Robin Chandra Boro

Facile synthesis and functionalization of water-soluble gold nanoparticles for a bioprobe

In this work, we report the size tunable synthesis of water-dispersed gold nanoparticles by using octadecylamine (ODA) as the reducing agent, that electrostatically complexes with the chloroaurate ions, reduces them, and subsequently caps the gold nanoparticles. Amine-capped gold nanoparticles, thus formed, were subsequently coordinated with a secondary monolayer of an anionic surfactant, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)-sulfosuccinate (AOT) which helps in providing sufficient hydrophilicity to the gold nanoparticles. Functionalized gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis, IR spectrophotometric, dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential and transmission electron microscopic techniques, which demonstrated high stability of gold nanoparticles in aqueous media, indicating stabilization via bilayers of ODA and AOT. The gold nanoparticles were further conjugated with a protein (bovine serum albumin) and the interaction was investigated by circular dichroism studies as well as by measuring the fluorescence quenching of the tryptophan residues of protein molecules after the binding of nanoparticles to specific sites of the protein. The binding constant and the stoichiometry values indicated that the particles with larger core size are less site-specific but show higher binding affinity with protein molecules. The use of a bio-compatible synthetic process and the stabilization of the gold nanoparticles by ODA and AOT are interesting from the point of view of making bioprobes for life science applications.

Diversity of Culturable Endophytic bacteria from Wild and Cultivated Rice showed potential Plant Growth Promoting activities

In this paper, we report the endophytic microbial diversity of cultivated and wild Oryza sativa plants including their functional traits related to multiple traits that promote plant growth and development. Around 255 bacteria were isolated out of which 70 isolates were selected for further studies based on their morphological differences. The isolates were characterized both at biochemical and at the molecular level by 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing the isolates were categorized into three major phyla, viz, Firmicutes (57.1 %), Actinobacteria (20.0 %) and Proteobacteria (22.8 %). Firmicutes was the dominant group of bacteria of which the most abundant genus was Bacillus. The isolates were further screened in vitro for plant growth promoting activities which revealed a hitherto unreported endophytic bacterial isolate, Microbacteriaceae bacterium RS01 11 as the highest secretor of a phytohormone, IAA (28.39 ± 1.39 μg/ml) and GA (67.23 ± 1.83 μg/ml). Bacillus subtilis RHS 01 displayed highest phosphate solubilizing activity (81.70 ± 1.98 μg/ml) while, Microbacterium testaceum MK LS01, and Microbacterium trichothecenolyticum MI03 L05 exhibited highest potassium solubilizing activity (53.42±0.75μg/ml) and zinc solubilizing efficiency (157.50%) respectively. Bacillus barbaricus LP20 05 produced highest siderophore units (64.8 %). Potential plant growth promoting isolated were tested in vivo in pot culture under greenhouse conditions. A consortium consisting of Microbacteriaceae bacterium RS01 11, Bacillus testaceum MK LS01 and Bacillus subtilis RHS promoted plant growth and increased the yield 3.4 fold in rice when compared to control T0 when tested in pot culture and reduce application rates of chemical fertilizer to half the recommended dose. Our study confirms the potentiality of the rice endophytes isolated as good plant growth promoter and effective biofertilizer.