Grant sanctioned to understand the mitochondrial DNA haplogroup variation to Covid19 severity

Hyderabad: Prof. Naresh Babu Sepuri’s laboratory at the Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences at University of Hyderabad (UoH) has secured a sub-award grant from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, USA, funded by the GATES Foundation.

The project is part of a global collaborative initiative between Prof. Douglas C Wallace, Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; the University of Hyderabad; and the North Western University, South Africa, to understand the mitochondrial DNA haplogroup variation to Covid19 severity.

The grant totalling about $172,000 (Rs.~1.5Cr), is for a period of two years and the University has received $86,250 (Rs.71 lakhs), as a part of the first-year grant.

Prof. B J Rao, Vice Chancellor reacting to the project grant said, “ I am elated at the University of Hyderabad being part of a global collaborative project for the path-breaking research with the objective to arrest the spread and reduce the severity of Covid19 infection”.