A team from Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology won a gold medal at the Kaohsiung International Invention and Design Expo for the development of an incubation device that stimulates an increase in the growth rate of Nostoc commune, a cyanobacterium commonly known as star jelly.
Representatives of 26 nations with 500 competing products attended the expo, which concluded on Sunday last week.
The university team also won a silver medal for a fibrous film developed from fungi capable of closing and healing wounds at a faster rate.
Photo provided by Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology
Star jelly is prized for being low in calories, high in fiber and rich in vitamins, the school said, adding that its high demand and low production have encouraged many farmers to cultivate the bacteria.
The team’s cultivation pod increased the star jelly’s growth rate by 10 times, the school said.
The pod also changed the original shape of the star jelly — typically a curly stalk — into green balls.
Keng Nien-tzu (耿念慈) and Liu Wei-chung (劉威忠), associate professors in the university’s Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, said it took the team more than six months to “improve” the bacteria’s growth rate and shape.
The new ball-shaped star jelly is eye-catching and greatly liked by farmers and restaurant owners, they said, adding that the team has named their version of star jelly “Angel’s Tears.”
The school is stepping up efforts to promote the product on the market, it said.
The team conducted additional research, Keng said, adding that the students had extracted seaweed polysaccharides and phycobiliproteins from the cyanobacteria to create skin moisturizer.
“We found that the star jelly could help close wounds,” Keng said. “We are looking forward to introducing the material as a biomedical product.”
The team also developed a cultivation device for mycelium, which also received a gold medal at the expo, the school said.
The school’s teams have performed with excellence not only at the Kaohsiung expo but also at competitions in Seoul and Hong Kong, university dean Lo Wen-jui (羅文瑞) told reporters.
The university has pocketed a total of five gold medals, two silvers and one award with distinction, Lo said.
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