New Delhi, May 26 (IANS): Spain will help students from Indian universities with research on micro-organisms which will help in curbing diseases in children and also in developing probiotic processed food which will prove beneficial for children suffering from malnutrition and diarrhoea.

The Department of Microbiology, Haryana Central University, Mahendragarh, under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, will work in collaboration with Spain's Pronat, S C company-sponsored research project. Under the joint project, probiotic-added food will be developed for prevention of diarrhoea in children in India.

Experts have been working on various methods for the prevention of diarrhoea through this research. University vice-chancellor Prof R C Kuhar said, "This is a good initiative of the Central University of Haryana under which educational institutions and scientists will work together. The success of this project will help India reduce the damage caused by diarrhoea." The participation by an educational-private company would definitely prove useful for society, he added.

Established in 2003, Pronat, S C is at present working on nutrition and health-related projects.

Dr Gunjan Goyal, chief investigator of the project and chairman of the Department of Microbiology, Haryana Central University, said, "In this project, the Indian team will identify the major bacteria of diarrhoea and evaluate the probiotics for their prevention."

The university has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with the Spanish company as the death rate of newborns in India due to diarrhoea is high. The university will strive for diarrhoea prevention through this project.

Goyal said the Spanish company in collaboration with the Indian university is working for finding a suitable treatment for the major bacteria responsible for diarrhoea in India.

The role of the Indian university in this project is to search for bacteria and testing the product prepared by the company for treatment of diarrhoea.