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HomePosts Tagged "Guwahati University"
Acquaculture, Agro Universities, India, R&D

The MoU aims to implement Livelihood Business Incubators for youth and farmers in the North- East region of India under ASPIRE scheme of MSME, Govt. of India.

ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Aquaculture & Biodiversity Centre, University of Guwahati, Assam for collaborative research on aquaculture and the implementation of Livelihood Business Incubators for youth and farmers in the North East region of India under ASPIRE scheme of MSME, Govt. of India.

Dr Hemanth Kumar Nath, Registrar, Guwahati University, and Dr. Kuldeep K. Lal, Director, ICAR-CIBA, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutes. Dr Lal highlighted the importance of the MoU and ICAR-CIBA’s consultancy services in feed formulation, processing technology, fish value-added product development, and Plankton plus production. He emphasized these initiatives will assist farmers and entrepreneurs in developing and implementing technology as a business model.

Dr Nath highlighted the University’s achievements and the significance of signing the MoU, stating that the research findings will be translated into business opportunities to assist farmers and entrepreneurs in India.

Later, Prof. Pratap Jyoti Handique, Vice-Chancellor, Guwahati University, and Dr. Kuldeep K. Lal Director, ICAR-CIBA discussed taking forward this MoU to catalyse the realistic changes in the aquaculture sector by leveraging the expertise, resources, and innovation. The officials from Guwahati University and scientists from ICAR-CIBA attended the function.

The MoU aims to implement Livelihood Business

Acquaculture, Agro Universities, R&D

The sensor has been tested for adulterated fish at lab scale as well on fish available in the fish markets of the Guwahati region.

Nanomaterials and Nanoelectronics Laboratory, headed by Dr Hemen Kr. Kalita, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Guwahati University, Assam has developed a cost-effective formalin sensor using tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite that can effectively detect the presence of formalin in adulterated fishes.

A new low-cost sensor made of metal oxide nanoparticles–reduced graphene oxide composite can detect formalin adulteration in fishes at room temperature in a non-invasive way. The sensor shows long-term stability with a low detection limit.

Food adulteration is the practice of adding illegal or harmful substances to food to make it appear more appealing or to increase its shelf life. Formaldehyde is a colourless, pungent gas that is used in a variety of industrial processes, including as a preservative in some foods, commonly in fish in developing countries. However, the use of formaldehyde in food is illegal in many countries, as it is a known carcinogen.

Commercial formalin sensors for fish are primarily electrochemical-based or colorimetric-based. Electrochemical sensors are extensively used but are expensive. On the other hand, calorimetric sensors are less expensive. But both methods are invasive. Moreover, low-level detection and selective detection are two major issues with these sensors. The development of 2D materials-based gas sensors has created a new avenue of effective detection of toxic vapours at room temperature. These sensors have the potential to detect the formalin evaporated from adulterated food products.

Graphene oxide (GO), the oxidized form of graphene, exhibits high solution processability and ease of chemical modification with other materials such as metals, metal oxides, or polymers. However, the low electrical conductivity of GO posed a challenge and the scientists overcame this by developing the tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite (rGO- SnO2).

While reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been used to detect various toxic gases and VOCs, tin oxide (SnO2) has been extensively investigated for formaldehyde detection in pristine form and by incorporating it with various compounds, including graphene, due to its high stability and high sensitivity toward low concentrations of formaldehyde.

The researchers synthesised graphene oxide (GO) through a process called the wet chemical approach and tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite (rGO- SnO2) was synthesised by hydrothermal route followed by calcination of the obtained product. They found that the sensor made of tin oxide decorated reduced graphene oxide effectively sensed formaldehyde vapour at room temperature.

The sensor has been tested for adulterated