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PROJECT OVERVIEW
Bacillus is a genus of rod-shaped bacteria and a member of the division Firmicutes. Bacillus species are either obligate or facultative aerobes, and test positive for the enzyme catalase. Ubiquitous in nature, Bacillus includes both free-living and pathogenic species. Under stressful environmental conditions, the cells produce oval endospores that can stay dormant for extended periods. These characteristics originally defined the genus, but not all such species are closely related, and many have been moved to other genera.Species of Bacillus and Bacillus derived genera (BBDG) are employed in industry as a source of enzymes, in agriculture as inoculants |
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(PGPR) and biocontrol agents. They are also implicated in bioremediation and the insecticidal property of Bacillus thuringiensis has been exploited largely, in India there is no base line information available on the species richness and thus its utilization is not understood. Bacillus species predominate in most of the environment and are used as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria as well as potent bicontrol agents. A better understanding of BBDG diversity promises to provide an array of new product and processes. The use of BBDG as biofertilizers, biocontrol agent and bioremediations will help Indian agriculture by reducing the dependence on chemical inputs and protecting the environment. Bacillus based preparations would help in the development of technologies that can be utilized as bioinoculants, as PGPR that can alleviate salinity and drought stress to attain optimum yield of field and horticultural crops and bioremediation of HCH contaminated soil.
The nutritional versatility of Bacillus allows them to use a range of carbon sources including such things as uric acid, herbicides and nicotine. For these reasons they are extremely competitive organisms with remarkable resistance to desiccation and starvation. The optimum growth temperature of most species is 25-300 C. However species isolated from extreme condition have developed acclimation protein allowing them to sustain life under extreme condition of salinity, drought, high or low temperature and acidity.
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PROJECT AT A GLANCE |
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In India, no baseline information is available on the diversity of Bacillus that is one of the important group of bacteria. Diversity analysis of Bacillus or Bacillus derived genera and other predominant genera under extreme conditions would provide a database that is currently unavailable and will enrich the Indian microbial culture collection. Extensive survey of extreme environment needs to be done and isolations had to be made using appropriate media so as to bring into culture as vast diversity as possible.
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 National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM), Mau Nath Bhanjan, U.P |
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National Research Centre for Plant Biotechnology (NRCPB), IARI, New Delhi |
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Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. |
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National Research Centre for Groundnut (NRCG), Junagadh |
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Central Plantation Crop Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasargod |
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