Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre develops technique to quickly identify Omicron variant

AHMEDABAD: In a major breakthrough, Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) scientists developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for faster detection of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

The technique involves cDNA (complementary DNA – a copy of messenger RNA through reverse transcript) prepared from RNA isolated from the viral sample. It is followed by the conventional PCR which provides fast results in comparison to Sequencing of whole virus using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and also provides cost-effective technique to scrutinize samples in remote labs.

“The positive sample with this test may be confirmed by sequencing if required. Compared to the test kit developed by ICMR-RMRC which is based on RT-PCR method, GBRC’s kit is conventional and does not require an RT-PCR machine to perform the test,” said a senior official. “The test kit involves the wild-type control to check the reaction setup and to distinguish between wild type and Omicron type of Covid. This technique can be used where results warrant urgency and are at a remote location where high-end facilities are not available.”

This test can be performed using conventional PCR machines which may be available at nearby medical colleges or private pathology laboratories, said officials. The conventional method generally takes up to 4-5 days to detect the presence of Omicron from the samples. Gujarat, so far, has four confirmed cases of the variant including three from Jamnagar and one from Surat. All patients are stable, said state health department officials.