Genome mining for novel antimicrobials from the soils of high-altitude regions of Himachal Pradesh
Extreme environments such as the high-altitude regions of Himachal Pradesh, specifically in the Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts, remains largely unexplored sources of microbial diversity. These environments, characterized by low oxygen levels, high UV radiation, and extreme temperatures, are home to unique microorganism that have evolved specialized metabolic pathways to survive (Mehta et al., 2024). Many of these microbes, particularly actinomycetes and extremophiles, have the potential to produce novel bioactive compounds, including antibiotics (Muhammad et al., 2024; Narayanan et al., 2023; Shrivastava et al., 2024).This study primarily focuses on genome mining to identify Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) encoding antimicrobial compounds from soil samples collected from different regions of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. By combining microbial isolation, whole genome sequencing, and bioinformatics tools, this research aims to uncover new antimicrobials-producing strains with potential pharmaceutical applications. The findings will contribute to addressing the growing AMR crisis while also promoting the conservation and biotechnological exploration of high-altitude microbial ecosystems.