India's first deep sea marine microbial research facility is being set up in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. The centre will study micro-organisms found in extreme marine conditions.
The facility is coming up at the sea-front campus of the National Institute of Ocean Technology near Nellore.
The advanced centre will study, isolate and culture microbes for industrial, bio-medical and environmental applications. Deep sea microbes live in high pressure and low temperature without sunlight. NIOT's director said their unique adaptation helps them produce novel molecules that can support industrial, medical and environmental uses. The Nellore unit will feature modern technology and cryo freezers to store deep sea microbes.
The facility will focus on studying and documenting these microbes and making them available to researchers and start-ups. This will support the development of commercial products. The aim is to create opportunities for scientific and industrial innovation.
Deep sea microbes usually thrive only in high pressure environments and cannot survive sudden pressure changes. The Nellore centre will host a Deep-Sea Microbial Culture Facility to mimic deep sea conditions. This will help scientists study micro-organisms in stable laboratory conditions.
NIOT has already catalogued 1000 promising strains through expeditions in the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Some strains have already shown scientific and commercial value. The new facility will help expand this research further.