Community maps its DNA to stop its dip

With the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad involved, chances are that this blood-sampling camp, being organised at Matunga and Dombivli, will create history.

Contacted in Hyderabad, Dr Lalji Singh, director of the Centre, confirmed: ‘‘It’s the very first time in the country that an entire community will be profiled through DNA sampling.’’

Leading the team of three scientists who will conduct the sampling, Singh said the exercise would help identify not just the gene structures of individuals in the community but would also look for unwanted kinks in their helical wilderness.

‘‘This is a very small community who tend to marry within themselves. It often leads to genes not diversifying enough in the next generation and in turn raises a plethora of health issues—from blood and heart problems to infertility,’’ said Singh.

These Jains who’ve been conducting their own census since 1925 realised that from 1925 to 2004 their population had increased by just 17,000. In January 2002, the population in the 0 to 14 age group stood at 19 per cent, while the 50-plus population was 23 per cent.

Going by this trend, by 2013 there would actually be a fall in numbers from 29,000 to 27,000, stated their press release.

Refusing to accept this conclusion, Dr Singh said: ‘‘Our tests will show what the causes are (for the decline) and we will offer suggestions on how this can be tackled.’’ The time frame for the study however ‘‘is very long’’.

In the meanwhile, if you’re a Kachchhi Dassa Oswal Jain you may want to visit the Gujarati Club at Matunga. The organisers are expecting blood samples from at least 600 people over the weekend.

‘‘Ideally we’d prefer sampling the entire community, but for now we’ll manage with the random picks,’’ Singh said.