Executive Summary : | Silk, a natural protein fiber, is a key component of the sericulture industry. Traditionally, silk is obtained from silkworm larvae, but recent research has shown that bagworm insects, particularly the Eumeta crameri species, can produce high-quality silk material with high tensile strength. This proposal aims to understand the genome, genetic factors, biological processes, and associated factors of the bagworm species to assess its commercialization potential. Genome and transcriptome sequencing will help understand the silk production process, reveal gene structures, pathways, evolutionary adaptation, and comparative insights into the origin of silk-producing genes. The discovery of bagworm silk structure and molecular details will be useful in exploring silk production and biomaterial design. The study will also examine the role of insect gut microbiome and symbiotic beneficial bacteria species in the degradation of plant material and its association with silk production. This research will provide leads for commercial silk production in sericulture and act as a reference for genome studies and future commercialization of the bagworm species. The IISER Bhopal group has been pioneers in sequencing the genomes of various plants, including Peacock, Turmeric, Giloy, Aloe vera, Banyan tree, and Peepal tree, and has published their transcriptomes in high-quality journals. The PI group assures SERB that all objectives mentioned in the proposal will be fulfilled with high-impact publications. |