INDIAN SOIL MICROBIOME PROJECT
Welcome
This website represents the activities under a mega initiative “Indian Soil Microbiome Project”. The Indian Soil Microbiome Project was founded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM). Microorganisms of agricultural relevance from various agro ecology regions are the focus of the Bureau's efforts to isolate, characterize, and preserve them. (ICAR).
The Bureau maintains more than 8,000 microbial accessions from around the country in its National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC)
a repository of agriculturally significant microorganisms. In accordance with the Biodiversity Act of 2002, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has recognized the NAIMCC as a repository for microbial diversity. The NAIMCC is an affiliate of the WFCC. Under the Budapest Treaty of WIPO, the Bureau was designated as an IDA (international depository authority).
India's subtropical location makes the country home to an abundance of flora, fauna, and microbes. India is home to around 250,000 known kinds of microorganisms, including fungi, yeasts, cyanobacteria, algae, protozoa, and lichens. Microorganisms are able to thrive in a wide variety of conditions because of their genetic and metabolic diversity. It's important to understand the variety of these microorganisms found around the country. Using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, the team of scientists from ICAR- NBAIM is working to decipher the soil microbial diversity of different agro ecological zones across the country. The primary objective of the Indian Soil Microbiome project is to create a microbial diversity map of the country by collecting baseline data on soil microbes. You are welcome to visit the website and look at the progress of project.
Dr. Alok K. Srivastava
DirectorICAR-NBAIM