What is often regarded as waste can become the starting point for innovation. Five students from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) have utilized catfish bones from food-production waste in Sleman, Yogyakarta, to be developed into a candidate biomaterial for an antiretroviral (ARV) drug delivery system.
The idea was developed through the Student Creativity Program in Exact Research (PKM-RE) by Dwi Rizki Lestari from the Bachelor’s Program in Physics as team leader, together with Yasmin Aulia Nabila Putri from the Bachelor’s Program in Statistics, Faishal Azka Maulana from the Bachelor’s Program in Physics, Indra Falen Utomo from the Bachelor’s Program in Biology, and Harum Ambarwati Harti from the Bachelor’s Program in Medicine.
The research develops nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAp) from catfish bones, which is then combined with the polymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). The composite is being developed as an In Situ Forming Implant (ISFI), a drug delivery system designed to form an implant inside the body and allow more controlled and gradual drug release.
According to Dwi Rizki Lestari, the research idea emerged from the challenges of HIV therapy, particularly among women of reproductive age and pregnant women. “Changes during pregnancy, such as nausea and vomiting, can affect medication adherence and drug absorption,” she said on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. This condition may cause drug concentrations in the body to become less stable, making innovation in drug delivery systems necessary to maintain more controlled drug release.
The uniqueness of the research lies in the use of catfish bones as a source of n-HAp. The catfish bones, obtained from a shredded catfish MSME in Sleman, will undergo preparation and calcination processes to produce the base material, which is then fabricated into n-HAp. The material is subsequently combined with PLGA and Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in the research formulation.
Cross-disciplinary collaboration is an important part of this research. Dwi Rizki Lestari is responsible for research design, coordination, formulation characterization, and evaluation. Yasmin Aulia Nabila Putri handles data analysis, laboratory permits, and financial planning. Faishal Azka Maulana is in charge of drug release testing, social media management, and scientific article preparation.
Meanwhile, Indra Falen Utomo is responsible for CaO preparation, the formulation of n-HAp/PLGA, and report writing. Harum Ambarwati Harti examines the biomedical and clinical aspects of the research while also being involved in the preparation of tools and materials and the fabrication of n-HAp. The research is being conducted over four months at the Biomaterials Laboratory of Physics, FMIPA UNY; the Biology Laboratory of FMIPA UNY; the Integrated Laboratory of FMIPA UNY; and the Integrated Research and Testing Laboratory (LPPT) of UGM. The team is developing formulations with PLGA concentration variations of 15, 25, and 35 wt%. Material characteristics will be analyzed using FTIR, XRD, and FE-SEM/EDX, while the drug release profile will be analyzed using UV-Vis spectrophotometry.
Through this research, the team aims to obtain n-HAp with good physicochemical characteristics, as well as an n-HAp/PLGA formulation with potential as a biomaterial for ARV drug delivery systems. At the same time, the research offers added value by utilizing catfish bone waste as a source of biomaterial based on local resources.
The research reflects the spirit of UNY students in presenting innovation that begins with real-world problems. The combination of interdisciplinary knowledge and local resource utilization is expected to open opportunities for the development of sustainable biomaterials while strengthening students’ contributions to health technology development.
