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The face mask introduction in SARS-CoV-2 pandemic situation, one of the precautionary measure to reduce the rate of transmission of infection from person to person. There are many type of of face masks enter into our global market with various size and designs. Among those, surgical mask belongs to secure an important place and this aimed to evaluate the degrading efficiency disposable face masks (single use face masks). The present study dealt with, biodegradation of face masks which is made of polypropylene with the help of bacterial strainPesudomonasaeruginosaisolated from the plastic waste dumping sites in an around the Tiruchirappalli, India. The bacteriacould degrade PP mask via the formation of biofilm on a solid medium. To degrade the PP, the mask pieces were incubated with the culture of P. aeruginosain three different solid and liquid medium (nutrient agar, Bushnell Haas agar and mineral salt medium) for 30 days at 37ᵒC. The microbial degradation(up to 33% of weight reduction of PP films within 30 days) was proved by surface changes along with the variation in the intensity of functional groups as well as carbonyl index variations using Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. These results suggested that P.aeruginosa strain can prove to be a suitable candidate for polypropylene mask biodegradation without causing any impairment to our health or environment.

Filamentous fungi are a major source of industrial biotechnology due to their applicability in productions of primary and secondary metabolites, enzymes, and recombinant proteins. Trichoderma strains are widely used in various agricultural and industrial applications. Recent development in molecular tools is capable of modifying the genetic material of the fungus to increase the primary production of metabolites. Therefore, understanding of the genetic pathways involved in the metabolites synthesis significantly related to the expression of the genome clusters in Trichoderma. The regulation of genome through using the current molecular techniques can trigger higher production of targeted metabolites. Hence, this book chapter reviews the genomic regulation for functional genes of metabolites and enzymes in Trichoderma.

Worldwide, the phenomenal antimicrobial resistance with its consequences of fatal diseases has been alerted; it is because the morbidity and mortality at a shocking rate. Therefore, there is an urgent quest of innovative antimicrobials agents; it is that communicable disease is a worldwide trouble as of the growth and wideness of drug-resistant pathogens. As for the aim of the research, it is widely investigative to the prevalence of Gram-negative pathogens of E. coli and K. pneumoniae in different age groups, gender along with the identification of ESBL-producing pathogens and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. The present research was conceded out in Microbiology Department of Doctor’s Diagnostic Centre-Tiruchirappalli for a period of 6 months. The pus, tracheal secretion, urine, blood, sputum, stool, semen, oral secretion, vaginal swab, tissue material, wound swab, throat swab, oral candida swab, suction tip and CVC line from femoral samples were collected for the Extended Spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) isolation. During the study period, 856 β-lactamases producing bacteria were isolated. Among that, 25 patients were infected with Amp-c type, 81 patients were infected with CTX-M type, 724 patients were infected with unclassified ESBL, 2 patients were infected with MBL, 24 patients were infected with MRSA. Selected strains were molecularly characterized. A required accession numbers were received after the gene sequence submission to the GenBank. The isolated ESBL strains were observed in the male more than the female patients. The research results give insights for a maximized number of ESBL strains isolated from the clinical samples like urine and pus. Clinically, ESBL pathogens are associated with high morbidity and mortality. These pathogens are resistant to many key drugs due to the indiscriminate use of carbapenames, which may lead to significant therapeutic problems in the future.

Avicennia marina (Tamil: Alai-atti): Avicennia marina is the dominant mangrove species in Muthupet and accounts for about 95% of the vegetation cover. Endophytic fungus is an endosymbiont which colonize healthy plant without causing any harm. These are relatively unexplored producers of metabolites useful to pharmaceutical industries (Petrini et al., 1992). Endophytic fungi are ubiquitous and have been found in all species of plant (Arnold et al., 2000). The Maraakadu RF Extn. BitI was created as per Govt. Ir.no.56675/ FR-III/ 86-9, dt 20.8.87 with an area of 134.05. ha. The Maravakadu RF is located in pattukottai taluk of Thanjavur district. Endophytic fungus is an endosymbiont which colonize healthy plant without causing any harm. Avicennia marina leaves and rhizosphere soil of the plant was collected during four seasons, premonsoon, monsoon, postmonsoon and summer. Phoma sp, Aspergillus sp and Penicillium sp were most frequently isolated .