From the labs. Nano-coated fertilizer

A mechanically stable, biodegradable, hydrophobic nano coating can enhance the efficiency of chemical fertilizers by facilitating their slow release and, thereby, limiting their interaction with the rhizosphere soil, water and microbes. This coating, made of binary carbohydrates reinforced by nanoclay, can reduce fertilizer use and enhance crop production. 

For the last 50 years, as part of the green revolution, there has been frequent use of chemical fertilizers to maintain soil nutrients for higher plant productivity. However, excessive application of chemical fertilizers is not conducive for sustainable development. 

Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, coated muriate of potash, which serves 80 per cent of potassium fertilizer needs, with binary carbohydrates — namely chitosan and lignin — using anionic clay as a reinforcement agent. 

The hydrophobicity of the nano-coated material, the biodegradability and lifecycle assessment of the developed product ensured its sustainability over conventional chemical fertilizers. Further, the mechanical performance of the coated fertilizer guarantees its industrial application during transportation and supply chain, says a press release. 

The 3D nanostructure of nature-inspired polymers offers potential for various applications with the advantages of biocompatibility and biodegradability. The customised rotary drum system, with a sand air gun, enabled the uniform coating of chemical fertilizers. 

Also read

Uncovering stevia’s therapeutic side

Why India wants 1 GeV particle accelerator for thorium

Electrochemical means of producing ‘green’ soda ash

The slow-release fertilizer can be a potential alternative to the conventional fertilizer for enhanced nutrient usage. The reduced recommended dose with increased yield of rice and wheat is a means to achieve more output from less input.

Thickness gauge for cells

Researchers at IIT Bombay have developed a microfludics device to measure the ‘stiffness’ of red blood cells, which can potentially help in diagnosing certain diseases. 

The stiffness of the cells is a sort of fingerprint of disease; it pretty much tells you how much it deforms if it is subjected to force. 

The scientists who developed the device are Savita Kumari, Ninad Mehendale and Prof Debjani Paul of IIT-B, along with Prof Dhrubaditya Mitra of the Nordic Institute of Theoretical Physics, Sweden. 

The device can measure the stiffness of thousands of red blood cells in just seconds, says a write-up from IIT-B. It has a channel — a few tens of micrometres wide — through which the red blood cells can flow into a funnel. 

At the junction of the funnel is an ‘obstruction’ — a semi-cylindrical column. When the cells meet this obstacle they get deflected when they enter the funnel. 

“The stiffer they are, the wider they are deflected. The stiffness can be computed based on the deflection,” says the write-up in IIT-B’s Research Highlights publication.

The device is much cheaper and simpler compared to conventional methods, which require expensive equipment such as high-speed cameras and can mostly measure one cell at a time. In contrast, the IIT-B device is compact and portable. 

“It is easy to use at point-of-care to monitor RBC stiffness in blood samples of patients with sickle cell disease or malaria. RBCs in stored blood bags can also sometimes become stiff, making the blood unusable for transfusion. The device can also be used to conduct a quick and easy assessment of the stored blood before transfusion to ensure that a bad bag of blood is not transfused,” says IIT-B’s Research Highlights.