India: A Natural Laboratory for Exposomics

India is swiftly emerging as a global leader in exposomics research, driven by its unique combination of traditional and contemporary health risks, according to Dr Kalpana Balakrishnan of Sri Ramachandra Institute. She emphasizes the country's vast potential for groundbreaking discoveries in disease prevention, thanks to its diverse environmental landscape.

At a recent exposomics forum in Washington DC, organized by Johns Hopkins University, experts highlighted the dynamic nature of India's exposome. Unlike a fixed genome, the exposome encompasses all environmental exposures over a lifetime, significantly influencing health outcomes. Dr Balakrishnan argued that capturing these exposures requires advanced tools like High Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Next Generation Sequencing.

Dr Rima Habre from the University of Southern California underscored India's potential for global exposomics collaboration. Speaking at an ICMR-NIOH conference in Ahmedabad, Habre described India's diverse environmental stressors as offering invaluable insights into global health exposures. This, coupled with robust longitudinal research infrastructure, positions India as a pivotal player in the global exposomics initiative.

(With inputs from agencies.)