Microbes

In a world suffering from excessive use of chemicals, microbes are increasingly important for solving the most critical environmental problems biologically. In our three decades of research in microbial biotechnology, we have created a number of cutting edge technologies that treat industrial waste, restore oil contaminated land and enhance agricultural productivity. From our labs, these solutions have spread out to many parts of the country and the world and helped to restore a degraded environment.

microbes

NEW IN MICROBES

  • oilzapper
     

    Position Paper

    Opportunities with Biofuel: Co-benefit of Air Quality Improvement

    Read more
  • water security
     

    Press Release

    Changing process of bio-diesel production would help reduce emission of dangerous nanoparticles: TERI

    Read more
  • water security
     

    Article

    Plant root microbes that help reduce chemical fertilisers and boost agriculture production

    Read more

Projects

Articles

Plant root microbes that help reduce chemical fertilisers and boost agriculture production

Dr Mandira Kochar
,
Ms Aditi Pandit
,
Dr Leena Johny
,
Dr Shivani Srivastava
,
Dr Pushplata Singh
,
Dr Alok Adholeya

Mycorrhizae is a symbiotic relationship between plant roots and fungi. Mycorrhizae technology developed by TERI has shown 50% reduction in usage of chemical fertilisers in crops such as wheat and maize.

Microbes script a success story in treating pharmaceutical waste

Ms Aastha Manocha

TERI's Oilzapper technology uses naturally occurring microorganisms to transform hydrocarbon contaminants in soil to non-toxic compounds

Tackling oil spill pollution with bioremedies

Dr Banwari Lal

Biological methods have been acknowledged as an eco-friendly remediation for an environment contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons

Drying up antimicrobial resistance with innovative wastewater treatment

Dr K Nanthakumar

Studies show that 90 per cent of pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants release pharmaceutical residues into soil and water, providing ideal breeding grounds for drug-resistant bacteria

Improving soil microorganisms for sturdier tea cultivation, come drought or flood

Dr Sushmita Gupta

TERI is working in Assam to reengineer plant root-associated microbes to make tea cultivation more resistant to biotic and abiotic challenges

Producing hydrogen from agriculture waste - the microbial way

Dr Sanjukta Subudhi

Intensive research explorations are being carried out at TERI for hydrogen production from agri-residue woody biomass

Events

Webinar on International test guidelines and methods for nanosafety

July 22, 2021
to July 23, 2021

The webinar will chiefly focus on defining the scope and use of OECD and other international test guidelines for toxicity assessment of nanomaterials

E-Workshop on Quality Control of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Biofertilizers

April 9, 2021
to April 9, 2021

The e-workshop will train participants on the quality evaluation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi-based products

Indo-US bilateral symposium: Next generation biologically synthesized nanofertilizers for seed coating and foliar application

September 5, 2019
to September 7, 2019

The TERI-Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre, TERI Gram, Gurugram, in collaboration with International Fertilizer Development Center, USA, is organising a joint symposium on the theme "Next Generation Biologically Synthesized Nanofertilizers for Seed Coating and Foliar Application".

The objectives of the event are -

TERI-ITEC Courses 2017-18: Course VIII - Integrated approach towards sustainable development

March 12, 2018
to March 29, 2018

About TERI-ITEC

TERI is empanelled by the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), Government of India, for this programme. Under the TERI-ITEC programme, eight courses are being offered for the year 2017-18.

TERI-ITEC Courses 2017-18: Course IV - Applications of Biotechnology and its Regulation

November 20, 2017
to December 8, 2017

About TERI-ITEC

TERI is empanelled by the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), Government of India, for this programme. Under the TERI-ITEC programme, eight courses are being offered for the year 2017-18.

Methane-generating microbe to help power India

August 28, 2017
to August 28, 2017

UNSW Australia-led researchers have discovered a way to produce a tenfold increase in the amount of methane gas emitted by naturally occurring microbes living in coal seams and on food waste.

The innovation could benefit the environment by extending the lifespan of coal seam gas wells, as well as improving the economics of using woody crops and left-over food as commercial sources of biogas.

News

Essar Oil & Gas invests in microbial technology to boost CBM production

May 8, 2023 |
June 14, 2023
The Economic Times

Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd (EOGEPL) announced its investment in Microbial eCBM technology to boost Coal be Methane (CBM) production, in a bid to improve operations. The unconventional hydrocarbon player said in a statement it has collobarated with The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI) and ONGC Energy Centre (OEC) to establish the potential of eCBM Microbial technology in the Raniganj-East Block of the company.

Antimicrobial resistance, a threat

November 29, 2017
| Dr Banwari Lal
,
| Dr K Nanthakumar
| Deccan Herald

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a global public health problem as antibiotics are becoming inefficient against a wide range of disease-causing pathogenic bacteria.

Invisible threat of antimicrobial resistance

November 16, 2017
| Dr Banwari Lal
,
| Dr K Nanthakumar
| The Hindu Business Line

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a global public health concern as antibiotics are becoming inefficient against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria. Rampant usage of antibiotics for human and veterinary purposes has resulted in the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in the guts of humans and animals, which are subsequently released in to the environment.

Cleaning up the mess off Chennai coast

February 11, 2017
| Dr Banwari Lal
| Deccan Herald

The latest oil spill in the Chennai coast where two ships - BW Maple of UK and Dawn Kanchipuram of India - collided on January 28 resulting in spilling of 100 tonne of oil is the second such incident happening following collision of ships.

Policy

Opportunities with Biofuel: Co-benefit of Air Quality Improvement

December 5, 2019

While biofuels have been discussed as one of the ways to reduce air pollution, changing the process of bio-diesel production is needed to reduce tailpipe emissions of nanoparticles. These are lesser known pollutants even more harmful than PM2.5 and PM10.

Services

Enhanced oil recovery from mature oil reserves

We have developed technologies of 'MEOR' (microbial enhanced oil recovery) for mature oil reserves, and PDB (paraffin degrading bacteria) for prevention of paraffin deposition in oil pipelines, which help in increasing the yield of oil wells.

Senior Director, Environmental & Industrial Biotechnology
Senior Director- Administrative Services and Regional Centres
Associate Director, Environmental & Industrial Biotechnology
Area Convener, Microbial Biotechnology
Area Convener, Microbial Biofuels and Biochemicals