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| UMM student team creates freeze-dying technology innovation to optimize indiginus bacteriophage to prevent and treat white feces disease virus in vanname shrimp (Photo: Special) |
Based on data from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the emergence of white feces disease outbreaks in Lithopenaeus vannamei can cause a significant reduction of shrimp production of up to 40%. It led to a decreasing volume of vanname shrimp exports since 2022. In response to these concerns, a team of students from the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) created an innovative freeze-dying technology that optimizes indiginous bacteriophages as an alternative to prevent and treat the white feces disease virus in vanname shrimp.
Muhammad Zhafif Addimaysqi, the team leader, assessed that the solution of excessive antibiotic usage often applied by the community in overcoming outbreaks has several shortcomings. It can disrupt the stability of water quality and reduce the life activity of bacteriophages. In fact, bacteriophage, or phage, is a virus that can kill bacterial cells in a short time, so it can be applied as a biocontrol of pantoghen bacteria in vanname shrimp.
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“Unfortunately, these bacteriophages are susceptible to demise and are very sensitive to environmental conditions, such as changes in temperature, climatic factors, or changes in the PH content of water. Therefore, the phages must be grown in a specific environment to sustain their life. Thus, we created an innovative freeze-dying technology with different protethane formulations. It enables an improvement in the faga life cluster that can prevent white feces disease outbreaks from occurring,” he continued.
Zhafif, his nickname, explained that freeze-drying technology is a freezing technique made fast through sublimation techniques under vacuum conditions. There are four formulations used by his team, including skim milk, sucrose, and PEJ. Interestingly, the output of the formulation is a powder, which is applied by mixing it with vanname shrimp feed.
“We have conducted challenge tests on vanname shrimp in Vitro and In Vivo. Therefore, with this easy-to-apply formulation technology, it can be an effective solution for vanname shrimp farmers to prevent and overcome the white feces disease outbreak independently with the dosage as needed,” he said.
During the process, the research on vanname shrimp was conducted over a five-month period to obtain an optimal formulation. He also admitted that he had difficulty obtaining literature on bacteriophage indiginus, which caused him to spend one month to obtain maximum research results. Nevertheless, Zhafif is very grateful to UMM for providing support, motivation, a forum, and financial assistance in conducting this activity.
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“Alhamdulillah, our research has also qualified for Pimnas 2024 and will compete with other students throughout Indonesia. I expect our research to be further developed and refined. In addition, I also hope there will be socialization of this freeze-drying product innovation to the community,” he said. (din/wil/put)
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