Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (BDER) programme includes a wide array of research opportunities in the domain of Life Sciences inclusive of exploration of natural resources for example traditional medicinal plant and snake venom for drug discovery against cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, snakebite and scorpion sting. Further research woks include on the improvement of treatment of snakebite, scorpion sting and quality assessment of commercial snake and scorpion antivenom. Also, the programme covers the effect of anthropogenic activity in ecosystem and environment on health of microorganism and higher organism within it and restoration of disturbed/polluted ecosystem. Health of ecosystem components including soil, water and air, and remediation of disturbed/polluted ecosystems (such as hydrocarbon polluted fields and wetlands) using biological and chemical methods are being assessed. One of the area of focus under the programme is on understanding the nature of human microbiome and its links with well-being of the human body, and how this knowledge can be translated for microbiome based therapeutics. BDER programme also includes the exploration and functional characterization of microorganisms prevalent in pristine and agriculture ecosystem for the development of microbial bioformulation/s to enhance plant growth promotion and diseases/pest biocontrol in high value commercial crop like Tea (Camellia sinensis) and exploration of extracellular antimicrobial metabolites against MRSA, MDR strains, infectious diseases and dermatophytes.
