Water: Natural (scarce) resource and its management, sources of water pollution and biological treatment processes (domestic sewage and industrial effluent) and their microbiology. Aerobic Processes: Oxidation pools, Rotating Biological Discs, Rotating Drums, Anaerobic Processes: Anaerobic digestion, Anaerobic filter, upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors, Advanced treatment technology – Methanogenesis, Methanogenic, acetogenic and fermentative bacteria – technical process and conditions.
Solid wastes: Sources and management (composting, vermiculture and Methane production), Bioremediation and Biorestoration of contaminated soils and wasteland. Hazardous wastes- source management and safety. Biopesticides in Integrated Pest Management.
Biodegradation of xenobiotics in environment – Organisms involved in degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons, substituted simple aromatic compounds, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, surfactants and microbial treatment of oil pollution.
Degradative plasmids, release of genetically engineered microbes in environment. Global environmental Problems: UV- B and Ozone depletion, Green House Effect and acid rain, their effects and biotechnological approaches for management, Methodology for environmental management- the problem solving approach and it’s limitations
Plant germplasm collection including of wild species, intra specific variations in crop plants, and molecular characterization of variations, Issues of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and legal concerns of bioresources.