My major research activity is focused on exploring environmental microbiomes and their biotechnological potentials using a combination of multi-omics and geo-analytical approaches. This includes elucidation of microbial community compositions and function, species interaction, bio-geo interactions and deciphering the details of the community function and its environmental regulation. Environmental DNA based approaches, quantitative PCR, analysis of key enzymes involved in major pathways are targeted. Selective enrichment of specific metabolic groups of microorganisms, followed by their detailed analysis is performed. Analysis of metabolites, bio-transformed elements / minerals or ions by GC, GC MS, LC MS, Ion Chromatography, X-ray diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, etc. are used to establish the community's functional abilities in controlling different environmental processes.
Current areas of research:
(A) Deciphering microbial life within the deep, hot, nutrient limiting terrestrial subsurface [(a) Carbon and energy metabolism with a special emphasis on Acetogenesis (b) Isolation and characterization of extremophilic microorganisms from deep terrestrial subsurface].
(B) Microbiological CO2 capture and conversion to useful bioproducts using temperature and CO2 tolerant organisms [(a) characterization of high CO2 and temperature tolerant microbes in utilization of CO2 and its conversion to acetyl CoA and other useful biomolecules; (b) Whole genome and metagenome based analysis of most efficient communities / isolates; (c) Community scale and genome scale metabolic modelling].
(C) Plastic biodegradation by aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms; genomic and metagenomic characterization of plastic utilizing community/strains, evaluation of their potential in bioremediation landfill waste. Bioconversion of plastics and its derivatives to useful molecules (waste to wealth conversion).
(D) Geomicrobiology of arsenic contaminated aquifers and soils; Interrelations among arsenic biotransformation and biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in paddy soil.
(E) Impact of amine based solvents used in carbon capture technologies on aquatic and terrestrial microbial communities; ecotoxicity assessment and biodegradation of amines.
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Microbial diversity and function in crystalline basement beneath the Deccan Traps explored in a 3 km borehole at Koyna, western India Sahu R. P., Kazy S. K., Bose H. , Mandal S. , Dutta A. , Saha A. , Roy S. , Duttagupta S. , Mukherjee A. , Sar P. By Environmental Microbiology - (2021)
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Development of nitrate stimulated hydrocarbon degrading microbial consortia from refinery sludge as potent bioaugmenting agent for enhanced bioremediation of petroleum contaminated waste Sarkar J., Saha A., Roy A., Bose H., Pal S., Sar P., Kazy S.K. By World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 36 - (2020)
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Exploration of deep terrestrial subsurface microbiome in Late Cretaceous Deccan traps and underlying Archean basement, India Dutta A., Dutta Gupta S. , Gupta A. , Sarkar J. , Roy S. , Mukherjee A. , Sar P. By Scientific Reports 8 1-16 (2018)
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Geochemical, metagenomic, and physiological characterization of the multifaceted interaction between microbiome of an arsenic contaminated groundwater and aquifer sediment Mohapatra B., Saha A., Chowdhury A.N., Kar A., Kazy S.K., Sar P. By Journal of Hazardous Materials 412 - (2021)
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Comparative genome analysis of arsenic reducing, hydrocarbon metabolizing groundwater bacterium Achromobacter sp. KAs 3-5T explains its competitive edge for survival in aquifer environment Mohapatra B., Kazy S. K., Sar P. By Genomics 2.91 - (2019)
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Exploring the Piezotolerant/Piezophilic Microbial Community and Genomic Basis of Piezotolerance within the Deep Subsurface Deccan Traps Dutta A., L P. M., Gupta A. , D B. H., Sar P. By Extremophiles 23 421-433 (2019)
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Geomicrobiology of Mine Tailings from Malanjkhand Copper Project, India Gupta A., Dutta A., Panigrahi M.K., Sar P. By Geomicrobiology Journal 38 97-114 (2021)
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Biodegradation of Unpretreated Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) by Stenotrophomonas sp. and Achromobacter sp., Isolated From Waste Dumpsite and Drilling Fluid Dey A.S., Bose H., Mohapatra B., Sar P. By Frontiers in Microbiology 11 - (2020)
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Characterization and application of an anaerobic, iron and sulfate reducing bacterial culture in enhanced bioremediation of acid mine drainage impacted soil Gupta A., Sar P. By Journal of Environmental Science and Health - Part A Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering 55 464-482 (2020)
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Biostimulation of indigenous microbial community for bioremediation of petroleum refinery sludge Sarkar J., Kazy S. K., Gupta A. , Dutta A. , Mohapatra B. , Roy A. , Bera P. , Mitra A. , Sar P. By Frontiers in Microbiology 7 - (2016)
Principal Investigator
- An Integrated Experimental Vis-a-Vis In -Silico Approach for System-Level Understanding of CO2 Fixation Abilities of Chemoautotrophic Microbial Communities Derived from Deep Subsurface Rocks for their Potential Application In Third Generation Biorefineries
- Carbon and Energy Metabolisms of Deep Life Within the Granitic Basement of Koyna Seismogenic Zone
- Understanding Landfill Microbiome and Application for Bioremediation of Environmental Pollutants
Co-Principal Investigator
- Development and Demonstration of Integrated Instrumentation System for Quantitative Detection of Water Contaminants with Information Database for Surveillance of Waterborne Diseases Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- Sustainable operation of post-combustion capture plants Department of Science and Technology
- Understanding Structure Function and Evolution of Regulatory Networks with a Special Emphasis on Human Diseases-BIC at Department of Biotechnology, IIT-Kharagpur DBT, NEW DELHI
Ph. D. Students
Debarshi Mukherjee
Area of Research: Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology
Mitali Arvind Merchant
Area of Research: Environmental Metagenomics
Rajendra Prasad Sahu
Area of Research: Geomicrobiology
Roopmalya Basu
Area of Research: Environmental Biotechnology
Shuchishloka Chakraborty
Area of Research: Environemtal microbiology and Biotechnology
Sumit Rez
Area of Research: Microbial Genomics
Swatilekha Sarkar
Area of Research: Microbial genomics
