Algerian researcher Yamina Bouchikh produces leather goods from bacteria and organic waste | Sciences

As a researcher, I found the field of entrepreneurship very interesting in terms of the level of freedom it provides to develop, develop and work on a scientific idea, even if I am the only one who believes in it.

Young Algerian researcher Yamina Bouchikh (37 years old) focused in her scientific research on feeding bacteria and providing appropriate conditions for their growth and reproduction in order to exploit them in the production of useful organic materials instead of fighting and eliminating them, which made her gain praise and encouragement from the European Union.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net over the phone and social media, Yamina talks about the other side of these microscopic creatures that we are fighting.

• First of all, we would like to know what research center you currently occupy?

I am currently working as a researcher at the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRAA) “INRAA” in Algeria as a doctor of biology and head of a research team specialized in valuing natural plant, bacterial and fungal resources for use in several fields, including agriculture, where we are working on the manufacture of Fertilizer and organic pesticides using local fungi and plants.

• How did your interest in environmental sciences begin?

In fact, I spent most of my childhood on my grandfather’s farm, may God have mercy on him, and he was very attached to his land, passionate and dedicated to its service, so he turned it into an area where many vegetables and fruits grow and many animals live.

And because he was a little talkative and a lot of work and lived alone in a modest room, he occupied my thinking a lot and turned into a source of inspiration, and automatically pushed me to love the earth and from him interest in biology and the environment in particular, I obtained several certificates, including a state engineer in environmental systems, and a master’s degree in environment and plant physiology.

• You are working on beneficial bacteria, can you give us more details about the research in this area?

Joining the National Institute for Agricultural Research and being involved in research teams and projects made me interested in microbiology, “the world of bacteria”, but from a different perspective from my colleagues, usually researchers in this scientific field are interested in the damage caused by bacteria and their negative effects on plants and agricultural products, and for this we find most of the projects Research focuses on studying how to eliminate or reduce the impact of these microscopic creatures.

While my scientific background enabled me to form a different view of this hidden world, and prompted me to focus instead on the active and important role of these creatures in the biological system, which is not something new, as humans have always used bacteria in several industries, including the manufacture of food and fermented beverages.

• How can we practically benefit from bacteria?

The challenges of the current era push us to change our view of the ways to produce what we consume due to the negative effects that polluting industry has on the environment. Therefore, the use of bacteria is interesting as the most advanced biological factory on Earth, in terms of its ability to manufacture and produce different materials at the lowest economic and environmental cost.

Personally, I consider bacteria the leader of all organisms with an intelligent and useful character, which is a feature that cannot be missed, and that requires more attention and innovation in employing it to create sustainable ecological materials such as vegetable hides.

• On mentioning the process of manufacturing materials using bacteria.. She founded the first startup company to do this, tell us about it

The project started after we participated in a regional program “Next Society” based on helping researchers to develop their research into start-up projects, and we got first place in Algeria, which enabled us to benefit from training in several topics related to entrepreneurship and financial support to develop the project.

It is an emerging company called “Tanmou” (TANMU) that manufactures materials we need in our daily lives such as leather and cloth in an innovative way and at the lowest economic and environmental cost using bacteria. In turn, it manufactures polymeric compounds that we transform in an innovative way in the laboratory into vegetable leather, and we are still working on developing the company and marketing bacterial skin to fashion companies and fashion designers in the Arab world.

• Finally, how can scientific research push towards entrepreneurship?

As a researcher, I found the field of entrepreneurship very interesting in terms of the level of freedom it provides to develop, develop and work on a scientific idea, even if I am the only one who believes in it.

Entrepreneurship made me believe that my small company, for example, is able to influence society economically and environmentally in a more effective way than working as a researcher who spends most of her time in the laboratory to produce scientific research that has no impact on the economy and society.