Advancing TB Diagnostics: ICMR-NIRT Hosts National Workshop on tNGS for Drug-Resistant TB 9-13 March 2026
ICMR-NIRT, Chennai, successfully conducted a five-day national workshop on Targeted Next Generation Sequencing (tNGS) for drug-resistant tuberculosis from 9–13 March 2026. The workshop, titled “Evidence and Implementation Challenges,” brought together 26 participants from across India and focused on strengthening capacity for rapid and accurate detection of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. With India bearing a significant share of the global TB burden, the programme highlighted the growing importance of genomic tools in supporting the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
The workshop combined expert-led sessions with extensive hands-on training covering the complete tNGS workflow, including DNA extraction, multiplex PCR, library preparation, sequencing using the MinION platform, and downstream bioinformatics analysis. Participants were trained in data processing and interpretation using established tools such as NanoPlot, Minimap2, SAMtools, BCFtools, TB-Profiler, and IGV, along with guidance on applying the Indian TB Mutation Catalogue Version 2 for standardised drug-resistance profiling. The sessions also featured insights from leading experts and emphasised the integration of tNGS into routine TB diagnostics and patient care.
A key highlight of the programme was the release of the ICMR-NIRT tNGS Training Manual, developed as a comprehensive reference to support standardised implementation of tNGS across laboratories in India. All participants successfully completed the training, achieving competency across the full workflow. The workshop received highly positive feedback, particularly for its practical approach and interactive format, and contributed to strengthening inter-institutional collaboration and preparedness for genomic surveillance under NTEP.
