The Student Creativity Program-Exact Research (PKM-RE) team from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) has developed an innovative medical solution. The team modified Kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) to create an artificial dura mater for treating head trauma cases. The research was conducted over three months, from May to July, in the Pharmaceutical Science Laboratory of UNAIR’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
The PKM team consists of four students: Lupita Prashanti, Adinda Raidah Kusdiyanti, Talitha Qothrunnada, and Adelia Nova Hanan Listiyaayu, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Epy Muhammad Luqman, drh., M.Si. This research received funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Directorate General of Higher Education (Kemendikbud-Ristek) to support innovation and scientific development in the medical field.
The dura mater is the protective membrane covering the brain and spinal cord. In head trauma cases, the dura mater often becomes damaged, requiring medical intervention for repair or replacement. The PKM team identified Kombucha SCOBY as a potential alternative material for synthesizing artificial dura mater due to its biocompatibility, flexibility, and ease of acquisition.
“Kombucha SCOBY has a structure similar to natural dura mater tissue and possesses natural antibacterial properties, making it highly promising for medical applications,” explained the team leader, Lupita. She added that testing is currently underway to ensure the material’s safety and effectiveness before it can be used in clinical practice.
The research has reached the testing phase, which involves a series of laboratory tests to evaluate the artificial dura mater’s quality, durability, and biocompatibility. Initial results indicate that Kombucha SCOBY can effectively mimic the properties of natural dura mater, offering new hope for more effective and efficient head trauma treatment in the medical field.
With this latest innovation, it is hoped that Kombucha SCOBY will be beneficial in medical applications, providing innovative solutions for head trauma cases. The UNAIR PKM team remains committed to completing this research with full support from the university and related faculty members, aiming to advance scientific knowledge and public health.