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Professor Alim Isnansetyo from the Department of Fisheries, UGM Faculty of Agriculture (Agriculture UGM) received the 2025 Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award. This award was given to 14 researchers from 26 universities across Southeast Asia.
Professor Isnansetyo received the award along with two other UGM lecturers: Dr. Rachma Wikandari from the UGM Faculty of Agricultural Technology (FTP UGM) and Professor Ika Dewi Ana from the UGM Faculty of Dentistry (FKG UGM).
Professor Isnansetyo won the Best Innovation Award for his innovation on a waste-free process for utilizing brown seaweed to control fish and shrimp disease and produce biofertilizers.
“This innovation is inspired by Indonesia’s rich marine resources, which researchers or industries have not widely explored,” he told reporters on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
According to him, brown seaweed (Phaeophyceae) contains a high alginate content and fucoidan.
“Alginates can be applied in medicine, industry, food, feed, and fisheries,” he explained.
His research uses alginate and fucoidan compounds from brown seaweed for aquaculture.
As a lecturer in the Department of Fisheries, Professor Isnansetyo uses alginates to enhance fish and shrimp immunity, while fucoidan improves fish vaccine effectiveness.
“This research has produced several immunostimulant formulations based on alginate and fucoidan,” he said.
He hopes the research outcomes can be applied in the community by industries and fish farmers.
The veterinary pharmaceutical industry can produce fish vaccines with adjuvants like fucoidan and immunostimulants.
“These vaccines have been distributed to marine fish farmers to enhance fish immunity. We also collaborate with companies to commercialize these products,” he explained.
In the future, he hopes to continue the research to achieve more perfect results.
One of his efforts is to upgrade the technology used to create vaccines and immunostimulants.
Professor Isnansetyo revealed that his team had started developing nanoparticles in the form of nano-alginates and nanofucoidan.
By creating nanoparticles, the effectiveness of the formulated products is expected to increase.
“We aim to improve the quantity and quality of fishery production as a protein source to enhance public nutrition and health,” he said.
He acknowledged that his research utilizing brown seaweed is based on the concept of a zero-waste process.
He is grateful for receiving the award for his research on brown seaweed utilization.
In addition to the Hitachi Award, Professor Isnansetyo also received the 2023 Academic Leader in Maritime Affairs Award from the Directorate General of Higher Education.
“I am proud to be part of UGM, as this award also reflects UGM’s nationally and internationally recognized reputation,” he added.
Author: Tiefany
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang
Photographs by: Firsto & Antara