Scientists from the Novosibirsk State Technical University are developing a composition of a unique biodegradable gel, which is planned to be used in medicine, veterinary medicine and crop production.
“Our project is dedicated to the development of a carrier gel, a unique biodegradable product that will not harm a plant or animal and can deliver medicine, fertilizer, etc. to the right place. It is multifunctional, so it can be used for different tasks. The gel looks like a porous sponge with different pore sizes, which we test, check the resistance to different media, and depending on what properties they have, we are looking for applications. The gel is created on the basis of chitosan, which is found in insects, that is, a substance of organic nature and is safe,” said Ekaterina Litvinova, chief developer.
According to her, the product is a carrier gel combined with a variety of active ingredients. For example, phage particles of viruses, probiotics, prebiotics or metabolites that interact well on various surfaces or are retained by capillary forces in the gel. Unlike the usual methods of delivering active substances, the gel allows you to protect them from ultraviolet radiation or the acidic environment of the body. The gel has already been tested, and scientists are preparing scientific publications based on the results of the research.
“In crop production, it is advantageous to use dry gel microgranules with the components necessary for plants, as well as semi-liquid for the treatment of plant seeds. Searches on the Internet for everything that is used for crop production show the absence of dry analogues of the gel. There are many liquid analogues, but they must be preserved for preservation and plants must be constantly processed. Gels, on the other hand, make it possible to prolong the action of the components and thereby reduce economic costs when using fertilizers. There are imported gel-like substances, but, as a rule, these are gels that must be diluted before use, and they allow you to simply save the components during storage. The price of such gels is high, and due to imports it becomes even higher. On the market in Russia, they are limited. The price of our product will be 10 times lower,” adds Ekaterina Litvinova.
In the near future, the team plans to publish scientific articles and participate in scientific conferences, develop an online platform where a person can report their problem, and the computer will automatically find the right product (fertilizer) and manufacturers to contact. Each farmer will be able to choose a unique fertilizer for himself, depending on his own preferences.