NERS NEWS — Students of Universitas Airlangga have once again carved a brilliant achievement by successfully securing the prestigious Student Creativity Program in Research-Exact Sciences (PKM-RE) funding. This remarkable milestone is the fruit of hard work by a cross-faculty student team comprising M. Zain Hisyam Al Fikri Zuhdi (Nursing, Class of 2025), Desiva Frisillia Afanty (Pharmacy, Class of 2025), Abdullah Imam Abdul Rahman (Nursing, Class of 2025), Alya Nur Azizah (Public Health, Class of 2025), and Fisti Nisa Nur Azizah (Medicine, Class of 2025). The official announcement was released online through the official website of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology on Friday, May 22, 2026.
The interdisciplinary team chose to compete in the PKM program that strictly focuses on advanced scientific research within exact science domains. Following extensive brainstorming sessions, they formulated a highly innovative research proposal titled “Innovative Hydrocolloid Film Based on Pectin, Cornstarch, and Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) Leaf Extract for Wound Dressing Applications.” Abdullah, one of the core team members, stated that the concept emerged while they were exploring clinical solutions to foster a greener and better healthcare ecosystem for the future. Furthermore, Abdullah explained, “We are striving to engineer an advanced wound dressing model utilizing natural biopolymers—specifically cornstarch—blended with regenerative bio-active compounds derived from green tea leaf extract.”
Throughout the intensive proposal formulation phase, the team was closely mentored by Prof. apt. Rr. Retno Widyowati, S.Si., M.Pharm., Ph.D. as their Academic Advisor. Following this funding announcement, the team will transition into high-intensity laboratory guidance sessions to execute the research protocols they designed alongside their advisor. The research grant received will be fully allocated toward the physical formulation and bio-chemical testing of the product, with the long-term vision of commercializing it for widespread wound care applications.
Through this clinical research triumph, these students have directly accelerated the realization of Universitas Airlangga’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. Their engineered product represents a cutting-edge, sustainable biomedical breakthrough for the future of healthcare. With this financial backing, it is highly anticipated that their conceptual framework will mature and materialize into a functional, market-ready medical innovation.
Author: Salma Ayu Pramesti
Editor: Farah Dina Azizatul Aulia (Airlangga Nursing Journalist)
