Connecting genomics and transcriptomics for the development of bioresources
- Date : October 04, 2024 :: Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal -

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Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) organized a programme on “Connecting genomics and transcriptomics for the development of bioresources” at Imphal, Manipur. During the event, Prof. Pulok Kumar Mukherjee, Director, IBSD highlighted initiatives of IBSD for developing genomic resources for microbes and medicinal plants of NER.

He mentioned that IBSD is working on this context of genomics of bioresources to catalogue the rich and unique microbial diversity and medicinal plants of the region. He highlighted that IBSD has huge repository of microbial cultures from unique biodiversity niches of NER which can be explored for biomanufacturing and development of bioeconomy.

Dr. Sagar Sengupta, Director, National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani highlighted the importance of genomics to explore biodiversity of NER including microbes and medicinal plants. He also mentioned that IBSD and NIBMG can collaborate for metagenome sequencing and analysis of selected microbes. He assured full support from NIBMG for the training and development of human resources for data analysis.

During the event, Prof. Indrajit Dube, Vice Chancellor, National law University, Shillong highlighted various areas of collaboration with IBSD for documentation of traditional knowledge and bioresources for sustainable development. He mentioned that legal research must be integrated with bioresource from regulatory perspectives for the development of bioeconomy.

IBSD is only the institute in the ambit of BRIC under Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India established in NER which is working on documentation of bioresources and integrated study for their scientific validation, value addition to propel innovations, discoveries and inventions for catalysing the growth of industry in the region for livelihood generation and boosting bioeconomy with different perspectives.

IBSD has established Phytopharmaceutical Mission of North Eastern Region. Under this programme, IBSD is working ethnobotany and ethnopharmacological perspectives of medicinal plants including their cultivation, promotion, value addition and chemical profiling, and promotion of start-ups based on development of herbal medicinal products.

IBSD is exploring microbial resources from different ecological niches of NE India viz., cave ecosystem, forest ecosystem, fermented food, endophytes, hot-spring, cold spring, lime stone deposits, high altitude ecosystems and preserved at the microbial repository centre of IBSD, Imphal. This repository is unique with huge collection of microbes from NER, which can play as a potential lead for not only new drug development but also very effective for the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) study.

IBSD is also exploring wild edible mushrooms of NER for nutraceutical potential and AMR study. IBSD has documented large number of indigenous traditional knowledge associated with traditional fermented foods of NER. IBSD has developed starter culture consortium and controlled fermentation process for safe, quality, and healthy products.

IBSD is involved in a number of outreach activities to ensure that the fruits of its research reach the common people of this region. In this context, IBSD is organising many outreach activities for farmers, traditional healers, women entrepreneurs of NER to promote “Bioeconomy from Bioresources”, programmes for promoting local bioresources among school/ college students of NER.

Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal
(Department of Biotechnology,
Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India)
Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, India