Microbial Biotechnology Research Group’s research domain can be classified into six fields as follow: Nutrition and Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture and Forestry, Aquaculture, Energy, Environment, and Biomaterial. In general, the roadmap of research is initiated with exploration and characterization of potential microbes, followed by manipulation of microbes or the system where it resides. In long term, the researches are aimed for further development in bioindustry, and development of industrial prototype or environmental application.
In the field of Nutrition and Pharmaceuticals, studies are focused toward standardization of fermented food and beverages, fermented feed, mushroom cultivation technology, production of specific compounds for pharmaceuticals (e.g. lovastatin and polyglutamic acid), and microbial modification of starch. The study in the field of Agriculture and Forestry includes plant-microbe interaction, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), disease control/management using microbes, biofertilizer and local microorganism. Research activity in the field of Aquaculture comprises of development of closed-system aquaculture, probiotic bacteria, nitrifying bacteria and biofloc technology. The group also develop research for application in the field of Energy, i.e. microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), coal biosolubilization, microbial fuel cell and microbial-based biofuel. Environmental applications are developed toward bioremediation using bacteria or fungi, and mitigation of biocorrosion. Recently, several studies are also conducted to develop bionanomaterial and biopolymer.
The group is also active in community service, e.g. technology outreach in good mushroom cultivation, fermented food and feed production, and the application of local microorganism. The activities were conducted in various regions in Java and Bali. The group also actively collaborates with various groups within ITB, and also institutes/companies outside ITB such as Pertamina, Pupuk Kaltim, and Biofarma.
