Benha University Continues to Support Innovation: Agriculture Students Develop Eco-Friendly Bioplastic

The students from the Department of Biotechnology at the Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, have successfully carried out an innovative graduation project to produce biodegradable, eco-friendly bioplastic. The project aims to provide sustainable solutions to combat environmental pollution and mitigate the effects of global warming caused by conventional plastics.
Entitled “Bioplastic Production from Both Chitosan from Black Soldier Fly and Bacterial Cellulose from Acetobacter aceti”, the project is based on extracting chitosan from the exoskeleton of the Black Soldier Fly, known for its antibacterial properties and ability to form biofilms. This is then combined with bacterial cellulose produced by Acetobacter aceti to create a bioplastic that combines durability with flexibility, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastics.
The project seeks to reduce plastic waste and promote the use of renewable biological materials, aligning with the state's orientation toward a green economy and the achievement of sustainable development goals. It also opens promising applications in packaging and bio-industries.
The project achieved notable success, winning second place in the Agricultural Innovation Competition and third place in the SOL Scientific Poster Competition — a testament to the outstanding scientific level of the Faculty of Agriculture students and their ability to deliver practical research solutions.
Supervised by Prof. Rasha El-Mihi and Prof. El-Husseiny Nawar, the project was implemented by students Mohamed Ali Othman, Renad Saeed Saber, Malak El-Sayed Amer, Jana Mohamed Abdel-Ghani, Tasneem Khaled Zakaria, and Amira Mahmoud Faeq. The team affirmed their commitment to further developing the idea to support its transformation into practical applications that serve both the environment and industry.