Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | In-situ biodegradation of pesticide (fipronil) using stable-isotope probing (sIP) |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Ngangbam sarat singh, University Of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh |
Timeline Start Year : | 2024 |
Timeline End Year : | 2027 |
Contact info : | sarat4sarat@gmail.com |
Equipments : | PCR Machine
Refrigerated Incubator shaker
High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Horizontal Laminar Flow Cabinet |
Details
Executive Summary : | Pesticides remains one of the most important agrochemicals and will be crucial for guaranteeing food security in the near future. However, less than 2% of sprayed insecticide reach its target destination. Therefore, pesticide contamination will continue to be a major threat to environment and human health. Fipronil possess unique mode of actions and was introduced by the United states Environmental Protection Agency in May 1996 to replace more toxic and persistence insecticide families. Within a decade, it becomes one of the most persistent, lipophilic and toxic insecticide currently registered for use. Microbial biodegradation of fipronil has been studied using two different approaches. Initial approach assessed the biodegradability of fipronil in environmental samples. These studies could not identify active microbes involved in degradation of fipronil. The other approach isolates and identify soil microbes capable of degrading fipronil. However, bioaugmentation of such laboratory isolated microbes in field for bioremediation of pollutants has certain limitations associated with inadequate understanding of microbial behavior in field, difficulty supplying the microbes with stimulating materials, and bioavailability of the contaminant. studies of microorganisms in pure culture provide valuable information about their genomic makeup and potential biological activities, but they may not accurately reveal the organism's behavior in its natural population. stable isotope probing (sIP) using different isotopes like 13C, 15N, or 18O has the potential to identify novel pesticide degraders. For instance, none of the eleven clones identified as active microorganisms capable of utilize 13C in triclosan were similar to any known triclosan-degraders reported till date. Additionally, DNA-sIP can contribute to a better understanding of the intermediate absorption process and the pesticide degradation pathway. For example, DNA-sIP in conjunction with metagenomics was used to recover a novel biphenyl dioxygenase gene from soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls. For several decades, pesticide biodegradation studies have progressed without a detailed understanding of microbial species responsible for the in-situ degradation of pesticides. The proposed project aimed to unraveled the potential of 95-99% unculturable microbes which are active in in-situ biodegradation of pesticide (fipronil) by combining 13C-DNA-sIP technique with functional metagenomics. This study will not only identify the key pesticide degraders and their active enzymes, but will also further our existing knowledge of microbial behavior in natural ecosystem by directly linking phylogenetic communities with their ecological functions. Using the acquire knowledge of fipronil degraders, the biodegradation potential of any system can be monitored and assessed through a real-time PCR assay specific to the 16s rRNA gene sequences of the degraders. |
Total Budget (INR): | 50,26,560 |
Organizations involved