NSTDA Annual Conference 2022 (NAC2022) is scheduled to take place from 28-31 March 2022 on a virtual platform with the theme the theme “Revitalizing Thai Economy through BCG Research and Innovation”. The event consists of seminars, exhibition and open house, and attendance is free of charge. Please visit https://www.nstda.or.th/nac/ to register.
NAC2022 online seminars will cover 45 exciting topics, whereas an open house is designed to showcase technological capability and services offered by leading laboratories to businesses and investors. A total of 60 technologies and services will be presented on the virtual open house platform equipped with a special feature allowing online visitors to live chat with presenters.
NAC2022 virtual exhibition will have 102 displays covering innovations and projects in four strategic sectors, namely 1) agriculture & food, 2) health & wellness, 3) energy, materials & biochemicals, and 4) tourism & creative economy. Here are some highlights.
Hypoallergenic rubber gloves
MTEC-NSTDA developed the technology to reduce allergy-inducing protein in rubber gloves. The gloves produced from this technology are shown to meet the international standards for medical rubber gloves, namely ISO 11193-1:2008, EN 455 and ASTM D3578-05.
Plant-based eggs
BIOTEC-NSTDA in collaboration with Drop and Pick Group Company Limited developed pasteurized liquid plant-based eggs. The plant-based eggs have similar texture to conventional eggs and can be used in a variety of dishes. The product is suitable for vegans and people with egg allergy.
ManeeManao 100% Frozen Lime Juice
NANOTEC-NSTDA developed a preservation technique for producing commercial lime juice while maintaining its fresh taste. The freezing temperature applied in this technique slows the rate of enzyme that deteriorates the flavor, color and aroma of fresh lime juice. Frozen lime juice can be stored for 2 years in a freezer or 2-3 months in the refrigerator with the taste, color and aroma comparable to fresh juice.
Production and value addition of local variety pumpkin in Na Noi District of Nan Province
AGRITEC-NSTDA worked with farmers in Na Noi community applying plant breeding technique to discover “Khai Nao” pumpkin. The variety has been registered as a local domestic plant. AGRITEC proceeded to design products such as powder pumpkin, pumpkin chip and pumpkin seed oil to increase its value, as well as develop markets for fresh pumpkin and its products. Knowledge and technology have also been transferred to the community to enable zero waste agriculture.
HandySense & Farm to School
HandySense is a smart farming system developed by NECTEC-NSTDA to enable precision agriculture. The system uses sensors and IoT to measure and control environmental conditions effecting plant growth such as temperature, soil humidity, relative humidity and light intensity. HandySense has been installed in over 100 farms throughout the country and put up as an open-source system allowing farmers to use freely. In addition, a platform “Farm to School” was developed to link data of farm production to school lunch program, connecting farmers to school. Farm to School has been piloted in Surin Province connecting 8 farmer cooperatives to 5 schools.
Rapid strip test for cassava mosaic virus
This immunochromatographic strip test for detecting cassava mosaic virus is a tool for disease screening and surveillance. The test is simple to use and can give a result within 15 minutes, making it an ideal for field use.
Pseudotyped virus for assessing the COVID-19 vaccine efficacy
The pseudotyped virus designed by NSTDA has been used to evaluate the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed in Thailand - namely Chula-Cov-19, Baiya vaccine and GOP vaccine. The technology can be applied to screen for novel antivirals, particularly antibodies preventing virus from entering cells.
Disinfectant generator ENcase
Developed by ENTEC-NSTDA, ENcase is an electrolyte disinfectant generator employing the principle of electrochemical reactions to convert sodium chloride (NaCI) solution to hypochlorous acid (HOCl), an effective disinfectant. With funding from the National Research Council of Thailand, ENcase machines have been manufactured and distributed to 10 hospitals in four provinces.
3D Circularity Model
The 3D Circularity Model is a tool to determine an environmental impact and material circularity indicator (MCI) according to the circular construction concept. It is a decision supporting tool for designing and selecting building materials.