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 by Sahu R. P., Kazy S. K., Bose H. , Mandal S. , Dutta A. , Saha A. , Roy S. , Duttagupta S. , Mukherjee A. , Sar P. 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 by Sarkar J., Saha A., Roy A., Bose H., Pal S., Sar P., Kazy S.K. 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 by Dutta A., Dutta Gupta S. , Gupta A. , Sarkar J. , Roy S. , Mukherjee A. , Sar P. 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 by Mohapatra B., Saha A., Chowdhury A.N., Kar A., Kazy S.K., Sar P. 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 by Mohapatra B., Kazy S. K., Sar P. 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 by Dutta A., L P. M., Gupta A. , D B. H., Sar P. Extremophiles 23 421-433 (2019)
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Geomicrobiology of Mine Tailings from Malanjkhand Copper Project, India by Gupta A., Dutta A., Panigrahi M.K., Sar P. 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 by Dey A.S., Bose H., Mohapatra B., Sar P. 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 by Gupta A., Sar P. 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 by Sarkar J., Kazy S. K., Gupta A. , Dutta A. , Mohapatra B. , Roy A. , Bera P. , Mitra A. , Sar P. Frontiers in Microbiology 7 - (2016)
Principal Investigator
- Development of novel thermophilic chemoautotrophic bacterial work horses for valorization of CO2 into fatty acids DBT, NEW DELHI
- Metagenomic assessment of microbial diversity, functionality and metabolic activities in polymetallic nodules and associated sediments and water of Central Indian Ocean Basin Ministry of Earth Sciences
Co-Principal Investigator
- National Network Project of Department of Biotechnology, IIT Kharagpur Department of Biotechnology
- 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
Roopmalya Basu
Area of Research: Environmental Biotechnology
Sabnaj Khatun
Area of Research: Microbial ecology and biogeochemistry
Sanjukta Ghosh
Area of Research: Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology
Shuchishloka Chakraborty
Area of Research: Environemtal microbiology and Biotechnology
Sumit Rez
Area of Research: Microbial Genomics
Swatilekha Sarkar
Area of Research: Microbial genomics
