Muhammad Ehtasham Akram
Muhammad Ehtasham Akram
He/Him/His
BioWRAP Team
Meet Muhammad Ehtasham Akram
Graduate Research Assistant / PhD student
I am a native of Faisalabd, a town located in the northeast of Pakistan’s Punjab. I earned my Master’s and Bachelor’s of Food Engineering in 2018 and 2015 respectively from the Department of Food Engineering at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) – Pakistan. I also served as a Lecturer from July 2016 to June 2022 in the Department of Food Engineering, UAF. I have been a team member in the NSF RII T2 project BioWRAP since June 2022 as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. I am conducting research on the formulation studies on water-soluble polysaccharides (e.g., starch) blended with waste-derived proteins, to provide a sprayable, film forming, protein-rich biopolymer which can biodegrade on a prescribed timescale while releasing nitrogen to the soil; and can be used as a mulch for weed suppression.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
We understand there are many questions you may have in regards to BioWRAP. Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions that we receive.
The long-term goal is to create a locally-sourced, customizable, spray-on biopolymer-based films to serve as soil cover that can be synchronized to crop growth cycles under differing climatic conditions and applied using precision agricultural equipment. The system would also support socioeconomic resiliency, positive bioeconomic cycles, biotechnology adoption, sustainable crop production, and soil health in EPSCoR states.
Transforming biopolymers into a local material will equitably distribute the costs and benefits of biotechnology adoption by crop producers and support rural workforce development. Creating a protective, but permeable spray-on biopolymer cover will provide physical weed suppression, enable crop producers to reduce herbicide use, protect soil ecosystem diversity, effectively manage field edges, help conserve natural resources, buffer waterways from agrochemical runoff, enhance land productivity, and increase crop production resiliency.
We hypothesize that adoption of BioWRAP technology will vary by region and producer characteristics, climate conditions, soil type, and underlying preferences will lead to differential adoption across regions and cropping systems. Our team plans to assess the potential market for BioWRAP using structured group discussions in locations where producers and purchasers/retailers to gain the most accurate assessment of the market potential of biodegradable biofilm technology.
Initial testing will include corn and soybeans. Application of the product may include autonomous spray platforms as well as field scale commercial sprayers.
