Mahatma Gandhi University has secured two prestigious research projects under the Ministry of Education’s Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), with a total sanctioned funding of over ₹1.61 crore for a two-year period.

 

SPARC is a flagship national initiative aimed at strengthening India’s research ecosystem through structured academic and research partnerships between Indian institutions and leading global universities.

 

The first project, “Sustainable Sequential Green Extraction of Bioactive Marine Polysaccharides and Their Application in Diabetic Wound Healing Hydrogels”, has received ₹78.96 lakh. The project is led by MGU former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sabu Thomas (Principal Investigator), and Dr. Sreekala M. S. (Co-Principal Investigator) Associate Professor from School of Chemical Sciences, in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. The research focuses on eco-friendly extraction of marine polysaccharides and their application in advanced wound-healing hydrogels for diabetic patients. Prof. Vinoy Thomas and Dr. Selvum (Brian) Pillay will be the foreign principal investigator and co-PI respectively. 

 

The second project, “Synthesis of Quantum Dot–Porphyrin Conjugates as Theranostic Agents via Synergetic Therapeutic Effect”, has been sanctioned ₹82.12 lakh. Led by Dr. Sreekala M. S. (PI) and Prof. Sabu Thomas (Co-PI), the project involves international collaboration with the University of South Africa and the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Prof. Samuel Oluwatobi Oluwafemi from University of South Africa will lead the foreign team, and Prof. Sandile Phinda Songca from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, will be the co-PI. It aims to develop advanced theranostic nanomaterials for improved cancer diagnosis and treatment.

 

Both projects include faculty exchange, student mobility, international workshops and joint publications, highlighting MG University’s expanding global research engagement and its commitment to addressing key healthcare challenges through international collaboration.