Dr. Priji Prakasan is a SERB-NPDF working at the Department of Biotechnology
The increasing environmental concern about various synthetic colorants has triggered attention to microbial-derived pigments, essentially due to their low toxicity, high yield and biodegradability. One of the thrust areas of current research is the discovery of new resources through extensive and persistent screening of biodiversity rich regions or environments for isolating microbes capable of producing industrially significant biomolecules. My research focuses on the pharmacologically active pigmented compounds produced by microorganisms inhabiting the gut of marine fish, Sardinella longiceps. The research is funded by Science Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology, India. Her achievements include NET and GATE qualification.