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IndyGeneUS AI Secures Pathogen Sequencing for COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Initiatives

IndyGeneUS AI | May 20, 2021

Through collaborations, IndyGeneUS AI has acquired genomic analysis and testing capabilities. This pathogen sequencing capacity has emerged at a critical moment in efforts to improve genomic surveillance and monitor COVID-19 variant strains across the continent.

IndyGeneUS founder and CEO Yusuf Henriques emphasized the importance of this work. "COVID-19 and its variants pose a danger to the entire African continent, so we must act quickly. Our partners understand the urgency of this mission and are united with their cooperation."

Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based genotyping, targeted sequencing, and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis are among the capabilities. Comparative genomic analysis, disease genetics, epigenomics, and genome mapping are some of the applications of our capabilities.

Bradford Wilson, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at IndyGeneUS AI, said, "These capabilities are pivotal for the Continent and the future of precision medicine." "We are currently in talks with several large pharmaceutical firms that see the value of what we are developing to combat infectious and non-communicable diseases alike," he said.

In less than a year, IndyGeneUS AI has partnered with Kenyan organizations such as the KAVI Institute of Clinical Research at the University of Nairobi and Afya Rekod. We've also teamed up with Encrypgen, which has created a blockchain-encrypted marketplace for commercializing insights gleaned from our repository and compensating participants who contribute data.

IndyGeneUS has certainly understood the increasing need for infrastructure to sustain genomic surveillance activities by developing sequencing capabilities. Following the introduction of COVID-19 variant strains, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) established a network of laboratories last year to improve the continent's capacity to identify emerging variants of concern. More funding and infrastructure are needed for these initiatives. IndyGeneUS intends to accelerate sequencing capabilities across Africa by using public and private partnerships.

About IndyGeneUS AI
IndyGeneUS AI is a genomics company based in Nairobi is also developing the world's largest block-chain encrypted repository of African clinical and multi-omics data for disease prevention and diagnosis, drug discovery and development, clinical disease management, and the promotion of precision health equity. Mr. Yusuf Henriques, COO Dr. Wilmot Allen, and CSO Dr. Bradford Wilson formed IndyGeneUS. The company, which is owned by African Americans and Africans, has offices in Washington, DC, and a presence in South Africa through the Founder Institute. The Founder Institute is the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator.

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