Microbial organisms occupy a peculiar place in the human view of life. Microorganisms represent the richest repertoire of molecular and chemical diversity in nature as they underlie basic ecosystem processes. Microorganisms are used for various purposes including food production and preservation, management of pests and pathogens, bioleaching of metals, increasing soil fertility, generating biofuels, monitoring pollutants, cleaning up of oil spills, waste water treatment, assaying of chemicals and serving as tools for medical research. Besides microorganisms are the major sources of antimicrobial agents and produce a wide range of other important medicinal compounds including enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, antihelminthics, antitumor agents, insecticides, vitamins, immunosuppressants and immunomodulatoThe study of microbial diversity is thus important to solve new and emerging disease problems and to advance biotechnology.

About the Author

S.B.Barbuddhe is presently orking as Director, ICAR National Research Centre on Meat, Hyderabdh, Telangana State, India and was earlier working as Senior Scientist at ICAR Research Complex for Goa and Project Coordinator of Centre of Excellence and Innovation in Biotechnology sponsored by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India on 'Translational centre for molecular epidemiology of Listeria monocytogenes'.

R. Ramesh is a member of editorial board of the journal, Indian Phytopathology. He is presently working as Senior Scientist at ICAR Research Complex for Goa and his current areas of research are plant-pathogen interaction and plant disease management.

N.P.Singhhas worked asDirector, ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Ela, Old Goa, Goa, India

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