Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu calls for fast-tracking of genome sequencing of new COVID-19 variants

The Vice-President visited LaCONES facility in Hyderabad and witnessed a presentation by its Scientist-in-charge.

Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday called for fast-tracking of genome sequencing of new COVID-19 variants to speed up finding suitable vaccines and drugs. The Vice-President visited the CSR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology’s LaCONES (Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species) facility in Hyderabad and witnessed a presentation by Scientist-in-charge of LACONES. Addressing scientists and research scholars, Mr. Naidu observed that sequencing, as an adjunctive tool, plays a critical role in identifying the emergence of new viral mutations and thus helps combat the spread of , an official release said.