The Gene Business

Technology advances in gene sequencing are creating new opportunities for enterprises in healthcare and other sectors

- JOE C. MATHEW

Are you genetically predisposed to some diseases? Do you carry genetic mutations that can impact the health of your child? A debit card-sized IndiGenome card, recently unveiled by the government, will help you find the answers if your genetic information is captured in a database that India’s umbrella research organisation – the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – is building. Once your genome is sequenced from your blood sample and added to this database, the card can be used to read the information embedded in your genes, just as your debit card is used to generate a financial transaction statement from your bank’s database.