Professor Alim Isnansetyo from the Department of Fisheries at the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has been honored with the Best Innovation Award from The Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award 2025 for his groundbreaking work on brown seaweed.
His research focuses on a zero-waste process in utilizing brown seaweed to combat fish and shrimp diseases while also producing biofertilizers.
"This innovation was inspired by Indonesia's abundant marine resources, which remain largely untapped by researchers and industries," Alim shared in an interview on February 6, 2025.
Brown seaweed, or Phaeophyceae, is rich in alginate and contains fucoidan. Alim has been exploring the potential of these compounds in aquaculture.
"Alginate has diverse applications in medicine, industry, food production, animal feed, and fisheries," he explained.
In his research, alginate is used to enhance the immune systems of fish and shrimp, while fucoidan boosts the effectiveness of fish vaccines.
"Our research has led to the development of several immune-boosting formulations based on alginate and fucoidan," Alim stated.
He hopes his findings will benefit the community, including industries and fish farmers. The veterinary pharmaceutical sector, for instance, can integrate fucoidan as an adjuvant in fish vaccines and as an immunostimulant.
"These vaccines have already been distributed to marine fish farmers to strengthen fish immunity. We are also collaborating with companies to commercialize these products," he explained.
Looking ahead, Alim aims to further refine his research by advancing technology for vaccine and immunostimulant production. He has started working on nanoparticles, specifically nanoalginate and nanofucoidan, to improve the effectiveness of his formulations.
"Our goal is to enhance the quantity and quality of fish production as a sustainable protein source, ultimately improving public nutrition and health," he emphasized.
His research is deeply rooted in the concept of a zero-waste process, ensuring maximum utilization of brown seaweed. Receiving recognition for his work, Alim expressed his gratitude.
"As a part of UGM, I take pride in this achievement, as it also reinforces the university's reputation on both national and international levels," he concluded.