Research Interest :
Prof. Dr. Dra. Nining Betawati Prihantini, M.Sc. is an expert in the systematics and utilization of microalgae. She is a member of Microbial Systematics and Prospecting (MSP) research group at Universitas Indonesia. Her work focuses on the comprehensive exploration, identification, and isolation of indigenous Indonesian macro- and microalgae across diverse habitats, ranging from local freshwater and marine ecosystems to terrestrial environments (including soil, epiphytic, epilithic, and epibiont communities), and extreme habitats like hot springs.
She is also advanced in single-cell isolation techniques and a polyphasic taxonomy approach, which combines morphological, physiological, and biochemical characterization with molecular analysis. The microalgae isolates are managed within the Universitas Indonesia Microalgae Culture Collection (UIMCC), a culture collection she initiated in 1992. Beyond systematics, Prof. Nining extends her research into bioprospecting for high-value bio-based material, such as lipid and protein. Her lipid research is directed toward sustainable energy solutions, specifically biofuel raw materials (through lipid) and hydrogen production.
Meanwhile, her protein research focuses on the quantification of a whole protein content, as well as extraction of functional enzymes. To maximize biomass yield and bio-product accumulation, she conduct interdisciplinary collaborations: working with the Department of Chemistry to optimize growth factors, such as nutrient; the Department of Physics to investigate the effects of sound waves and anthropogenic noise on algal growth kinetics; and the Department of Mechanical Engineering to design efficient photobioreactors and innovative ultrasound harvesting modules (UHM).
In the field of environmental science, she monitors algal community structures within the aquatic ecosystems of Universitas Indonesia, with a primary focus on the Natural Laboratory (Lab Alam) which serves as a conservation site for a indigenous Chara strain. Furthermore, she develops active bioremediation strategies, investigating the synergistic potential of microalgae and zeolite to mitigate heavy metal pollution. Prof. Nining is committed to scaling up these laboratory findings into pilot projects and industrial applications.
