Plant Physiology and Environmental Sciences
The Department of Plant Physiology and Environmental Sciences is focused on the pressing issues of climate change, energy crises, and sustainable agriculture. Our research aims to mitigate the impact of climate change on Nepalese agriculture, mainly focusing on indigenous crop varieties such as Jumli Marshi, a cold-tolerant rice variety grown at high altitudes. The decline in its production due to rising temperatures and CO2 levels has affected local livelihoods, making it imperative to explore solutions like hormonal or bio-seed priming to enhance growth under stressful conditions.
Additionally, with research on microalgae such as Chlorella and Spirulina, we are exploring ways to enhance nutrient recycling and improve the sustainability of food and energy systems. We are investigating innovative approaches for biomass utilization and waste management, particularly cheese whey, which is abundant yet underutilized, and we are addressing both environmental pollution and energy needs. Our work bridges the gap between ecological conservation, agricultural productivity, and industrial management, intending to foster a greener, more resilient Nepal. Our collaborations with various national and international institutes aim to develop sustainable agricultural practices and promote eco-friendly technologies.
Dairy waste management as renewable source: Lessons dissemination in Nepal.
Korea Green Foundation (KGF), South Korea
Whey is a major waste of the dairy industry around the world. For the production of 1 kg of cheese, 10 kg of milk is needed resulting in 9 kg of waste (cheese whey). Cheese whey is an organic waste which primarily comprises lactose (4-6 %), proteins (0.8-1%) and other components in trace amounts. Globally around 108 tons of cheese whey is produced per year. Due to its high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) (30–60 g/l) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) (60–80 g /l), such dairy wastes create significant environmental and ecological problems when directly disposed into water bodies.
Therefore, in a country like Nepal, where we lack basic infrastructure for science and technology, inception workshops among dairy industries, interaction and awareness to local dairy farmers, conferences among university students about environmental hazards of dairy waste is need of the hour. This project helps to centralize scattered dairy cooperatives, dairy development centers, and dairy industries into one platform so as to work towards proper management of dairy wastes. It also helps to make the local dairy farmers aware on how to manage such dairy waste and make the community eco-friendly, through audio visual approach of teaching. Furthermore, this project aims to bring university students to debate more on renewable energy generation from waste through a conference for greener Nepal tomorrow.
Optimization of bioethanol production from cheese whey using immobilized lactose assimilating yeast strains.
RenewableNepal Programme, Kathmandu University, Nepal
With the ever increasing global energy demand, an energy crisis is looming throughout the world and production of alternative energy to fossil fuels is increasingly becoming the necessity of the hour. As a consequence, countries such as Brazil and the USA are already producing 73.7 billion liters of bioethanol, from staple crops mainly, corn and sugarcane. Such an alternative, however, is questionable due to the ever increasing world population and urban encroachment into agricultural lands. Thus, it is imperative that the research should focus towards utilization of industrial wastes to produce bioethanol which acts as a suitable substrate for biofuel production, substituting use of crops for energy production, thereby managing such wastes by itself and also has minimal carbon footprints as compared to fossil fuels. This project proposes a sustainable approach to overcome fuel crisis and environmental pollution at the same time, wherein, dairy wastes can be used to produce bioethanol that can be used as an alternative to fossil fuel.
Enhancing the growth of Lactic Acid Bacteria with Chlorella biomass cultivated in cheese whey wastewater
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Cheese Whey Wastewater (CWW), a byproduct of cheese production, is rich in organic carbon, water-soluble vitamins, and minerals, making it a promising nutrient medium for microalgae cultivation. Microalgae such as Chlorella and Spirulina are widely recognized for their applications in human nutrition due to their rich nutritional profiles. Similarly, Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) are crucial as starter cultures, probiotics, and microbial cell factories. Combining microalgae with fermented dairy products can significantly improve their nutritional value and sustainability.
This project aimed to evaluate the growth of Chlorella sp. in diluted (20% v/v) CWW and assess the impact of its dry biomass (1% w/v) on the growth and activity of LAB. The study compared the growth of Chlorella sp. in CWW with its growth in the standard Bold Basal Medium (BBM). LAB isolates, obtained from high-altitude cow and buffalo milk samples, were grown in three different media: de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS); MRS supplemented with Chlorella dry biomass (derived from both CWW and BBM); and standard MRS. The growth of Chlorella sp. in CWW was comparable to its growth in BBM, highlighting CWW as a viable and cost-effective nutrient medium for microalgae cultivation. LAB isolates exhibited enhanced growth in MRS media supplemented with Chlorella dry biomass, regardless of the biomass source (CWW or BBM). Beta-galactosidase activity, an indicator of LAB functionality, was significantly higher in Chlorella-supplemented media than standard MRS.
These results demonstrate that nutrients in CWW can be effectively recovered through microalgae cultivation. Additionally, the biomass obtained from Chlorella sp. serves as a valuable substrate to enhance the growth and functionality of LAB and potentially other probiotics. This dual approach supports sustainable waste management and contributes to the development of nutrient-enriched probiotic products.
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