HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Feb 19: Over the years, many distinguished scientists from Assam have gained recognition at national and international levels. Continuing this tradition, Dr Arabinda Baruah, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Gauhati University and a native of Bahona Dhuwapukhuri, Jorhat has secured a research project funded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The project, approved under the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) programme, has received Rs 28.7 lakh in funding for a duration of two years. Its objective is to develop a nano-enabled biosensing platform capable of monitoring plant health within space station-compatible plant growth environments.
Related Posts:
The research will focus on detecting plant hormones such as indole-3-acetic acid and ethylene, along with other volatile organic compounds and photosynthesis-related stress indicators. This technology is expected to help astronauts monitor crop growth and stress in controlled environments, a crucial advancement for future human space missions and space agriculture.
Dr Baruah will serve as Principal Investigator, with Professor Hemen Sharma, Head of the Department of Botany at Bodoland University, as Co-Principal Investigator. The team aims to develop a prototype sensing system capable of identifying multiple biomarkers for real-time crop health assessment.
The project is expected to contribute to India’s human space mission programme and support advancements in agricultural monitoring technologies on Earth, such as smart greenhouses and precision farming systems.
