Laboratory reform, maintenance and improvement of the collective infrastructure supporting the research of CERAT

Abstract

The Center for Tropical Roots and Starches (CERAT) is a Research Center of the São Paulo State University (UNESP) that develops researches with botanical species that present rhizomes, storage roots, and tubers, as well as with plant species that represent diverse sources of starches and have application in various industrial sectors. CERAT's research lines are based on three main areas: a) Plant production technology, b) Post-harvest conservation and processing technology, and c) Conversion of Biomass and Bioprocesses. As two of the CERAT laboratories are in need of improvements in research support infrastructure, the objective of this plan for the application of institutional technical reserve resources involves the realization of reforms, maintenance and improvements in the facilities of the Laboratories of Analysis and Raw Materials of the CERAT. With the improvements made in these laboratories, CERAT will gain in terms of research quality, with more sophisticated and up-to-date and ready-to-use equipment, as well as with more efficient gas and electrical distribution networks, which will substantially improve the Center's laboratory activities . All this improvement in infrastructure will allow Unesp researchers and professors working in partnership with CERAT to benefit from a more modern infrastructure, allowing more efficient and higher quality data collections to be carried out, and can be reflected in publications in scientific journals of impact. In this way, we understand that this investment of the institutional technical reserve in the improvement of research support infrastructure will be fundamental to boost the research conducted at the Center. (AU)