UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga continues to make national achievements through its students. This time, three students of UNAIR Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPK) made second place nationally in the Product Innovation Competition Category for 2020 Student Innovation and Creativity Festival, Khairun University, Ternate. They are Arief Rubiana, a Fishery Product Technology (THP) student, with Reza Istiqomatul Hidayah and Anastasya Dewi Larasati, Aquaculture students.
The theme of the national competition was From Trash to Cash. The three students introduced an innovative product of hand sanitizer made of shrimp shell waste. The product is called LIKUID SANITIZER.
Team Leader Arief revealed that the idea of innovation came up when he did his Field Work Practices in Thailand. At that time, he studied about chitosan from shrimp shell waste.
Chitosan is a derivative biopolymer compound that is organic in nature. Derivative compounds come from three stages, deproteination, demineralization, and deacetylation of chitin which are found in many marine animals such as shrimp and crabs.
“Chitosan is an organic biopolymer and is assumed to contain antibacterial activity which can be used for this innovation,” said the Fishery Product Technology (THP) student from class of 2017.
Because chitosan is organic, it does not contain proteins that can cause allergies. “So, it is safe to use,” he added.
Because the work on the innovation concept is carried out online, Arief admitted that it still needs further development to achieve expected effectiveness and packaging, which of course must be eco-friendly. “With so many innovations we have, hopefully the waste problem in the world can be resolved. Because, it is our collective responsibility, “he concluded. (*)
Author: Dimar Herfano
Editor: Feri Fenoria
