KOCHI: Athira A S, a research scholar at the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) in Kochi has been selected for the 46th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. The expedition, focused on climate change and its signatures in Antarctica will depart from India on November 7.
Athira’s research forms part of the project titled ‘Contaminant Load Evaluation in Antarctic Natural Systems’, coordinated by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. She will be stationed at the Maitri Research Station in Antarctica to undertake research on microbial diversity in the Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem.
The collaborative research, partnering NCPOR and CIFT, brings together expertise in polar research, aquatic microbiology and environmental microbiology. Athira’s research will focus on ‘Actinomycete Diversity in Antarctic Soil,’ aiming to and characterising actinomycetes from Antarctic soil samples to assess their diversity and distribution under the extreme environmental conditions of the Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem.
A key element of the study is to explore the potential of these microorganisms to produce bioactive compounds, including antibiotics. The findings are expected to enhance understanding of microbial diversity in Antarctic ecosystem and contribute to research on extreme-environment microorganisms as potential sources of novel bioactive compounds.