Gauhati University faculty lands Rs 28.7L ISRO space crop project
Dr Arabinda Barua, Assistant Professor in the Dept of Chemistry, has been awarded the project under Human Space Flight Centre programme
Jorhat-born academic Dr Arabinda Barua who has secured a research project funded by the ISRO (Photo: AT)
Jorhat, Feb 24: A Jorhat-born academic and faculty member of Gauhati University has secured a research project funded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), marking a notable milestone for Assam’s scientific community.
Dr Arabinda Barua, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Gauhati University, has been awarded the project under a programme of the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC). The two-year project carries a funding support of Rs 28.7 lakh.
The research aims to develop a nanotechnology-enabled bio-sensing platform capable of monitoring plant health in a space station-compatible plant growth environment.
The study 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.
The proposed technology is expected to assist astronauts in real-time monitoring of crop growth and stress under controlled environmental conditions - a capability considered crucial for future human space missions and space-based agriculture initiatives.
Dr Barua will serve as the principal investigator, while Professor Hemen Sarma, Head of the Department of Botany at Bodoland University, will be the co-investigator.
The research team plans to develop a prototype sensing system capable of identifying multiple biomarkers for real-time assessment of crop health.
A resident of Bahona Dhowa Pukhuri village in Jorhat, Dr Barua completed his PhD in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Prior to joining Gauhati University in 2019, he was associated with the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali; the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali; and the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat, Oman.
Since 2019, he has been engaged in nanotechnology-based research in the fields of energy and environment. He has published over 40 research papers, garnered more than 2,500 citations and holds one Indian patent.
The newly sanctioned project is expected to contribute to India’s human spaceflight programme while also advancing agricultural monitoring technologies on Earth, including smart greenhouse systems and precision farming applications.