Goan Natalie comes up with bacterial battery power

With the world looking forward to more greener energy sources, young Goan student Natalie D'silva, a student of Dhempe College of Arts and Science Miramar has spent months in research to come up with a discovery of a means of power generation which promises to help clean up cities.

Working under the guidance of Ms Arina Frank, Lecturer department of Biotechnology and sponsored by the Dempo charities trust, the invention assumes significance in view of the fact that bacteria neither produces any toxic material nor pollutes the environment.

The electricity we normally get is by the burning of fossil fuels. However with the earth's reservoir of fossils depleting continuously, and with rise of pollution being another threat, there is an imperative need for clean energy sources to be found. Currently the world is doing extensive research for an alternative means of generating electricity and Natalie's research is therefore a welcome step in this direction.

The basic principle under which Natalie's research revolves is analogous to that of conventional fuel cells which is an electrochemical energy conversion device that produces from an external supply of fuel.

The research is based on harvesting electricity with the help of microbes which are generally bacteria, which feed on biomass for their respiration. This is referred to as Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) also known as bacterial battery.

The MFC converts chemical energy to electrical energy by the catalytic reaction of microorganisms. A typical microbial fuel cell consists of anode and cathode compartments separated by a cation-specific membrane. In the cathode compartment, substrate is oxidised by microorganisms generating electrons and protons.

Electrons are transferred to the cathode compartment through an external circuit and the protons are transferred to the cathode compartment through the membrane. Electrons and protons are consumed in the cathode compartment combining with oxygen to form water.

Natalie and Ms Arina Frank explored  a marine sponge from the Betul waters and were able to screen about 40 different bacteria from it. Among these bacteria they identified one that could generate a voltage of about 0.47 volts which was higher than reported in scientific papers so far.

Although the project is in its initial stages it seeks to source a cheaper and portable rechargeable source of energy that could be used to power gadgets such as calculators or mobile phones.

As MFCs can use any organic material sources, they can well be installed in water treatment plants to produce electricity from waste and in addition consume the waste material. MFCs also are very clean, efficient and the emissions are below regulations.

The electricity generated by these cells can be stored in rechargeable batteries or capacitors and be utilised whenever needed and is therefore a very potent energy source. MFCs can also be used for  a power source of pacemakers in the body.It would utilise glucose from the blood or other substrates in the body and generate electricity to supply to these devices.

Goa and Geographical Indications (GI)

Goa has reportedly managed to get Geographical indication for its brand of Goan Feni after seemingly being blind to the need of the same. A few other products of Goa are also currently in the news to be in queue for the GI tag.

However one wonders whether Goa is actually dragging its feet in acquiring the GI tag for a host of Goan products which desperately need to be protected against impersonation by other vested interests in India and the world, thereby threatening our sense of identity with these products or names.

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION
The Geographical Indications Registry was established by the Ministry of Commerce in Chennai as per the Geographical Indication of Goods ( registration and Protection) Act 1999.

Under this act, agricultural, natural or any manufactured goods originating or manufactured  in the territory of a country or a region or a locality in that territory, where a given quality reputation or other characteristic of such goods is essentially attributable to tits geographical origin and in cases where such goods are manufactured goods, one of the activities of either production or processing or preparation of the goods concerned takes place in such territory, region or locality, are registrable as geographical indications.

The Registrar of geographical Indications determines whether a particular product is registrable under the GI norms , after the receipt of application for such registration is given.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS
Geographical Indications registration gives to the registered proprietor and its authorised users, the legal right to the exclusive use of the GI and also the right to obtain relief in case of its infringement. Exclusion of unauthorized persons from misusing GI would ensure that genuine products of the rightful producers are marketed

IDENTIFICATION OF PRODUCTS
However Geographical Indication cannot be claimed merely on an application. It is important that the "items" in question  have a specific geographical origin and have the  essential qualities that can be assigned as being from that place of origin.

Unique characteristics are also measured for GIP( Geographically Indicated Products) and are used to identify agricultural, natural or manufactured goods from a particular area or region which has a special quality characteristic based on various factors including climactic or specific production characteristics which may be unique and distinguishable to that area

A geographical indication therefore helps to convey to the consumer or the user, about the knowledge of the product origin related to a particular place which makes it inherit certain  characteristics that are due to that place of production.

WHAT SHOULD GOA DO?
It is therefore very important for Goa to identify all the products either agricultural, manufactured or natural, within the state and prepare a dossier to study before some select committee so that the right items can be chosen to apply for Geographical Indicated Products. The government of Goa needs to put this committee immediately in place and evolve a credible policy and plan for identification and registration of all the Goan products which deserve GIP thereby saving Goa from the onus of being unscrupulously copied in various fields by vested interests.

WHAT ARE OTHER STATES IN INDIA DOING
While Goa is basking in its glory of tourism at the moment we might e suddenly left with our legacy in the wrong hands and thereby be strangers to our own products unless we stand up. States such as Himachal Pradesh, Madhya pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan,Gujarat Tamil Nadu,  Kerala,Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, have a plan and policy already in place and have got GIP status for their local products. Accordfing to teh Ministry of commerce the followng items from these states have  got registration as GIP . they are Pochampally Ikat (Andhra Pradesh); Chanderi saree (Guna, Madhya Pradesh); Kotpad Handloom fabric (Koraput, Orissa); Kota Doria (Kota, Rajasthan); Kancheepuram silk (Tamil Nadu); Bhavani Jamakkalam (Erode, Tamil Nadu); Mysore Agarbathi (Mysore, Karnataka); Aranmula Kannadi (Kerala); Salem fabric (Tamil Nadu); Solapur terry towel (Maharashtra); Mysore silk (Karnataka); Kullu shawl (Himachal Pradesh); Madurai Sungudi (Tamil Nadu); Kangra tea (Himachal Pradesh); Coorg Orange (Karnataka); Mysore betel leaf (Karnataka); Nanjanagud banana (Karnataka); Mysore sandalwood oil (Karnataka); Mysore sandal soap (Karnataka); Bidriware (Karnataka); Channapatna toys & dolls (Karnataka); Coimbatore wet grinder (Tamil Nadu); Mysore rosewood inlay (Karnataka); Kasuti embroidery (Karnataka); Mysore traditional paintings (Karnataka) and Orissa Ikat (Orissa).

ITS TIME FOR GOA TO ACT
Goa has a wealth of products which we can and should apply for in a mindset which needs to show some urgency. From Goan chillies to Goan mangoes, from Goan cashew nuts to Goan rice, From the Goan coconut vinegar to the Goan onions , from Goan brinjals to Goan pickles there is absolutely an open sky when it comes to the amount of products which are dying for the Geographical Indication.

It would take another post to list out the details of each of these products which are desperately calling the attention of the government of Goa.

Xittuk Goencar