Why White Blood Cells were used to study genetic makeup of Indians

It was performed by collecting genomes of 10,000 healthy individuals

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The samples were collected from unrelated individuals

The research conducted is unique because of the method of extracting genomes

The Genome India Project - one of India's most ambitious scientific undertaking recently unveiled findings from genetic makeup of over 10,000 Indians.

The project highlights personalised information about the DNA of Indians, what makes them unique from other populations and how information about our genetic makeup can transform the field of preventive medicine.

Published in Nature Genetics, the study has analysed whole genomes - a process of complete analysis of genomes of an organism - of a huge population of the country

But what sets it apart is its unique study approach apart from 135 million genetic variations.

Variants found in Indian genomes are not found anywhere around the world.

While other countries have used saliva, umbilical cord, or skin cells to extract DNA, Indian scientists have used White Blood Cells (WBCs) for the same purpose.

WBCs are cells produced in the bone marrow and circulated in the bloodstream. Also known as leukocytes, they help protect the body from infections and diseases.

WHAT IS GENETIC INDIA PROJECT?