The National Centre of Excellence for Advanced Research in Agricultural Nanotechnology is the first of its kind research platform in India, which endeavours to carry out end-to-end research to innovate green nanoproducts including nano-fertilizer, nano-pesticide and nanocarrier products and technologies. Safe and efficacious nanoproducts will be developed by the Centre in order to meet the global food demand along with protecting environment and human health.
Vision and Mission
Global food demand is increasing rapidly, as are the environmental impacts of agricultural expansion. Food demand is expected to increase anywhere between 59% to 98% by 2050.
A more efficient agricultural productivity approach – one that uses less agrochemicals and – is vital to meeting the global food demand along with protecting environment and human health. Nanotechnology is a multi-disciplinary scientific field with the potential to revolutionize the agriculture and food industry with new tools that promise to increase food production and control diseases in a sustainable manner. The Centre endeavours to innovate next generation nano-fertilizer, nano-pesticide and nanocarrier products and technologies. The developed products would provide twin solution by enhancing efficacy and reducing risk to human health and environment in comparison to their bulk-counterpart. The collaboration between TDNBC, TERI, New Delhi and its Partners – All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), will create region specific nanotechnology solutions for the selected locations in India.
Research Themes
Work Package 1: Development of Nano-Agriproducts
- Development of novel efficacious variants of Nanofertilizers (S, Mo, Mg and B) and nanofungicides (copper and sulphur) through biological/green methods
- Development of nanobased delivery system for sustained release of nano agri-inputs
- Process scale-up of developed nano-agriproduct prototypes for technology transfer to industries world-wide
Work Package 2: National Facility for Nanotoxicology Research of Nano-Agriproducts
- Evaluation of toxicity using mammalian cell lines, C. elegans, rodent model systems, zebrafish and plant-species
- Risk Assessment
- Development of a risk-based regulatory framework and guideline for evaluation of nano-agri products
Work Package 3: Field Efficacy Evaluation of nanoproducts prototypes
- Field performance and efficacy assessment of nano-agri products
- Development of high-throughput bioassays for efficacy assessment of nano-agriproducts
Partners
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
Department of pathology, AIIMS, New Delhi, is an important partner in the CoE. Enormous experience of the collaborating partner and his research group in the field of naotoxicology is instrumental for evaluation of toxicity of developed nano-agriproducts to human and environment.
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore
The collaborating partner from Department of Nano Science & Technology, TNAU has expertise in the field of nanotechnology in agriculture and soil biology. His experience is relevant in conducting multi-location field trials of developed nano-agriproducts.
Contact Us:
Dr Pushplata Singh
Senior Fellow and Director (Centre of Excellence in Nano-Agriculture)
TERI-Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre
TERI Gram, Gual Pahari
Gurugram-122002, Haryana
pushplata.singh@teri.res.in, CEARAN@teri.res.in
Telephone: 011-24682100 (Extn. 2616)
