METAGENOMICS BASED MICROBIAL BIOPROSPECTING STUDIES AT SELECTED BEACHES OF MUMBAI

Background: Bioprospecting studies play a crucial role in identifying species of specific value in different fields of science. Marine ecosystems are rich biodiverse areas with environmentally and economically viable microbes. The microbes play a prominent role in the sandy beach ecosystem. The microbial composition may reflect the richness, pollution levels, food chain intricacies, and distribution of dependent species. Primary biofilm constituting marine bacteria initiates the colonization pattern and survival of organisms in a food pyramid. Culturable microbes and their industrial applications constitute a major chunk of microbial research till recently. Metagenomics, a new innovative, and powerful approach helps to study the biomes of environmental systems, especially the missing and uncluturable species. Materials and methods: Soil samples collected from the upper 5cm stretch of intertidal sand sediments of Versova, Juhu, and Mahim beaches. Sampling was done fortnightly for three months. The pooled samples were analyzed using metagenomics. Results: The study indicated the richness and distribution of 262 bacterial genera. The common occurrence of 132 genera was observed across three stations. 23 specific genera were noticed at Juhu Beach. A wide variety of microbes were observed across the Versova beach with the predominance of ammonifying bacteria and their metabolic pathways. Conclusions: Rich biodiversity was seen at Juhu and Mahim beaches as well as the presence of common species. The Versova beach showed lower biodiversity at the phylum level and represented more varieties of bacteria.