Imphal : The Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) participated in G20 Research Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) conference on Circular Bio-economy held at Dibrugarh on Friday. The event was organized by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.

During the programme, Prof. Pulok Kumar Mukherjee, Director, IBSD moderated a session on “Bioresource Management and highlighted the various initiatives of IBSD for the promotion of bioresources for the development of the bioeconomy of the Northeastern Region. He mentioned that the northeastern region of India is a major hub for biodiversity due to its ecological circumstances and is included in two biodiversity hotspots as the Himalayan and Indo-Burman regions.

It is not only the plants but also the fermented foods that are an intrinsic part of the diet of ethnomedicinal importance of this region. The rich microbial diversity in various sources of fermented foods and beverages reflects that the indigenous people have been harnessing indigenous microbiota for spontaneous fermentation. Insects also play an important role as food and medicine within various ethnic groups of NER.

The unexplored ecological niches of this region provide a potential source of novel metabolites and their screening will hopefully generate new leads in the near future. Rich natural bioresources spread across India’s diverse ecosystems and nurtured by indigenous communities, provide ample opportunities for the development of ethnic entrepreneurship and bioeconomy from bioresources.

Prof Mukherjee highlighted the various initiatives of the Government of India for the promotion of bioresources and indigenous traditional knowledge. He also emphasized the need for international coordination for the conservation of bioresources and policy for traditional knowledge and medicines. The programme was attended by scientists, officials, and experts from industries from India and other countries.