Technology Transfer Support Fund (TTSF) Research Outcomes

Research Outcomes

01-TTSF-83

Research Title

Research Team

Research Problem/Issue

Solution / Results

Fabrication of Contamination Sensing & Antimicrobial Surgical Gown by Nanotechnology

Dr. Muhammad Qamar Khan (PI), National Textile University Faisalabad, Karachi Campus.

Prof. Dr. M. Raza Shah (CoPI) HEJ Karachi University Karachi.

Dr. M. Fahad Arain (Co-PI) National Textile University Faisalabad, Karachi Campus.

Rana Muhammad Anees (GM-R&D) Sapphire Textile Mills Lt.,

Mr. Kashaf ul Hassan , Department of Textile & Clothing, National Textile University Faisalabad, Karachi Campus.

Various strategies and actions are being taken in order to overcome the scourge of infectious local viruses. In the proposed project, we are focusing on the fabrication and characterization of a colorimetric sensor for early detection and deactivation of the coronavirus.

The fabricated sensor will be able to destroy the virus through the action of viral agent, which will form an integral part of the nanofibers developed. In the field of biosensor research, colorimetric properties have been studied in the form of solutions, liposomes, and films, etc.

Main Technology is under installation process. After installation experiments will start and sample will be ready within couple of weeks then results will be uploaded on this site.

02-TTSF-130

Research Title

Research Team

Research Problem/Issue

Solution / Results

Design of a Versatile Prototype based on the Application of Ion
Exchange Membranes for Efficient and Cost-effective Recycling of Industrial Waste.

Department of Chemistry, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi.

Wastewater treatment, safe drinking water, and clean energy are the most important concerns of 21st century. Wastewater treatment is facing frequent financial and operational issues. Traditionally used waste treatment processes are not economically competitive because that methods are not employed with the recovery of water and chemicals present in the industrial waste. To cut the cost of waste treatment operations, it is desired to develop techniques which simultaneously recover the water and chemical compounds along with the waste treatment. Present proposal based on this innovation.

Our proposed prototype offers the advantage of low energy consumption, favourable environmental footprint, and continuous operation mode with lower cost. This versatile prototype model with multiple modes of acid, base, salt, water and Sulphur will clean the industrial waste. The prepared membrane offers the promising separation method and green technology because of eco-friendly existence as well as lower energy consumption.

This innovation is important for the commercial market due to its energy efficiency, higher yield of recovery, lower costs.

03-TTSF-76

Research Title

Research Team

Research Problem/Issue (brief Research issue)

Solution / Results

Development and Upscaling of Combined Distillation techniques for saline water treatment and freshwater production on industrial scale (CAD-Water)

Principial Investigator (P.I): Dr. Tanveer Ahmed Gadhi

Co-Principial Investigator (Co-P.I): Dr. Rasool Bux Mahar

U.S. Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water USPCAS-W, MUET Jamshoro.

Universities:
Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro, University of Sindh (UOS), Jasmhoro

Research Collaborators:
Dr. Najma Memon , Dr. Imran Nazir , Abdul Manan Memon , Sikandar Lodhi , Sanam Bhatti

Industrial Collaborators:
Mr. Munir Badar, Water and Energy Sustainable Solutions; Mr. Waseem Vohra, ex-chairman of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry; Mr. Irfan Ali Ansari, Al-Rahim Textile Industries Ltd. Sindh.

To enhance water scarcity resilience with the upscaling, development, validation, and transfer of Combined Adsorption Distillation (CAD) technique to treat saline water and produce freshwater at the industrial scale.

To utilize waste heat generated in industries (i.e power engines, boilers) coupled with Adsorptive Distillation for obtaining clean water.

Upscaling and standardization of adsorbent-composite and pilot-reactor
Testing of adsorbent-composite at applied distillation/ evaporation
Detailed water quality analysis for controlling and standardizing the CAD upscaling
Upscaling and optimization of the water vaporization, adsorption, and condensation rates at varying conditions
Design and development of industrial-scale combined adsorption distillation (CAD) unit for validation and commercial feasibility.

04-TTSF-69

Research Title

Research Team

Research Problem/Issue (brief Research issue)

Solution / Results

Design and Fabrication of ICU grade and Emergency Ventilators

Dr. Zafar Bangash,

Dept of Mechanical Engineering, NUST College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

Commercial CPAP and BiPAP devices do not incorporate FIO2 management. Development of Efficient and Robust Control Mechanism for CPAP and BiPAP Devices for Respiration Therapy for Covid-19 Patients

We are indigenously developing Oxygen Concentrator to integrate with the already indigenously developed CPAP/BiPAP device, in order to have the final product that can be used at consumer level respiration therapy device for patients with compromised lung capacity. The domestic / consumer centric CPAP / BiPAP device is already under testing phases with project team.

05-TTSF-20

Research Title

Research Team (PI name, Department, University, Collaborators)

Research Problem/Issue (brief Research issue)

Solution / Results (brief outcome achieved to date)

Large-scale production of indigenously developed pellet biofuel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan.

Dr. Majid Hussain PI, and Prof. Dr. Moazzam Nizami Co-PI from the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Haripur KP.

Dr. Riffat Naseem Malik, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, and Dr. Faizan Ullah, UST Bannu as Academic Collaborators.

Mr. Mujahid Ahmad Industry partner from Merryland Group of Business Pvt Ltd Swabi, KP and Dr. Tausif Raza from Tami International Impex Pvt Ltd, Islamabad.

To develop low emitting pellet biofuel plant (large-scale production) on a commercial basis using the indigenously developed technology (pelletizer machine) in Pakistan,

To overcome severe energy crises, reduce the alarming rate of deforestation for round firewood logs, fight against perilous impacts of global warming and climate change, and will also have positive impacts on socio-economic (employment/jobs) issues being faced by Pakistan.

Pellets prototypes of more than 20 agro-forest species residues or sawdust developed and characterized for its combustion properties. The biomass raw materials of agro-forest species collected from all the divisions of the KP.
First facility for pellet biofuel production is established with support of the Industry Partner Merryland Group of Business Swabi in KP and more than 1 metric ton of pellets biofuel is distributed free of cost among the different stakeholders for testing.
Employment generation in biofuel and bioenergy industry and increase private sector interest to invest in the pellet industry.
The findings of this research project will provide a baseline or benchmark for the establishment of large-scale pellet biofuel industry-academia Collaboration. Some of the findings of this project is published in HEC recognized, W category journal "Sustainability" having impact factor 3.251 at https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/4/2082 4 project M. Phil research students are working research papers for this project at the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Haripur, KP.

06-TTSF-50

Research Title

Research Team (PI name, Department, University, Collaborators)

Research Problem/Issue (brief Research issue)

Solution / Results (brief outcome achieved to date)

A Fully automated closed loop Anesthesia Machine with EEG based Depth of Anesthesia Monitoring

Dr. Wala Saadeh, Electrical Engineering Department, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).

Dr. Naqeeb Khalid, Intexim Enterprises.

Many surgical procedures would not be possible without the patient entering a state of general anesthesia (GA).

1) Revision of Implementation of EEG based novel depth of anesthesia classification algorithm [Algorithm Development]

2) Low-Power and small-form-factor implementation of EEG DoA system [Hardware Implementation]

3) Revision of mobile anesthesia apparatus (OXYMED 3000-PLUS)

4) Integration of EEG DoA system with revised mobile anesthesia apparatus.

A comprehensive survey of state-of-the-art algorithms for DoA (Depth of General Anesthesia) in the field of biomedical systems for EEG monitoring performed.
A balanced combination of spectral, temporal, and temporal features from EEG was extracted which has the highest correlation with the states of anesthesia. The proposed DoA algorithm outperforms the previously proposed algorithms in this field, while further work is still in PROGRESS.
The research work already led to two research conferences (IEEE ISCAS and IEEE NEWCAS 2022), both internationally known flagship conferences. Moreover, the results and findings of the research progress lead to research publication, submitted in the internationally known journal "IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering".

07-TTSF-77

Research Title

Research Team

Research Problem/Issue

Solution / Results

Transfer of a sustainable floating treatment wetlands technology to sectoral partner for the treatment and reuse of wastewater

Dr. Muhammad Afzal, Soil and Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad.

In Pakistan, more than 90% wastewater is discharged in the environment without any treatment. One of the main reasons of the this discharge is that the traditional methods for wastewater treatment are not feasible due to their high capital, operational, and maintenance costs.

Nature-based floating treatment wetland is a highly suitable alternative. It is a solar energy-driven, low cost, sustainable, and eco-friendly approach.

However, this technology is not popularized and disseminated among the people of Pakistan for wastewater treatment and reuse.

The floating treatment wetland technology disseminated to the end-users by visiting industries and organizations, and through symposiums, seminars, and conferences, and highlighting the importance of clean water, wastewater treatment and its reuse.

The technology was also successfully applied at Akhuwat University Kasur, Toyota Chenab Motors Faisalabad, Momentum Logistics Khanewal, Manak village Lahore, and Mari Petroleum Ghotki for the treatment /ruse of the wastewater.

The treated water met the national wastewater discharge standards of Pakistan and can be safely discharged in the environment and/or use for horticulture, irrigation and for the same application.

08-TTSF-039

Research Title

Research Team

Research Problem/Issue

Solution / Results

Commercial Scale Development of Indigenous Transmit-Receive Modules for Airborne Radars

Dr. Hammad M. Cheema, Professor, Electrical Engineering, NUST, Islamabad.

Yasir Javed, CEO Renzym (Pvt.) Ltd., Islamabad.

To achieve self-reliance by developing a key enabler of X-band airborne radar, namely the Quad Transmit/Receive Module (QTRM).

The proposed commercial grade development is based on the groundwork carried out at RIMMS-NUST since 2019 and is to be merged in the indigenous development effort being carried out by a consortium of public and private sector organizations led by AvDI – PAF.

A successful outcome of this project can potentially save millions of dollars to the national exchequer, provide self- control of critical technology, and avoid the risk of technology denial from foreign countries.

The problem is addressed by successful design of QTRM as required by the end-user. Some of the accomplishments achieved up till now:

System design
Simulation development and testing of 1:4 way Power divider
Circuit / layout design of RF, digital and power sub-modules of QTRM
EM, SI, PI, and thermal simulation of the QTRM PCB
Digital control design and simulation
Mechanical housing design of QTRM

09-TTSF 30

Research Title

Research Team

Research Problem/Issue

Solution / Results

Commercialization of Specialty Multigrain Flour (MaxGrain®) developed for intended baked products utilizing indigenous cereals; A step to improve nutritional status of the masses

PI: Prof. Dr. Imran Pasha, National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

CoPI: Prof. Dr. Masood Sadiq Butt, National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

Industrial Collaborator: Mr. Raza Abbas, Rehmat Wheat Products, Pvt. Ltd., Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

In Pakistan, wheat is used as staple food with 70% gross utilization. Mostly Pakistani diets are comprised of wheat chapatti. These dietary patterns lead to limited dietary diversity as well as food security issues.

The project was designed with the objectives of development of specialty multigrain flours utilizing indigenous cereals, for commonly consumed foods in Pakistan i.e., bread, chapattis, and cookies to compensate for the needs of essential nutrients as well as to reduce burden on wheat alone as a staple diet.

Multigrain specialty flours for bread, cookies and chapattis were developed. 61 combinations of multigrain flours (blends of wheat flour with non-wheat cereals such as barley, oat, corn, millet, sorghum, and quinoa) were blended. 55 types of bread, 41 types of cookies and 42 types of chapattis developed. The products were assessed for sensory evaluation. 07 treatments for bread, 07 for cookies and 11 for chapattis were selected. These were further evaluated for chemical composition (moisture, ash, fat, fiber, and protein), antioxidant profile (TPC, TFC, DPPH assay), minerals (Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Fe), rheology (RVA and farinograph) and product development (bread, cookies and chapattis).

Conclusively, blends of wheat with barley / corn at the substitution rate of 20% were rated highest for acceptability. For cookies wheat with oat/corn at 10% replacement of wheat and for chapattis, best at 30%replacement.

10-TTSF-76

Research Title

Research Team

Research Problem/Issue (brief Research issue)

Solution / Results

Development and Upscaling of Combined Distillation techniques for saline water treatment and freshwater production on industrial scale (CAD-Water)

Principial Investigator (P.I):
Dr. Tanveer Ahmed Gadhi

Co-Principial Investigator (Co-P.I):
Dr. Rasool Bux Mahar
U.S. Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water USPCAS-W, MUET Jamshoro.

Universities:
Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro & University of Sindh (UOS), Jasmhoro

Research Collaborators:
Dr. Najma Memon,
Dr. Imran Nazir,
Abdul Manan Memon

Industrial Collaborators:
Mr. Munir Badar, Executive Partner Water and Energy Sustainable Solutions (WES)
Mr. Waseem Vohra, ex-chairman of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) Mr. Irfan Ali Ansari, Director Engineering, Al-Rahim Textile Industries Ltd. (ARTI), Nooriabad, Sindh

To enhance water scarcity resilience with the upscaling, development, validation, and transfer of combined adsorption distillation (CAD) technique to treat saline water and produce freshwater at the industrial scale.
To utilize waste heat generated in industries (i.e power engines, boilers) coupled with Adsorptive Distillation for obtaining clean water.

Upscaling and standardization of adsorbent-composite and pilot-reactor
Testing of adsorbent-composite at applied distillation/ evaporation
Detailed water quality analysis for controlling and standardizing the CAD upscaling
Upscaling and optimization of the water vaporization, adsorption, and condensation rates at varying conditions
Design and development of industrial-scale combined adsorption distillation (CAD) unit for validation and commercial feasibility.

11-TTSF-16

Research Title

Research Team

Research Problem/Issue

Solution / Results

Console: Machine vision based industrial Inspection system for quality assurance

PI:
Dr. Majida Kazmi, Associate Professor, Computer and Information Systems Engineering Department, NED University of Science & Technology.

Collaborators:
P&G Pakistan and FS Technology Solutions.

The current practices of quality assurance are manual inspection of products which comes hand in hand with increased risk of human error and is coupled with increased chances of undetected faults thereby, reducing the probability of the product to comply with international quality assurance standards. As a consequence of lower quality assurance standard, faith of customer/client is lost resulting in reduced profit margins. This project aims to enable technology in industrial sectors to improve quality assurance to the manufacturing industries.

Automated testing of industrial products for quality checking
Tested/ Chamber manufacturing as per industrial requirements.
Maturity of underlying technology to meet industrial needs.
Front end Application development,
Testing the mature product in industry
System Deployment and maintenance & Training Staff
Result Dissemination in terms of journal publication, and commercialization.

Results are also published in international conference. Project was selected from University to showcase in SHEC research and technology showcase 2022. Product demonstration to industries is also initiated.

NEW OUTCOMES- FEB 2024

12-TTSF-15

Research Title	*Large-scale production of indigenously developed pellet biofuel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan*
Research Team	PI: Dr. Majid Hussain PIO: University of Haripur Total HR Engaged: 8 Male: 7, Female: 1 MS/PhDs engaged/produced: Male: 7 Female: 1 Others: Male: 2
Research Problem/Issue	Wood pellet biofuel prototype has been developed/manufactured at Lab-scale (pilot project) in the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Haripur, KPK under small grant pilot project 2019-2020 funded by Directorate of Science and Technology, Peshawar. Firewood has been the main source of energy in the domestic sector of Pakistan. Although, Pakistan has limited forest resources having less than 5 percent forest cover. Majority of the population has consumed firewood at the household level due to lack of alternative biofuels. The major problems faced by the consumers are scarcity of wood, high price of firewood and low calorific value or combustion properties of firewood as compared with wood pellet biofuel. In addition, the illicit cutting of forest trees causes deforestation, which makes the ecosystem more fragile and vulnerable and causes global warming in Pakistan. According to global climate risk index 2019, Pakistan is the seventh most vulnerable country to climate change due to global warming in the world. As, pellet biofuel is increasingly used as a cooking and residential building heating biofuel in the modern world and has mainly replaced petroleum oils and firewood because it is low-emitting, eco-efficient, cost effective, energy-rich, renewable, and environment-friendly biofuel. Therefore, a low-emitting, cost effective and efficient wood pellet biofuel prototype has been developed at Lab-scale in the Forestry Lab of the University of Haripur, KPK. Indigenous technology (Pelletizer machine) for pellet formation was developed in Gujjar Ghari Engineering works (Local engineer) in Mardan city, KPK (Pictures of pelletizer machine are attached below). Sawdust of six (06) different fast growing agroforestry tree species were collected from Chain Saw mills (shops) in Mardan, Swabi, Haripur, Bannu, Kohat and D.I. Khan for wood pellet biofuel prototype development. After, successful formation of wood pellet biofuel in the Forestry Lab, the characterization of the developed pellets were performed in National Center of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar and Pakistan Forests Institute, Peshawar. Moreover, life cycle assessment (LCA) was also conducted for the Lab-scale inputs and output data to estimate environmental footprint and cumulative exergy demand of the wood pellet biofuel prototype. LCA results also showed that the developed wood pellet biofuel prototype is more environment-friendly and low-cost raw material (sawdust) is utilized for wood pellet biofuel manufacture instead of using round wood for firewood in Pakistan. Therefore, the developed prototype of wood pellet biofuel could provide a base for the establishment of large-scale commercialization of wood pellet biofuel in Pakistan. Hence, it is an urgent need to up-scale this prototype and establish a large-scale wood pellet biofuel plant in Pakistan through a joint research collaboration with Merryland Group of Business (Pvt) Limited Yar Hussain, Swabi, KP, and TAMI International IMPEX Pvt Limited Islamabad to overcome the severe energy crisis, reduce alarming rate of deforestation for firewood, fight against perilous impacts of global warming and climate change and have positive impacts on socio-economic conditions being faced by the country. The results or major outcomes of this study are under review in the “Bioresource Technology” journal for possible publication.
Solution/Results	To develop low emitting pellet biofuel plant (large-scale production) on commercial basis using the indigenously developed technology (pelletizer machine) in Pakistan Overcome severe energy crises, reduce alarming rate of deforestation for round firewood logs, fight against perilous impacts of global warming and climate change, and will also have positive impacts on socio-economic (employment/jobs) issues being faced by Pakistan
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	2Journal Papers, 1 Patent
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	None
Industrial partnership	None

13-TTSF-22

Research Title	*Development, Production and Commercialization of Aloesin-based Wound Healing Scaffold*
Research Team	PI: Dr. Hussain Mustatab Wahedi PIO: National University of Medical Sciences, NUMS Total HR Engaged: 7 Male: 4, Female: 3 MS/PhDs engaged/produced: Female: 2 Others: Female: 1
Research Problem/Issue	The project aimed to commercialize a natural product-based wound healing scaffold developed through research at the National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi. The technology has vast medical and commercial applications as there is no similar product currently available in the local market. There are either simple wound dressings with no healing effect or skin ointments for burns and traumatic injuries carrying antibiotics to prevent wound infection. Our product is a wound healing scaffold packaged in the form of a bandage which is a valuable product because of its novelty, efficacy, and ease of use. Potential customers are hospitals and healthcare centers. The potential benefit to the customers is the availability of safe and efficient wound-healing bandages at a competitive price. The broad objective of the project was to commercialize purely research-based healthcare products to fill a huge gap present in the market because of the absence of any such locally manufactured product. The product was developed in the research lab at NUMS and the safety/efficacy was evaluated both on cell and animal models. The technology has been transferred to our industrial partner for clinical trials and industrialization.
Solution/Results	Scaffold Development Initial experiments of the scaffold preparation have been performed and followed by: (a) Characterization of Scaffold (b) Optimization of drug loading and release (c) Safety and efficacy study in cell and mouse model Patenting: A patent Application has been filed at IPO Pakistan Clinical Trial and Technology Transfer to Industry. The product has been transferred to an industrial partner for clinical trials and scale-up process.
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	1 Journal Paper, 1 Patent
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	None
Industrial partnership	None

14-TTSF-45

Research Title	*Industrial Scale Development of Waterproof Cum Heat Resistant, Montmorillonite Clay Modified High-Pressure Plywood Composite (NustoPak Wood) from Renewable-Nonedible Agricultural Wastes*
Research Team	PI: Dr. Azhar Mahmood PIO: National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) Total HR Engaged: 5 Male: 4, Female: 1
Research Problem/Issue	A method was successfully developed for synthesis of adhesive phenol-furfural resin from extracts of Saccharum munja and peanut shells while biomass residues of these feed stocks extraction were employed as filling materials for manufacturing of plywood samples. This designed method has the advantage of no left-over waste material. Moreover, water proofing, heat resistance and mechanical strength were improved by impregnation of functionalized montmorillonite clay into these prepared plywood samples. Results of this study were published into HEC ‘W’ category research journal while 02 patents related to method design and product were successfully filed. Pakistan is an agricultural country and enriched with minerals reservoirs. Fortunately, raw materials required for this project i.e. renewable biomass including agricultural reside and nonedible plants, and minerals i.e. montmorillonite clay are available in ample quantities. The purpose of this project was to develop cost effective and improved quality plywood products that are marketable and can generate positive cash flow. TTSF platform has proved an optimistic opportunity to support promising partnerships between academia (HEC & NUST) and industry (K.D.C. Boards (Pvt) Ltd & TASCO Mines (LLP)) to facilitate the transfer of university developed technological research to industry and the commercial sector.
Solution/Results	Development of plywood prototype from agricultural residue, clay and resin. It will include extraction of furfural, organic functionalization of clay, resin synthesis and impregnation of clay into resin. Characterization, performance evaluation and validation of prepared prototype product Industrial scale trial of wood composite development. Customization and optimization of process for industrial scale production. Quality control and validation of final product
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	1 Journal paper, 1 conference paper
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	1 event
Industrial partnership	2 partnerships with K.D.C. Boards (Pvt) Ltd Jehlum and Woodworld (Pvt) Ltd Rwp

15-TTSF-74

Research Title	*High resolution flexible time-temperature indicator (FTTI) for food quality control*
Research Team	PI: Dr. Ali Turab Jafry PIO: Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi Total HR Engaged: 7 Male: 7, Female: 0 MS/PhDs engaged/produced: Male: 4, Female: 1
Research Problem/Issue	Food quality problems arise due to the decay of perishable items by microbial activity. In the past, the food supply chain was shorter and simpler where most food transactions took place in local markets in Pakistan. However, since technology is advancing with lengthy food supply chains from processing plants to shopping malls, there is a need to monitor the quality of food being transported from production all the way to the consumer. In order to monitor the time, it took for the food item to reach the shopping mall and whether it was maintained at a safe temperature necessary for its preservation such as frozen items, a sensor is needed to log both the time and temperature during transaction. This sensor is called a time temperature indicator (TTI). Commercially the TTIs are responsible for monitoring the shelf life of perishable food products from cold storage to consumption. The project PI Dr. Ali Turab Jafry at GIK Institute, has successfully developed a flexible time-temperature indicator (FTTI) using cellulose paper as porous media and oleic, octanoic, and decanoic acid as the working fluids for three storage temperature conditions of 5 °C, 15 °C and 30 °C respectively. The developed technology also possesses a high-resolution linear timescale as opposed to conventional market devices which gives a competitive edge to the FTTI. The market in Pakistan is focused on the quality of food, however, we still do not have such devices that can monitor the shelf-life of a product and whether it was transported safely. This leaves a market gap for the developed FTTI to fill in its place with no possible competitors at this stage. Furthermore, FTTI has tremendous potential to be exported to developed nations as a cost effective and improved version of a time-temperature indicator. This will help boost our exports and keep a quality check on food items whether being imported or exported from Pakistan. Although the flexible time temperature indicator has been developed and tested by the PI, the technology required a few alterations before it could be easily used by the commercial setup. The first part is the total device time which is currently around 22 hours for oleic acid representing freezing temperature of 30°C shown in Fig. 1. The second problem was the ease with which the device can start, i.e. the starting switch actuation, which needed further simplification for upscaling it at industrial level. The third problem was upscaling the fabrication process from the lab to transfer to an industrial setup for mass scale production.
Solution/Results	· Increase the device time by more than twice. · Incorporate a simple starting switch to actuate the indicator. · Make the device fabrication possible for mass-scale industrial setup. Market the device to food industry as a cost effective and reliable food quality indicator.
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	6 Journal papers, 3 conference papers, 1 patent
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	6 events
Industrial partnership	1 partnership with Pakengimed

16-TTSF-84

Research Title	Security & Threat Intelligence Platform for Capital Market of Pakistan
Research Team	PI: Dr. Muhamad Asad Arfeen PIO: NED University of Engineering & Technology University Road, Karachi Total HR Engaged: 5 Male: 4, Female: 1 Others: Male: 3, Female: 2
Research Problem/Issue	In the last few years, cyber criminals delivered a wave of cyber-attacks that were not just highly coordinated, but far more advanced than ever before seen. Simple endpoint attacks became complex, multi-stage operations. Ransomware attacks hit small businesses and huge corporations alike. Crypto mining attacks gave cyber criminals an easy foothold into company networks. We have seen massive data leaks, expensive ransomware payouts, and a vast, new, complicated threat landscape. The rising cyber threat landscape and the financial constraints of using foreign solutions, the need for an indigenous platform has become evident. Security and Threat Intelligence Platform (STIP) is a SIEM Solution that we have developed in-house, and happens to be the only locally made SIEM solution of its caliber on the market. It is a light-weight, ready to use, and affordable solution that will improve your security posture and help protect the assets on your network. STIP can be deployed and used at a centralized location to provide in depth threat intelligence and security controls. It is a customizable solution that can help an organization achieve and adhere to local and international compliance policies and standards. STIP is very user friendly, with an easy-to-use user interface and interactive dashboards that can be configured so you view only the most relevant information. It comes with a diverse set of features like Asset Discovery and Asset Management to keep an inventory of the resources on the network, as well as Vulnerability Assessment to pin point any easily compromised access points in the network and respond to them in a timely manner. It’s Intrusion Detection capability and Event Correlation engine help narrow down any active threats to the assets and resources. Other additional benefits like Raw logging, Ticketing and Reporting help keep an eye on and cover a 360-degree view of all the activities on your network.
Solution/Results	· Comparative Analysis report of existing SIEM solutions · Designing and comparative analysis of Frontend · Prototype of STIP solution and a tentative UI Interface · Finalization of Frontend Prototype in terms of technology for STIP solution and a tentative UI Interface · A final UI after applying improvement and changes as per the feasibility results and Market feedback. · A base backend engine for log collection, event creation, event correlation and analysis. · STIP integration with individual security components like HIDS, NIDS etc. · Suggestion of a blueprint for developing threat intelligence platform including usage of open source technologies · Designing and integration of an event correlation module with Threat Intelligence feeds · Designing and Planning of a machine learning module · Implementation of a indigenous Machine learning module for correlation and action mechanism · Designing architecture of Incident response platform for logs classification · Implementation of the aforementioned architecture and testing · Benchmarking results report after comparative analysis of existing playbooks of different vendors · Implementation and finalization of any incomplete module.
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	None
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	2 events, 2 policy level participations, 1 award
Industrial partnership	Technology Transfer and Deployment at Ivolve.io a local cloud security firm. 1 case study

17-TTSF-128

Research Title	*Automated Urdu Broadcast Media Content Extraction and Analytics*
Research Team	PI: Dr. Sarmad Hussain PIO: KICS, UET Lahore Total HR Engaged: 24 Male: 8, Female: 16 MS/PhDs engaged/produced: Male: 3, Female: 3
Research Problem/Issue	Tajziakaar system is a revolutionary multimedia analysis platform that unlocks the power of audio and video data from Urdu broadcasts. Packed with cutting-edge AI tools, it's the key to audio and video content analysis, featuring local language speech recognition, speaker Identification, and OCR for video. Unlock its power for online video searches, custom reports, and content summarization with deep-learning. Plus, boost accessibility with subtitles, audio transcription, keyword search, and speaker identification features.
Solution/Results	· Enhanced Urdu speech recognition system · Video transcription using auditory stream · Urdu OCR system and Trending topic identification system An automated Urdu Broadcast Media Content Extraction and Analytics system
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	None
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	None
Industrial partnership	1 industry partnership

18-TTSF-160

Research Title	Development of Next-Generation Precision Therapies for Head and Neck Cancer in Pakistan
Research Team	PI: Dr. Muhammad Shoaib PIO: LUMS Lahore Total HR Engaged: 13 Male: 5, Female: 8 MS/PhDs engaged/produced: Male: 1, Female: 6 Others (RAs) Male: 4, Female: 2
Research Problem/Issue	The purpose of the project was to develop genomics-driven personalized therapies for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. HNSCC has a global mortality rate of roughly 50% indicating a pressing need for the development of personalized therapeutic approaches. HNSCC patients are typically treated by multimodal approaches including surgery, radiotherapy chemoradiotherapy, and immunotherapy, however, a locally advanced disease with or without metastasis carries a poor prognosis. Furthermore, these approaches remain limited as they fail to consider the molecular differences between individual tumors. Consequently, a significant number of HNSCC patients are in need of therapies that are tailored to their individual genomics signature. Towards addressing this need, in the current proposal our main goal is to employ an in-house next-generation cancer modeling software “Theatre for in silico Systems Oncology” (TISON) and develop personalized therapies for HNSCC patients. We are developing a comprehensive biomolecular network for HNSCC disease that integrates signaling cascades in squamous cells. The resultant network is consumed by TISON for investigating cellular dynamics of squamous cells in normal and cancerous conditions. To model progression of HNSCC, stage-specific mutations reported in the literature are introduced in the network and resultant cell fates validated against the literature. To translate the model into clinical settings, we will obtain biopsy samples HNSCC patients and process them for gene expression, mutations, and copy-number variations to construct individualized patient models. Towards designing personalized therapies, patient data will be used as input to compute in silico therapies through the incorporation of potential drugs against each mutation. The selected promising combinations will then be tested on patient-derived cell lines to translate and determine the efficiency of the whole process. As a result, we propose to market TISON as a personalized cancer therapy tool for clinicians, researchers, and pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan. Development of cancer models using TISON and their annotation with clinical data from patients can provide patient specific insights into the disease as well as help evaluate suitability of therapeutic options. By employing TISON, the hospitals and research centres will be able to intuitively translate the proposed preclinical models and tailor personalized therapies for cancer patients. This product is particularly useful for patients with unresectable or therapy resistant tumors. In addition, this product will also be extremely valuable in identifying drug response during chemotherapy or targeted therapy.
Solution/Results	· Construction and validation of patient-derived computational models using TISON by inputting individual patient to validate cell fates · Gene expression and mutational analysis of HNSCC tumor samples (RNA-sequencing and Whole Exome Sequencing) procured from collaborating hospitals · Computation of personalized in silico therapy on individual patients’ tumor models using TISON through an exhaustive in silico screening for potential combinations of drugs · validation of personalized in silico therapy on patient-derived cell lines
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	1 Journal paper
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	None
Industrial partnership	None

19-TTSF-195

Research Title	Industrial Scale Development of Waterproof Cum Heat Resistant, Montmorillonite Clay Modified High-Pressure Plywood Composite (NustoPak Wood) from Renewable-Nonedible Agricultural Wastes
Research Team	PI: Dr. M Anwaar Nazeer PIO: National Textile University Faisalabad Total HR Engaged: 4 Male: 3, Female: 1 MS/PhDs engaged/produced: Male: 1, Female: 2 Others: Female: 1
Research Problem/Issue	Recent advances in regenerative medicine present promising approaches for biomedical problems such as wound healing and others. For this purpose, cellular or acellular scaffolds composed of natural or synthetic biomaterials are used. Wound, a pathological disruption in the typical architecture of the human skin, is an important biomedical problem that imposes a huge clinical and economic burden on the healthcare system around the globe. Millions of people suffer from different kinds of skin wounds and diseases annually that require proper wound management and a definitive cure to improve the quality of life of the patients. Presently, the lack of optimum engineered scaffold has led clinicians to be dependent on expensive imported membranes. Although freshly obtained human amniotic membrane (hAM), a waste material produced during pregnancy, can be used as an active wound dressing for wound healing applications, however, the current legal regulations in most of the developed countries require all the tissues obtained from living donors to be stored for at least 6 months to confirm seronegative before use. Therefore, due to the high cost associated with cryopreservation and delivery of membrane, alternatives should be explored to use its invaluable components like growth factors (GFs). Furthermore, currently available cryopreserved DhAM scaffolds lack in structural integrity as well. This limitation hinders intraoperative handling, and its rapid degradation rate introduces the potential need for re-application. In this project, we aim in eliminating all these downsides by isolating the GFs from hAM and introducing them in natural and synthetic textile materials to develop an optimum scaffold. Silk, a textile raw material, and silk fibroin (SF), an important biomaterial will be employed to introduce the bioactivity in the wound dressing. SF will be functionalized further by using isolated GFs from hAM to enhance its cell-specific bioactivity towards fibroblast cells. The adequate toughness in the membrane will be introduced by using a tailor-made novel polyurethane (PU). Functionalized-SF and PU will be processed through electrospinning (ES) to develop a highly tough, hydrophilic, relatively transparent, and functional wound dressing. Less toxic formic acid, a Q3C class-3 solvent, will be used to develop an electro spun membrane than conventional toxic organic solvents. We will carry on in vitro evaluations of our developed engineered functional dressing to assess its potential use for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications such as wound healing. For the successful completion of this project, a diverse collaboration will be established. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Raza (Co-PI), an Associate Professor from the Chemistry department NTU, will be involved in this project because of his expertise in silk processing and material chemistry. His research expertise and lab facilities will be utilized in this project. Further, Dr. Samina Zafar, a renowned Gynecologist and Dr. Noor Ahmad Butt, a distinguished nanotechnology scientist will be the part of this project as consultants. COTTON CRAFT (PVT.) LTD. will be the industrial collaborator in this project and will contribute to this project technically as well as financially. It will share the overall cost of the project by contributing 1 million PKR as cash and 4 million in kind. In kind, it will be responsible for providing some raw materials, will facilitate some characterization and will bear the cost of the regularization, marketing, and commercialization of the product. After the successful technology transfer, the novel product developed will be commercially produced by COTTON CRAFT to fulfill the requirements of the healthcare industry of Pakistan. The potential export of the developed product will generate the revenue and will play the role for socio-economic development of Pakistan.
Solution/Results	· Isolation of growth factors (GFs) from the human amniotic membrane (Purified GFs). Silk fibroin (SF) extraction from cocoons through degumming, its solubilization, and purification (Purified and lyophilized regenerated SF powder) Functionalization of SF with isolated GFs (Functionalized SF powder) EG-based polyurethane (PU) synthesis (Purified polyurethane polymer) · Electrospinning of PU and SF (Electrospun wound dressings with and without functionalization) In vitro fibroblast cell seeding and cell viability analysis (Bioactivity assessment of the developed wound dressings) Excisional wound splinting, transplantation, and in vivo analysis
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	2 Journal papers
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	None
Industrial partnership	None

20-TTSF-196

Research Title	*Indigenous Technology Development for Pilot Scale Production of Water Purification and Desalination membrane*
Research Team	PI: Dr. Aneela Anwar PIO: University of Engineering and Technology Lahore Total HR Engaged: 4 Male: 2, Female: 2 MS/PhDs engaged/produced: Male: 2, Female: 2
Research Problem/Issue	Pakistan has been undergoing a severe health crisis due to infectious diseases and viral infections. Steps should be taken to prevent infections caused by air and water pollution. Water pollution is one of the major hazards to public health in Pakistan. Drinking water quality is poor, and there is no proper system to monitor and regulate it. Microbial and chemical pollutants are the primary causes accountable entirely or in combination for various public health issues. Groundwater contamination is also increasing in many areas of the world, and the growing pressure on water supplies. The situation is deteriorating in developing countries like Pakistan, where a major part of the population is forced to use polluted drinking water. Drinking water sources, surface and groundwater are impure and replete with coliforms, toxic metals, and pesticides. The geospatial mapping of physicochemical parameters, WQI, and SPI model findings reveal that most of the groundwater resource is polluted thus not safe for drinking purposes. Government data presented to the National Assembly in 2021 claimed that around 50 percent of the drinking water supply in 20 out of 29 major cities was contaminated and unpotable. This creates obvious health risks, especially when contaminated water is also used for farming. According to USAID, only around 36 percent of Pakistan’s population has access to safely managed water. Pakistan Vision 2025 and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) 2030 impose obligations on Pakistan towards achieving its water and sanitation goals. Drinking water is also placed on priority No. 1 in the approved National Water Policy 2018. Although there are small-scale efforts for water purification, the locally used water purification plants are not up to the mark. Imported purification units are expensive and beyond the access of the nation's poor majority. This is high time to direct attentive and dedicated efforts to evaluate and monitor the water quality, mitigate the pollutants for ensuring safe drinking water for common people and refine and improve the indigenous water purification and desalination technology as municipally supplied water is not microbiologically safe. This study specially focuses on pilot-scale production of electrospun and melt-blown membranes utilized in water purification and desalination systems that will be available to people at low prices. Introducing these nanoparticles with antiviral and antibacterial properties into the biodegradable polymer matrix through electrospinning and meltblown can permit the modulation of the polymer properties and introduce new functionalities into the membranes. The indigenous technology development for water purification and desalination membranes has multiple dividends that include, but are not limited to, medical, socioeconomic and environmental betterment. The indigenously developed water purification system shall be available to the local population at a very affordable price, ensuring the reduced transmissions of the existing and future infections. It shall also unleash small startups to develop and commercialize the newly developed water desalination system starting a positive cycle of economic prosperity. These water purifiers have export potential too, where Pakistan can export them to different parts of the world. These membranes are sustainable, environment friendly, and can be recycled.
Solution/Results	· Development of an inherently antimicrobial membrane · Development of a commercially viable antimicrobial water purification and desalination system using the indigenously developed membranes with the help of industrial partners · Development of an entrepreneurial framework for the commercialization of the product · Dissemination of the information to the broad audience in general and the relevant stakeholders in particular
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	2 Journal Papers, 5 conference papers, 1 patent
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	1 event, 1 award, 2 policy developments
Industrial partnership	1 partnership with Bahauddin Siddiqui & Partners

21-TTSF-222

Research Title	*Development of indigenous mycotoxin inactivating enzymes to combat the threat of mycotoxicosis in poultry: One Health Perspective*
Research Team	PI: Dr. Saira Bashir PIO: NIBGE/PIEAS, Islamabad Total HR Engaged: 2 Male: 1, Female: 1 MS/PhDs engaged/produced: Male: 1, Female: 2 Others: 1
Research Problem/Issue	The purpose of this project is to protect poultry health by mitigating the adverse effects of mycotoxins, which are toxic secondary metabolites of fungi by using an indigenously developed enzyme-based product (laczyme). Mycotoxins negatively impact poultry health by reducing growth rates, increased susceptibility to diseases and weakening of immune function. Mycotoxins are fungal secondary metabolites, contaminate food or feedstuff and poses a serious health threat to both humans and livestock population and is a big challenge for food safety and food security. Fungi including Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium grow on variety of livestock and human feedstuffs (e.g. corn, soybean meal, wheat etc) due to inadequate conditions of harvesting, storage, handling and processing. The most observed mycotoxins that cause a concern to human health and livestock include aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2), ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisins (FB1, FB2), zearalenone (ZEA) etc. These causes serious human and livestock health problems including carcinogenesis, hepatotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity etc. In Pakistan the environment is favorable for the development of aflatoxins and ochratoxins in feed ingredients of commercial poultry. The enzyme-based mycotoxin inactivating product (Laczyme) developed in the current project are multi-copper oxido-reductases with cupric ions at T1, T2 and T3, which are responsible for one-electron oxidation and biotransformation of reducing substrate (mycotoxins) into non-toxic metabolites. At lab scale the in vitro and in vivo trials of the laczyme have been done in collaboration with our academic collaborator. The in-vitro detoxification assay was developed with different concentrations of mycotoxins and enzyme formulations using ELISA kits. Whereas in vivo testing of laczyme was done on poultry birds. It is an innovative way to irreversibly detoxify mycotoxins without affecting palatability and nutritive value of the feedstuff. his approach will benefit in one health perspective to safe animals, humans and environment. In large the proposed project will help in the creation of new job opportunities through the development of new product locally and the provision of healthier meat products (mycotoxin residue free) from poultry for our society. The collaborations among PI, Co-PI, academic and industrial collaborators developed during execution of proposed project will help to resolve the issue of mycotoxicosis and to achieve optimal health by mitigation of fungal mycotoxins in poultry feed by applying green/biological technologies and uplifts the socioeconomic development of the country. The commercial market of feed additives which also includes enzyme, clay and yeast-based mycotoxin detoxifiers etc is estimated to be valued at USD 38.1 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 49.6 billion by 2026, recording a CAGR of 5.5% (Global Forecast by 2026). Most of the available mycotoxin inactivating products in local market are made up of clay/Bentonite, yeast cell wall etc, which reduce the nutritional value and palatability of the feed stuffs and are imported from international market (Vietnam, China, Malaysia etc). A lot of money has been spent on the import of these products that effect national economy. The development of indigenous product by utilization local resources not only produce job opportunities but also save money being invested on the import of related products. It is a safe strategy to decontaminate food and feedstuff and can be applied at large scale to address the issues of global trade, sustainability and maintaining the nutritional value and palatability of feedstuff.
Solution/Results	· Pilot scale production and analysis of P. stutzeri WR2 laczyme for improved detoxification potential/efficiency · Mycotoxin production and quantification, Characterization, preservation, and stability testing. In vitro detoxification or inactivation of mycotoxins (aflatoxins and ocharatoxin A) in feedstuff by employing indigenous laczymes and chemical analysis for residual mycotoxin. · In vivo trials (broiler birds) for the application/testing of laczyme into contaminated poultry feed. · Field trials of laczyme at commercial broiler poultry farms in collaboration with industrial collaborator.
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	1 Journal Paper
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	1 event, 1 award, 2 policy developments
Industrial partnership	1 partnership with FB Foods & Feed Pvt. Ltd

22-TTSF-235

Research Title	*Smart Traps for Detection and Monitoring of Flying Insect Pests (aka SmarTrapS)*
Research Team	PI: Dr. Ayesha Hakim PIO: MNS University of Agriculture Multan Total HR Engaged: 6 Male: 4, Female: 2 MS/PhDs engaged/produced: Male: 4, Female: 2 Others: Male: 1, Female: 1
Research Problem/Issue	The purpose was to develop and deploy 25 SMARTRAPS for real time surveillance of flying insect pests. SMARTRAPS are AI and IoT based devices for insect pest surveillance with little or no human intervention. The device comprises of a main chamber with at least one intake, a pheromone chamber connected to the main chamber, a funnel attached to the top of the pheromone chamber, a base plate for insect collection, an electronic sub-system chamber, and a protective cap. The main chamber is constructed from rigid Polyvinyl chloride and is equipped with a pheromone chamber designed to contain pheromones. The funnel prevents certain insects from entering the pheromone chamber, while the base plate collects trapped insects. The electronic sub-system chamber integrates a high-resolution camera, a central monitoring server, and a sensor assembly with temperature and humidity sensors. The camera captures realtime images of trapped insects, transmitting them to the central monitoring server. This server utilizes an Artificial Intelligence model to analyze images, identify species, and detect population density, accompanied by a mechanism for species counting. The central monitoring server is further linked to a mobile application for real-time data display, temperature and humidity monitoring, and trend analysis of insect populations concerning environmental conditions and time of the day. The cap protects the electronic sub-system chamber from external factors. The device provides efficient and accurate insect density count, as well as the means to take appropriate pest management actions based on the collected data.
Solution/Results	· To develop and deploy 25 SMARTRAPS on farms or indoor storage areas. · Configured mobile application with field data coming from each trap · To create labeled image dataset of selected insect pests · To develop AI models for insect identification · To solarize smart traps · To advertise and launch commercially viable product in the market. · To educate farmers on getting maximum benefit of the product · To disseminate knowledge gained during the project in the form of publications, and conferences.
Scientific/conference Paper/ Journals publications	1 Journal paper, 5 conference papers
Mass Media Dissemination (events, awards)	9 events/activities, 1 award
Industrial partnership	1 partnership with FB Foods & Feed Pvt. Ltd, 1 startup SMARTRAPS