GEORGETOWN: UG professors win Guyana Innovation Prize

GEORGETOWN: University of Guyana
Professors, Subramaniam Gomathinayagam, Director, UG Berbice Campus, and
Raymond Jagessar, a Senior Lecturer at the University’s Turkeyen Campus, were
recently recognised by the ‘Guyana Innovation Prize Stakeholders’ for their
outstanding work in science and technology innovations in the fields of
agriculture and food-based science respectively.

Professor
Gomathinayagam lectures Biology of Plants, Bio-technology, and Plant Cellular
Biology, while Jagessar lectures Organic and Inorganic Chemistry in the
Department of Chemistry. They were both recipients of grants for their
innovative projects under the 2021 Innovation Guyana Prize, a release said.

Briefly
describing his research project, an elated Professor Gomathinayagam said: “My
project is to produce a biological agent named ‘Bio-Diamond,’ a biological
control agent of plant diseases. My motivation and vision are for Guyana to
become an ‘Organic Farming’ country. Therefore, my product ‘Bio-Diamond’ is to
minimise the use of commercial chemicals and fertiliser.”

He added
that the project is very useful and relevant as it allows students and staff
the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the agriculture field and to
increase awareness of the use of commercial chemicals and fertilisers. He
expressed hope that the project could be used as a link between the farming
community and the University of Guyana, Berbice Campus, in the near future.

Jagessar’s
research was titled; “Stone Wall Diamond Natural Antimicrobials and
Antidiabetics.” In a brief comment, he explained: “My reason for getting
involved in the project is to prevent antimicrobial resistance and diabetic
surge locally. There has been an increase in diabetes, locally and
internationally. Many synthetic antimicrobials, to date, suffer from
antimicrobial resistance due to improper use.”

He
further highlighted: “The world is confronted with three escalated problems:
COVID-19, Global Warming, and Antimicrobial Resistance. I have been researching
in plant-based antimicrobials and natural antidiabetics at UG for the past 15
and 10 years respectively and will continue to do so.”

The
Guyana Innovation Prize was established to support Guyanese researchers,
thinkers, and doers by providing a competitive grant annually to some of the
most commercially viable ideas. The grant is sponsored by the Guyana Telephone
and Telegraph Company (GTT) and Guyana Economic Development Trust (GEDT).

The
university views this development as exemplary, and in keeping with its
BluePrint 2040 goal # 2, where UG becomes a Centre for excellence in providing
solutions for some specific problems of Guyana and the planet. Amongst these
are agri and aquaculture and human resiliency. Last year, UG also copped this
prize when Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Dr Lawrence Lewis, won for his
innovative work with biochar in soil restoration, a technology that may become
very important in the rebuilding work that must be done in Guyana after the
floods.

UG
Chancellor, Professor Edward Greene; Vice-Chancellor, XI, Professor Paloma
Mohamed Martin; Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Dr. Emanuel Cummings and Dr. Mellissa
Ifill, and the entire Senior Management Team, Faculty and Staff extend warmest
congratulations to Professors Gomathinayagam and Jagessar for winning the
prestigious awards and wish them continued success in their research projects.
The University of Guyana is incredibly proud to celebrate and highlight their
achievements.