NCMR has the most unique collection of microbial cultures isolated from diverse ecological niches in India, such as soils from biodiversity hotspots of the Western Ghats, North East, mangroves, marine environment, industrial effluent polluted sites, and insect guts. These microbial cultures were originally collected under the microbial mission project funded by DBT to a team of researchers from nine national institutes and are now available to the community for further exploitation of their potential.

The microbial resources at NCMR represent an enormous diversity with huge unexplored potential for societal benefit. NCMR has identified a major portion of these microbial cultures using rRNA gene sequencing and MALDI-TOF. So far, this rich collection of microbes is represented by ~250 microbial taxa harboring an array of activities of human, industrial, environmental and ecological importance (see Full List). Of these, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Burkholderia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Ochrobactrum, Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas represent the 10 most abundant taxa with numerous applications known so far (see below).

Ten most abundant microbial taxa preserved and available at NCMR for further exploitation.The Others pie comprises of ~240 taxa in NCMR’s collection, each with >1.5% relative abundance. Percentage abundance for each of the pies are round off to the nearest integer.

Human Relevance

Antimicrobial agents: The largest portion of microbial cultures available at NCMR represent microorganisms that produce active antimicrobial compounds (Actinobacteria, Achromobacter, Amycolatopsis, Arthrobacter, Burkholderia, Brevibacterium, Streptomyces, Massilia), specific antifungal compounds (Aeromonas, Paenibacillus, Stenotrophomonas), and heat-stable antifungal factor (Lysobacter), polyketides antibiotics (Brevibacillus).

Medically relevant enzymes: Collagenase (Achromobacter), agents promoting the flow of bile in human body (Aeromicrobium), Chitinase (Cellulosimicrobium, Massilia) to control Myxozoan Disease (Aeromonas), keratinases and serine proteases (Bacillus).

Other Bioactive compounds: (Actinobacteria, Rhodococcus, Brachybacterium), Anticancer activity (Advenella, Massilia), cannabinoid production (Aerococcus), quorum sensing molecules (Aeromonas, Alteromonadaceae, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Delftia), Catabolism of cholesterol (Brevibacterium). In addition, members of the genus Streptomyces that are available at NCMR have previously been reported for their antiviral, antitumoral, anti-hypertensive and immunosuppressive activities.

Municipal relevance: Suppressing the concentrations of haloacetic acids in tap water (Afipia).

Pathogenic microbes of environmental origin: A rich diversity of microbes with known pathogenic attributes is also available at NCMR. These microbes are either nosocomial or opportunist pathogens, or at times directly responsible for the disease. The taxa identified as pathogens include Aeromonas, Brucella, Candida, Escherichia, Exiguobacterium, Flavobacterium, Klebsiella, Mycobacterium, Myroides, Providencia, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Serratia, Shigella, Staphylococcus, Stenotrophomonas, Vibrio, etc.

Industrial Relevance

Food and nutraceutical industry: Food (Actinobacteria, Sphingomonas, Corynebacterium, Salmonella, Lactobacillus), fucose production (Alteromonadaceae), probiotics (Lactobacillus, Enterococcus), maturation of cheese (Brevibacterium).

Agriculture and Crop productivity: Microbes with plant-growth promotion potential (Actinobacteria, Azospirillum, Caulobacter, Chryseobacterium, Chryseomicrobium, Curtobacterium, Kosakonia, Leclercia, Novosphingobium, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium).

Ore industry: Magnetic sensing, magnetic separation and metal ion adsorption (Bacillus), for treating difficult to beneficiate low grade complex ores (Brevundimonas), Adsroption of gold (Lysinibacillus).

Industrial Enzymes: Lipase (Acinetobacter, Brevibacillus, Citrobacter, Ochrobactrum, Oceanobacillus, Serratia), Xylanases (Acinetobacter), Amylases (Acinetobacter, Microbacterium), Cellulase (Brevibacillus), Protease production (Acinetobacter, Algoriphagus, Alishewanella, Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Curtobacterium, Halobacillus, Micrococcus, Psychrobacter), lignolytic enzymes (Klebsiella, Commamonas), Gelatinase (Serratia), Protein-deamidating enzymes (Chryseobacterium).

Poultry industry: Microbes used as feed supplement (Paracoccus) and those that produce phytases (Advenella, Citrobacter) are available at NCMR.

Scientific Research: NCMR has a collection of Escherichia isolates that are used as model system in scientific research. In addition, microbes found as common contaminants in research kits (Rhizobia), those used in genetic engineering in plants (Agrobacterium), involved in the production of gellan gum (Sphingomonas elodea), and nanoparticle synthesis, such as Silver (Aeromonas) and Gold (Arthrobacter) are available at NCMR.

Other industrial applications: Microbes with known biosurfactant production (Actinobacteria, Aneurinibacillus, Arthrobacter, Ochrobactrum, Paenibacillus), bioemulsification activity (Actinobacteria, Aeromicrobium, Amycolatopsis, Microbacterium, Ensifer) and bioflocculation ability (Albirhodobacter, Oceanobacillus, Cellulosimicrobium) are also available at NCMR. In addition, organisms of interest for the paper industry (Kelbsiella), cellulosic ethanol production (Isoptericola, Kluyvera), biopolymer production (Actinobacteria, Zobellella), and composting (Actinobacteria, Paenibacillus) are also available at NCMR.

Environmental Relevance

Bioremediation and waste treatment: Microbes with known application in bioremediation (Achromobacter, Amycolatopsis, Bacillus, Cellulosimicrobium, Chryseobacterium, Sphingopyxis, Novosphingobium Aneurinibacillus), methanesulfonate-degrading (Afipia) are also available at NCMR. In addition, microbes involved in the degradation of nylon-related substrates (Agromyces), phenol (Ancylobacter, Stenotrophomonas), explosives (Enterobacter), xenobiotic pollutants (Burkholderia), xanthan (Microbacterium), chromium (Candida), oil degradation (Acinetobacter, Aeromicrobium, Pseudoxanthomonas, Dietzia), wastewater treatment (Kurthia). NCMR also has a collection of Rhodococcus isolates that are used for treating aromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene, naphthalene, herbicides, and PCBs. In addition, members of the genera Achromobacter, Aminobacter and Amycolatopsis have also been used in bioaugumentation for the purpose of biodegrading specific soil and groundwater contaminants.

Dye removal: A collection of Kocuria and Flavobacterium isolates is available at NCMR. Members of these groups have been used in removal of dye color in textile as well as decolorization of Reactive Red 152 Dye (Alishewanella).

Biocontrol agents: Microbe that have been used to control phytopathogens (Achromobacter, Alteromonadaceae, Enterobacter), fish pathogens (Aeromonas) are also available at NCMR.

Ecological Relevance

While all isolates have been isolated from diverse ecological niches and these organisms are likely to play an important but yet unexplored role in the functional stability and maintenance of the ecosystem, there are certain taxa that have known ecological relevance. For instance, microbes that play a critical role in soil structure (Actinomyces, Planococcus, Stenotrophomonas), known to enhance phosphate availability in soil (Advenella) and soil fertility (Streptomyces) are available at NCMR. In addition, microbes with a role in Nitrogen fixation (Ensifer, Rhizobium, Sinorhizobium), denitrification of nitrate (Acidovorax, Advenella, Alcaligenes, Aromatoleum, Gordonia Paracoccus, Pseudoxanthomonas), H2S production in marine environment (Shewanella), plant health (Phyllobacterium, Variovorax) and those that act as natural decomposers (Proteus) are available at NCMR.