Core Fund to encourage innovative research

In order to encourage innovative ideas amongst the young scientists working in the field of Agricultural Biotechnology in different reputed organizations in the region, a core fund of ₹20.0 Lakh per year has been set up. Each year the centre advertises for innovative research ideas from scientists of North-East India. Based on peer reviews identified proposal (s) are funded moderately so that the scientist can generate baseline data and develop full proposal for submission to appropriate funding agencies.

Projects funded in 2012-13 are:

• Functional validation of the differentially expressed acid tolerance genes (from Phase I).

• Study the growth promotion and abiotic stress (acid and associated stress-Al, Fe) alleviation ability of the acid and Al tolerant native bacterial isolates (characterized in the phase I of the project) on crop plant under those stress condition.

• Decipher the cross-talk between the bacterial isolates and the plant during acidic and its associated stress condition.

Important collaborators of the programme are:

• CSIRO Plant Industry, Australia as consulting organization for new gene construction, parallel transformation work through deputation of student/research scholars from AAU, Jorhat.

• MAHYCO, Maharastra for parallel transformation work as well as bioassay, biosafety analysis and introgression breeding.

• IARI, New Delhi for constructing transgenes and introgression breeding.

Scientists Involved:

Scientists involved with this programme are Dr. M Barooah, Dr. R C Boro, Dr. D Borah and Dr. R Baruah from AAU while collaborating scientist is Dr Alan Richardson from CSIRO, Australia

Salient accomplishment:

• In all 10 acid tolerance genes were identified.

• Nine genes (dgk, fadS1, nitrate reductase; met-ABC-transporter, Urease cassette (ure A-G), Glutamate decarboxylase and hypA, hypB) were cloned.

• The Met-ABC transporter protein was produced in E coli.

• 300 agriculturally important isolates characterized and confirmed about 20 % - 50% more efficient when cultured in pH 7.0.

• Elucidated the importance of proline in conferring acid tolerance to Bacillus megaterium G18.

• Development of broad-spectrum plant growth promoting bioinoculum for paddy, cereals and vegetable crops.

Future line of research:

• Integrated analysis of proteomic and transcriptomic data set (generated in the phase I of the project) to identify genes involved with acid stress.

• Validation of prospected genes by differential expression of transcripts under acid stress (as prospected from objective 1).

• Functional validation of potential acid-tolerance genes through cloning and heterologous expression.

• Development of systems-level models endowing quantitative ‘omics’ information as a function of pH under different conditions.

Innovative project grants to young scientists: 11 nos

Two patentable products developed:

• Pasteurella multocida adjuvanted with calcium phosphate nanoparticles and polylactide-co-glycolide (PLG) microparticles as a vaccine candidate against swine pasteurellosis.

• .A pesticidal soap from Physic Nut, Jatropha curcas for animal