Research and scientific activities going on at other branches of North Eastern Institute of

Science and Technology

Branch laboratory Imphal

The then Regional Research Laboratory, Substation, Imphal was established in 1973 with the
main aim to undergo research and development of oil yielding plants. After renaming the then
RRL to NEIST, the Substation has been upgraded to the status of Branch Laboratory in 2012
with many more activities and research areas such as Biodiversity, Bioprospection, Designing
and development of products based on ethnic designs and materials, Seismic observatory,
Weather monitoring station, etc. The Branch Laboratory will be focusing more on motivation
and transfer of technology of CSIR to NGOs, Organizations, Entrepreneurs, etc.

ONGOING R&D PROGRAM

The Branch Laboratory is actively working on Bioprospection, propagation, cultivation and

conservation of economically important plants and establishment of herbal gardens in campuses
of schools, institutions and public places. Documentation of traditional knowledge system on
healing practice. Development of products based on traditional knowledge and materials
including banana fibre, Tasar silk, etc.

Achievements of branch Laboratory Imphal

1. Database for medicinal and economically important plants of Manipur (120 species).
2. Formulated 2 polyherbal spice mixture based on traditionally used 13 aromatic herbs.
3. Developed agro-practice of economically important plants; (i) Fox nut plant (Euryale
ferox Salisb.) (ii) Water sensitive plant Neptunea oleracea Lour. (iii) Nursery raising
technique for Soapnut plant (Sapindus mukorossi).
4. Established biology laboratory to 57 schools of Manipur.
5. Scientifically identified the rare Manipuri Iris as Iris sanguinea Don ex Hornem which has
not been understood its scientific name.
6. Established 2 units of Essential oil extraction; one in Churachandpur and another in
Tamenglong of Manipur (600 kg capacity each) and provided 1.50 lac high yielding variety
of Citronella.
7. Evaluated various projects of Ministry of Rural Development, GoI, Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, GoI, Dept. of Biotechnology (DBT), Directorate
of Science & Technology, Manipur.
8. Imparted 6 months certificate course on shoes and products making to 9 youths of Manipur
and as a result of it 2 local manufacturing units are established one in Imphal and another in
Tamenglong.
9. Established a herbal garden inside the Kangla Fort, Imphal (3.5 acres).
10. Germplasm collection of numerous indigenous economically & biologically important
plants in the experimental farm of the Branch laboratory.
RESEARCH FACILITIES

1. Basic Biochemical analytical facilities.

2. Designing and making of various products (shoes, bags, shirts, etc.) facilities.
3. Production of quality planting materials for economically & biologically important plants.
4. Installed units for Weather monitoring and Seismic data recording.
5. Installing facilities for banana fibre extraction and product development.

Branch laboratory Itanagar

Activities of the Group

1. Development of agro-technology and chemical investigation of medicinal, aromatic and

economically important plants of Arunachal Pradesh.
2. Extraction, purification, standardization and structural elucidation of pure molecules from
natural resources, by HPLC and NMR.
3. Development of New Chemical Entities (NCE’s) from natural products with emphasis on
treatment of Diabetes Type 2.
4. Provide training and technical support in cultivation of mushroom and production of
vermicomposite in commercial scale.
5. Development of medicinal and economically important native plants through
biotechnological approaches.
6. Evaluation of nutraceuticals and antioxidant activities of wild edible plants used by local
peoples of the state.
7. Green synthesis of nanoparticles using natural products and its applications in different
fields.
8. Developing flow cytometry based evolutionary techniques related to next generation fuels
and high-value products from microalgae.
9. Understanding endosymbiotic relationships between microbes and plants and predicting
metabolic pathways for value-added products using “-Omics” techniques.
10. Isolating bioactive compounds from freshwater and extreme environment microbes for
various industrial applications.
ONGOING R&D PROGRAMMES

Sustainable utilization of medicinal, aromatic & economic plants: Exploration & utilization of
medicinal & economic plants of Arunachal Pradesh through development of agro-technology
and chemical investigation (MLP-8000). Sponsored by CSIR-NEIST. Project period: 2012-
2017. Exploration & utilization of wild edible plants consumed by ST people of Arunachal
Pradesh for Socio Economic Development of the State. Sponsored by DST, Government of
India. Project period: 2013-2016.DST-INSPIRE Faculty project. (DST/INSPIRE Faculty
Award/2016/DST/INSPIRE/04/ 2015/ 000033). Sponsored by DST, Government of India.
Project period: 2015-2020.
ACHIEVEMENTS

1. We have developed a new strain of lemon grass “BLI-ARUN” and transferred to number
of companies and NGO’s
2. We have also developed agro-technology/agro-practices on “Commercial cultivation of
lemongrass, citronella, patchouli, menthe etc”.
3. Organised more than 50 nos. of training programme on “Cultivation of mushroom” and 40
nos of training programme “Production of vermicompost” to the SHG/NGO/local
people/entrepreneurs etc in last five year.
4. We have offered various students training programmes and organized various science
motivation programmes to learn and develop scientific skills of students and local
community.
5. We are committed to develop the livelihood of local community through alternate income
generations. They earned more than 6 lakh rupees by selling fresh mushroom and 5 lakh
rupees selling vermicompost under our guidance in last four year.
6. Publications and patents during last 5 years: Research publications – 30 and patents – 1.