IIT Jodhpur Researchers have used AI and genome sequencing to discover COVID-19 virus RNA variants

In a recent study, IIT Jodhpur researchers have developed a method for using artificial intelligence (AI) and genomic sequencing to identify COVID-19 virus RNA variations. Researchers analyzed the RNA structures of samples from Germany, China, the UK, the US, Malaysia, and India.

Key Highlight:

• A multi-institutional team led by IIT Jodhpur has recently developed a method to identify COVID-19 virus RNA variants using AI and genome sequencing.
• Researchers looked at RNA structures from samples from Malaysia and Germany in the study.
• The virus’s RNA structure is constantly changing.
• These tiny nucleotide changes, known as intrahost variants, can profoundly impact the virus’s nature.
• Because these variants result from an immunological response in the host cells, some can be harmful (or even destructive) to the virus.

Research from IIT Jodhpur and other institutions has developed a technique that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and genomic sequencing to identify variations in the COVID-19 virus.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and genomic sequencing can find RNA variations in the COVID-19 virus. A team of researchers developed this method at IIT Jodhpur. RNA structures from samples from Germany, China, the United Kingdom, the United States and Malaysia were looked at for the study.

The structure of the virus’s ribonucleic acid (RNA) keeps changing all the time. These changes are called intrahost variations on the nucleotide level, and even though they are small, they can have a big effect on how the virus behaves. Some of these changes are caused by an immune response in the host cells, led by enzymes. Some of these changes can be harmful or even destructive to the virus. As these changes affect the structure and nature of the virus, some variants can make the virus more able to survive, making them variants of concern.

Read moreIIT Jodhpur Researchers Develop Innovative Radiation-Detecting Memristor

Mitali Mukerji, a professor at IIT Jodhpur and a co-leader of the study, said, “One of the most important things to do to manage the COVID-19 pandemic is to figure out the virus’s genetic structure and look for early signs.”

“We found 16,410 iSNV sites across the viral genome,” she said. “A high density of alterations was found in critical areas that could change or stop the body from triggering an immune response.”