Biochemistry and Pathogenesis of Microbes - BPM Research Group
Biochemistry and Pathogenesis of Microbes - BPM Research Group
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Microbes For Our Wellbeing
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Study of Beneficial Microbes
Study of Beneficial Microbes
Beneficial microbes are the bacteria, fungi, algae and other microorganisms that are beneficial to the environment or to other organisms. Despite the common myth that "the microbes are bad", these tiny organisms are generally harmless while many of them are rather helpful, only very few being pathogenic. The beneficial microbes confer lots of essential benefits to the wellbeing of plants and animals. For a single human cell in our body, for example, there are 10 cells of the microorganisms which provide us with numerous health benefits such as improvement of our digestion, nutrition and reproduction, detoxification of harmful compounds, development of the immune system, production of vitamin K and so on. Microbes also play key functions in the health and development of plants. We are interested in both of these two types of beneficial microbes that include: (1) Probiotic lactic acid bacteria and (2) Plant growth promoting bacteria.
Health benefits of lactic acid bacteria
Health benefits of lactic acid bacteria
One of the most important milestones in healthcare during the past decade is the recognition of lactic acid bacteria as probiotics in functional foods and medicine due to their beneficial functions in health-promotion and disease-prevention. The lactic acid bacteria are Gram-positive microaerophilic or anaerobic organisms that produce lactic acid as the main end-product of their anaerobic sugar metabolism. These bacteria are renowned for synthesizing a variety of important metabolites which beneficially affect the nutritional, sensorial, and technological properties of foods. They also protect the host against harmful microorganisms, strengthen the immune system and provide numerous other health benefits such as antioxidant, antimutagenic, anticancer functions etc. Lactic acid bacteria are, therefore, placed among the most important types of beneficial microbes. Few of the lactic acid bacteria with probiotic effects are already being used in a variety of food preparations. A continuous need, however, exists for the isolation of new strains with desired properties. We look forward to discover novel lactic acid bacteria in indigenous foods and seek to explore what health promoting effects they offer.
Present status: We've isolated several potential probiotic bacteria from local foods. Characterization of the isolates is going on.
Plant growth promoting effects of rhizobia and endophytes
Plant growth promoting effects of rhizobia and endophytes
Rhizospheric and endophytic microbes having beneficial effects on plant growth and health represent an attractive alternative to the chemical fertilizers. The plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) facilitate plant growth via a number of mechanisms, e.g., regulation of nutritional balance, enhancement of root development, nutrient solubilization, suppression of pathogens, mitigation of environmental stress etc. The chemical fertilizers can also enhance plant growth but they are more expensive and, most importantly, the chemical fertilizers largely harm our agro-ecosystem. The PGPB, in contrast, are ecofriendly and economical. Therefore, PGPB are considered a better alternative to the agrochemicals and expected to reduce or replace the agrochemicals in the future. Our objective is to find out and use PGPB strains in order to promote growth of the local crops without harming the soil's natural environment.
Present status: Several rhizobacteria isolated; preliminary characterization suggests some of the isolates possess plant growth promoting ability in vitro.
Biocatalysis & Biotransformation
Biocatalysis & Biotransformation
Hunting microbes of industrial importance
Hunting microbes of industrial importance
Biocatalysts are the catalysts of biological organisms that speed up chemical reactions. Of all organisms, the microbes specially the bacteria and fungi, are most preferred for the large-scale commercial production of biocatalysts since these organisms are the easiest, cheapest and fastest to grow in a relatively small and simple set-up, and also suitable to genetic manipulation for increased production of biocatalysts under wide culture conditions. Moreover, many biocatalysts of microbial origin are largely diversified in their catalytic properties and substrate specificities with high activity at a wide range of temperature, pH and salinity on multiple substrates. Hence, by the isolation and screening of microorganisms from a variety of sources, we've been looking for novel strains producing enzymes of industrial interest, particularly those producing extracellular hydrolases, and the glycan-modifying enzymes. In addition, we also seek out extremophiles such as alkaliphilic or halophilic bacteria since they produce valuable enzymes which catalyze reactions under extreme environments.
Present status: Running.
[+] Related publication(s)
Hydrolytic Exoenzymes Produced by Bacteria Isolated and Identified From the Gastrointestinal Tract of Bombay Duck. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2020.
Evaluation of Endo-1,4-β-D-Glucanase Activity in the Digestive Fluid of Adult Phytophagous Beetle Hoplasoma unicolor. Tropical Life Science Research. 2021.
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