SHAH AND ANCHOR KUTCHHI ENGINEERING COLLEGE

A REPORT ON

Microbial resources

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES S.Y. M.M.S.

SUBMITTED BY: Ankita Gawde (17)

A REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT IN THE REQUIREMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SYLLABUS.

FEBRUARY 2013

Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geo diversity existent in various ecosystems. Natural resources are derived from the environment. Some of them are essential for our survival while most are used for satisfying our wants. Natural resources may be further classified in different ways. Natural resources are materials and components (something that can be used) that can be found within the environment. Every man-made product is composed of natural resources (at its fundamental level). A natural resource may exist as a separate entity such as fresh water, and air, as well as a living organism such as a fish, or it may exist in an alternate form which must be processed to obtain the resource such as metal ores, oil, and most forms of energy. There is much debate worldwide over natural resource allocations; this is partly due to increasing scarcity (depletion of resources) but also because the exportation of natural resources is the basis for many economies (particularly for developed nations such as Australia). Some Natural resources can be found everywhere such as sunlight and air, when it is so the resource is known as an ubiquitous (existing or being everywhere) resource. However most resources are not ubiquitous. They only occur in small sporadic areas; these resources are referred to as localized resources. There are very few resources that are considered inexhaustible (will not run out in foreseeable future) these are solar radiation, geothermal energy, and air (though access to clean air may not be). The vast majority of resources are however exhaustible, which means they have a finite quantity, and can be depleted if managed improperly. The natural resources are materials, which living organisms can take from nature for sustaining their life or any components of the natural environment that can be utilized by man to promote his welfare is considered to be natural resources.

CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

There are various methods of categorizing natural resources, these include source of origin, stage of development, and by their renewability, these classifications are described below. On the basis of origin, resources may be divided into:

Biotic Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere (living and organic material), such as forests and animals, and the materials that can be obtained from them. Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are also included in this category because they are formed from decayed organic matter. here are various methods of categorizing natural resources, these include source of origin, stage of development, and by their renewability, these classifications are described below. Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere (living and organic material), such as forests and animals, and the materials that can be obtained from them. Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are also included in this category because they are formed from decayed organic matter.

For EG:- Timber, Petroleum, Fruits, Wax .

Abiotic Abiotic resources are those that come from non-living, non-organic material. Examples of abiotic resource.

For Eg:- Coal, Diamond, Silver, Bauxite.

List of Renewable Resources

The list presented below, classifies natural resources in a manner that helps us to become aware of the fast-depleting natural resources. While studying this subject, kids should understand that their conservation is the need of time. Educating them about how to make judicious use of these resources is important. The information about renewable natural resources through examples of wind and tidal energy provided at the end should also prove to be useful. Water: It is the most important natural resource and one cannot survive without water. We can see that life thrives/flourishes in the presence of water. It is a natural resource needed by all living beings not only for survival, but also to grow and develop. Air: The most abundant and important natural resource for survival, air (in the form of oxygen) is needed by most creatures (except for anaerobic organisms) found on earth. Sunlight: Just like air and water, sunlight is needed for survival of living beings. The process of photosynthesis is carried out in the presence of sunlight. With plants visibly circulating most of the energy in the food chain, one tends to forget that sunlight is the original source of energy for life on earth. The water cycle too cannot be completed without sunlight. Plants: The plants are the main energy source for living beings on earth. Carnivores and scavengers obtain energy by feeding on other animals which in turn, feed on plants. Though plants are considered a renewable natural resource, their excessive use could deplete them. For example, the Amazon forest cover is fast shrinking which is a dangerous sign for the health of our ecosystem. Wind Energy: It is one of the least used resources on earth. The process of obtaining energy from wind doesn't pollute the environment. Air pollution resulting from combustion of fossil fuels can be reduced to a great extent with the use of wind energy. Tidal Energy: This form of energy is similar to wind energy in terms of functioning. In fact, the tides/waves of oceans used to obtain energy, originally obtain it from wind. More information in the form of facts about tidal energy should be useful. Soil: It is one of the most abundant resources found on earth. Soil is needed for growing crops. The same soil can be used over and over for the purpose of agriculture. However, this natural resource needs to be protected from the menace of erosion. Increasing the vegetation i.e. forest cover is the best way to prevent soil erosion.

Depletion of Natural Resources

In recent years, the depletion of natural resources has become a major focus of governments and organizations .The depletion of natural resources is considered to be a sustainable development issue. The term sustainable development has many interpretations, most notably to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs however in broad terms it is balancing the needs of the planet's people and species now and in the future. In regards to natural resources, depletion is of concern for sustainable development as it has the ability to degrade current environments and potential to impact the needs of future generations. The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all others. Theodore Roosevelt Depletion of Natural Resources is associated with social inequity. Considering most biodiversity are located in developing countries, depletion of this resource could result in losses of ecosystem services for these countries. Some view this depletion as a major source of social unrest and conflicts in developing nations. At present, with it being the year of the forest ,there is particular concern for rainforest regions which hold most of the Earth's biodiversity. According to Nelson deforestation and degradation affect 8.5% of the world's forests with 30% of the Earth's surface already cropped. If we consider that 80% of people rely on medicines obtained from plants and of the world's prescription medicines have ingredients taken from plants, loss of the world's rainforests could result in a loss of finding more potential life saving medicines. The depletion of natural resources is caused by 'direct drivers of change such as Mining, petroleum extraction, fishing and forestry as well as 'indirect drivers of change' such as demography, economy, society, politics and technology. The current practice of Agriculture is another factor causing depletion of natural resources. For example the depletion of nutrients in the soil due to excessive use of nitrogen and desertification. The depletion of natural resources is a continuing concern for society.

Microbial resources
Fifty percent of the living biomass on the planet is said to be microbial and microorganisms provide a major source of genetic information to solve many problems in agriculture, industry, plant, animal and human health and several other biotechnological applications. The vast majority (95%) of the microbial diversity however, is yet to be discovered, and most of this unexplored megadiversity is found in tropical regions with a wide range of ecological habitats. Uganda has a wide range of ecological habitats with an abundance of novel taxa of culturable and unculturable microorganisms of greatpotential value. These organisms are involved in nutrient recycling (e.g. breaking down complex plant and animal remains), Beneficial mutualistic relationships (e.g. nitrogen fixation, animal digestion, mycorrhiza), and production of atmospheric oxygen. They are also important pathogens of pests and disease causing organisms; hence, may be harnessed by man for the biological control of pests in integrated pest management programmes. Their other uses include production of natural products (e.g. valuable drugs, enzymes, and metabolites) for pharmaceutical, food and other applications, composting, bioremediation and detoxification of wastes. They play a major role in soil fertility and plant and animal health and are employed in diagnostics, efficacy testing of drugs, biocides, vaccine production and disinfectants or as reference strains. Uganda currently lacks mechanisms for integrated management and utilization of these microbial resources. This paper reviews the potential and strategies for harnessing microbial resources in Uganda to provide solutions to natural resource depletion, environmental, agricultural, food, forestry and public health concerns and contributions towards poverty eradication and improved livelihoods of the people.

The potential benefits of microbial resources

Microorganisms are an essential component of biological diversity, without which there can be no sustainable ecosystems. They are a major resource for biotechnology, which is recognized universally as one of the key enabling technologies for the 21st century . Microorganisms often have unique functions in the biogeochemical cycles (e.g. nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, chemolithotrophic, carbon dioxide fixation, methane formation, and sulphate reduction), in soil formation, in climate regulation, and influence atmospheric composition [including greenhouse gases. Microbes have a profound impact on every facet of human life and everything around us. Pathogens harm us, yet other microbes protect us. Some microbes are pivotal in the growth of food crops, but others can kill the plants or spoil the produce. Bacteria and fungi eliminate the wastes produced in the environment, but also degrade things we would rather preserve. Indigenous biological resources and their diversity provide a wide range of direct and indirect economic benefits. Exploitation of microbial diversity in particular would be very useful in many areas including those listed in box 1.The quantified value for the direct economic benefits of Ugandas biodiversity has been estimated to be more than Ug Shs 823 billion a year from the forests, woodland resources, tourism from forest reserves, non-forest plant resources, wildlife resources, inland water resources, plus indirect benefits such as erosion control, water retention,water purification and carbon sequestration (NBSAP, 2000). This figure is only a small proportion of the value of biological resource value, and the proportion played by microorganisms in this is not estimated. Ugandas potential is therefore enormous and could propel the country out of poverty if accordingly harnessed. Elsewhere in the world there are over 120 products currently being marketed aroundthe world including nine blockbuster drugs originating from biologicals .The global market is currently valued at US$41 billion growing at a rate of 21% over the past five years. It is considered that the total pharmaceutical market could easily reach US$100 billion by the end of the decade. Table 2 shows the value of some of the products from microorganisms.

Potential areas for utilisation of microbial resources

Combating animal and plant disease pathogens and pests that limit agricultural production on which the countrys economy depends and on which 80% of population is dependent Improved capacity to sustain soil fertility and water quality, and the environment.The discovery of microoganisms for exploitation in biotechnological processes for new antimicrobial and therapeutic agents, probiotics, novel fine chemicals, enzymes and polymers for use in industrial and scientific applications through joint academic and industrial ventures Increasing crop yields and quality in the region by exploiting organisms such as Rhizobium and nitrogen fixing bacteria Waste management and bioremediation of polluted environments, and bioleaching and recovery of minerals, Preparedness against exotic and emerging pathogens of humans, animals and plants A better understanding of the role and function of microbial communities in various environments and ecosystems to enable sustainable utilisation of those resources Understanding the ecology of miroorganisms in order to avoid environmental degradation, animal and plant extinction, and perturbations on ecosystems Improving disease and pest diagnosis and control in humans. Provision of general microbiological services including enumeration in foods or water, daignostic, microbial resistanace testing, identification etc. Improving biocontrol of weeds and ecosystem management such as the Water Hyacinth on L. Victoria Improving the safety of foods and beverages by developing detoxification measures against foodborne intoxications and infections Biodiversity conservation for cultral and social values Improved forest coverage by improving afforestation of arid areas by soil improvement with Mycorrhiza for example Application of microorganisms in biotechnology in industry to improve income and enhance peoples livelihoods

Threats to biological resources

The decline in megadiversity regions and hot spots of endemic flora, fauna, and microorganisms has focused scientific and commercial attention on the remaining regions, Problems associated with exploitation of microbial diversity Biotechnology discovery is not only difficult but also very expensive. It is estimated that there is 1 chance in 250,000 for an unknown chemical reaching the market. Not only is the chance of getting a product to market low the time frame can be long of average 10-15 years before rewards are seen. The pharmaceutical industry reports that it costs them a minimum of Us$ 500 million to bring a single drug to the market. Chances of active molecule discovery are enhanced when metabolism can be manipulated. Linking this to the knowledge of ecosystems and targeted isolation programmes, can give access to the most promising organisms. Frequently, valuable collections of isolates are discarded or neglected on the retirement of a researcher, because of changes in institutional priorities particularly in the tropics although, extreme environments such as acidic, thermophilic, hypersaline, and arid regions, are equally important hot spots of microbial megadiversity. These are habitats of microorganisms, which have the genetic and physiological capacity to survive and grow under harsh or extreme conditions through which they have evolved while shaping the environment. Microorganisms including the prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea), the eukaryotes (fungi including lichen-forming species, slime moulds, and yeasts; algae and protozoa), and viruses occupy important niches in all ecosystems, and are responsible for much of the recycling of the elements in nature the decomposition and recycling of organic matter in forest ecosystems), and are important components of the food chain. The loss of Ugandas biodiversity has been estimated to be about 1% per annum and this loss also includes the microbial diversity associated with it (NBDB,2002).

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The status of microbial resource utilization

Previous studies have presented a comprehensive overview of the ecosystem and species diversity in Uganda, covering mainly, mosses, ferns, higher plants, protozoa, rotifers, platyhelminthes, nematodes, annelids, molluscs, insects, crustaceans, spiders and scorpions, ticks and mites, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals but very little of the microorganisms (NBU, 1992; NBDB, 2000; NBDB, 2002). They have also examined the ecological status of Ugandas plants (domesticated, wild, and edible) and animals, both in the wild (including invertebrates, fishes, herpetofauna, birds, mammals) and domesticated. The future of protection of biodiversity and including microbial diversity in Uganda will rely heavily on protected areas of the wild given the population pressures on other unprotected areas. Their management is therefore of paramount importance although much diversity also exists in non-protected areas and due consideration must be given to these areas too. Biodiversity conservation is not limited to organisms and habitats but there is also due concerns for the gene pools of the respective populations . Primitive wild type species are immense repositories and reservoirs of gene assemblies of adaptive value. Loss of diversity undermines sustainability of the biological systems. There are still many gaps within the current knowledge that need plugging through inventories, revisions of taxa, describing all the known families, genera and species in greater detail than is currently available and doing more research on the yet to be identified and classified species especially of microbial diversity and exploitation for potential benefits. The current status of microbial resource utilization and conservation has been recently reviewed.

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Project of European Commission

Background
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) declared that the Earths biological resources should be used for the benefit of everyone. The fair and equitable division of the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources, including appropriate access to them, is one of the CBDs main objectives. There are special difficulties in implementing the Convention at the lowest end of the scale i.e. the sharing of microbial resources because of the problem of assigning an economic value to micro-organisms. Scientists need to share genetic information but intellectual property rights must also be protected. Micro-organisms can be beneficial or harmful wider information about them will benefit food safety and health.

Project profile
Within the context of the CBDs provisions and as part of its own commitment to access and benefit sharing of biological resources, the EU has supported the MOSAICS project involving many European and international experts. Its goal is an Integrated Conveyance System (ICS) to manage the access to and transfer of microbial resources. It will build on MOSAICC, a previous EU-supported project wich developed an international code of conduct that microbiologists can use to implement the CBD. It will also liaise with the OECDs Biological Information Task Force and the Global Biological Information Facility, with the object of gaining international recognition for the ICS.

International aspects
By promoting co-operation between Europe and three other continents, MOSAICS is a concrete example of the EU's commitment to the CBD.

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Socio-economic significance
MOSAICS will have the following long-term socio-economic impact:

There will be a focus on the safety and health of Europes food supplies, but sharing microbial resources will bring global health and economic benefits Proper valuation of microbial resources will contribute to helping developing countries to benefit from their natural resources A tracking system for resources will ensure that their economic value is recognised Social, economic and environmental factors will all be an integral part of the project The ultimate objective is a full system for open trading and sharing of the genetic benefits of microbial resources.

Scientific significance
The project will contribute to the following scientific areas:

Evaluation of replacement value, market value, production cost, creditdebit balance and conservation cost as methods of valuing microbial resources Valuation of the genetic benefits of microbial resources Provision of broad international access to microbial resources.

Project outcomes

An agreed valuation system to price microbial resources Standard documents and procedures to register the point of origin of a resource and trace it through to its destination The Integrated Conveyance System combining valuation and tracking into an electronic format system for open trading and sharing of microbial resources.

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