Khendauliu Chawang, a Naga researcher based in the United States of America (USA), was recently in the limelight for developing a small and low-cost acidity sensor that can tell in real-time when food has spoiled.
Chawang, who is an Engineer by profession and an inventor at heart, was born and brought up in Dimapur and belongs to the Liangmai tribe, originally hailing from Peren district.
After completing her high school, higher secondary and graduation from Dimapur itself, she moved to the US and completed her Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), Texas, USA.
She went on to obtain her Ph.D degree from Southern Methodist University (SMU), Dallas, Texas in the USA. Chawang informed that she received research funding and worked as a research assistant during her Master’s and Ph.D (pursuing).
‘pH sensor for food monitoring only one of the many applications’
Talking about her invention, she informed that the flexible pH sensor is just two millimetres in length and 10 millimetres wide, making it possible to incorporate the device into current food packaging methods, such as plastic wrapping.
Stating that even with 21st-century technology, food waste is a global crisis in developed as well as developing countries, she informed that about 1.3 billion tonnes of fresh food are lost during harvest, transportation and in retail stores in developed countries.
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A pH sensor integrated with RFID tags can prevent food waste by providing food freshness level as they pass through the checkpoint such as harbours and supermarket entrances, she added.
Her pH sensor for food monitoring is only one of the many applications, she informed and added it can also be used for early warnings of sepsis, electronic bandages to monitor the skin healing process and quality control management in beverage drinks.
Chawang also stated that Nagas naturally learned how to preserve food through drying, curing using salt, and pickling meat or fruits.
She credited the facilities at SMU which helped her hone her skills as a researcher and that her accomplishment would not have been possible without it. Chawang further expressed gratitude to JC Chiao, her family and her friends who kept encouraging her.
My research group at SMU, ‘Physiotronics’ also invested thousands of hours in the development of the sensor, she added.
Her other projects include the successful development of pH sensor on plastic and paper-like materials, and integration with other sensors like salt.
Interdigitated sensor is an important part of my research to study performance under different environments, she said and further informed that besides her Ph.D focus on biosensors, she has also fabricated planar antennas and resonators for biomedical applications.
Informing that her stay abroad is short-term, she plans to hone her research and problem-solving skills as she plans to return to her home state and work from home.
However, she expressed her skepticism considering the limited research facilities in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and lamented the lack of research funds.
Asked about her message to young people, she said, “Take responsibility and work hard, do everything you can to put yourself in a better place and your community”.
Read: Naga researcher develops sensor to tell if food is spoiled
