Kolkata: In a giant stride towards fortifying India’s conservation endeavours, the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has announced the establishment of the Centre for Wildlife Forensics and Conservation Genomics (C-WFCG) whose arsenal of advanced instrumentation is poised to revolutionise genetic analysis and combat wildlife crime with unprecedented precision.
Backed by a substantial grant of Rs 2.66 crore from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC), the C-WFCG is expected to emerge as a beacon of innovation in wildlife forensics research, according to Dhriti Banerjee, Director of ZSI.
The symbolic initiation of the laboratory was marked by the ‘Navgrah Shanti Puja’, but it awaits its formal inauguration by esteemed officials from the MoEF & CC. ZSI scientist Mukesh Thakur extolling the centre’s capabilities said that the addition of SeqStudio 24 Flex for capillary sequencing and fragment analysis, alongside Oxford Nanopore for amplicon sequencing and eDNA metagenome analysis, underscores the facility’s commitment to comprehensive genetic research.
Moreover, real-time PCR capabilities for genotyping and expression analysis further enhance the centre’s repertoire, enabling nuanced insights into wildlife populations. Complementing these advancements is the integration of High-Performance Cluster Computing, empowering ZSI studies with unparalleled computational power for big data analysis and intricate sample processing.
“Beyond its technological prowess, the C-WFCG with its cutting edge facility embodies a beacon of hope for India’s ecological legacy. Through rigorous wildlife monitoring, the centre will spearhead efforts to track endangered species, detect wildlife crime and mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
Biodiversity assessment will be elevated to new heights, enabling comprehensive surveys and conservation planning tailored to the unique needs of India’s diverse ecosystems,” added Thakur.