson'sWhole-exome sequencing: Scans all known genes for changesChromosomal microarray: Detects missing or duplicated DNA segments, often used for developmental disorders in childrenThese tests are typically done through blood or, in some cases, saliva. The results can confirm diagnoses, narrow down treatment options, or help identify future risks. Importantly, they offer families clarity—and with that, the power to make informed counselling is a critical part of the process. Genetic counsellors help families understand inheritance patterns, how genes work, the types of tests available, and possible management or treatment routes. They also provide emotional support to help navigate the psychological impact of genetic TESTING EARLY MATTERSEarly genetic testing not only shortens the diagnostic journey but also reduces long-term care costs. For children, early diagnosis enables tailored support and helps families prepare for the future. In adults, knowing the genetic cause supports better care, lifestyle changes, and treatment planning. Genetic insights can also guide couples in pregnancy planning, especially when a family history of neurological issues tests deepen our understanding of brain conditions, opening doors to personalised medicine and more precise care.- Ends
