Sultan Qaboos University has been granted two patents for 2026 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, marking a notable step forward in the University’s research and innovation portfolio. The registrations were supported by the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre, which continues to play a central role in advancing scientific research and protecting intellectual property.

The first patent introduces a portable sensor designed for the rapid detection of harmful pathogens, particularly bacteria, in food and water. The device was developed by a team of academics and researchers from the Nanotechnology Research Centre, in collaboration with the Department of Physics at the College of Science.

This innovation reflects the Centre’s growing contribution to applied scientific research and its focus on delivering practical solutions to real-world challenges. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, the Centre is helping to translate scientific discovery into technologies with tangible societal and economic value. The sensor was developed by Dr. Htet Htet Kyaw, Dr. Myo Thi Zar Myint, Professor Mohammed bin Zahir Al-Abri, and Professor Salim bin Hamoud Al-Harthi, demonstrating how cross-disciplinary expertise can drive impactful innovation in areas such as public health, food safety, and environmental monitoring.

A wide range of disease-causing agents, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, may be present in fruits, vegetables, processed foods, raw meat, and surface water. Consumption of contaminated food or water can lead to serious illness, with bacterial infections remaining among the most common and concerning threats to human health. Rapid and accurate detection is therefore essential. However, conventional detection methods are often costly, time-consuming, and complex, frequently requiring several days to produce results, as well as specialised laboratories and trained personnel. These limitations make timely, field-based testing difficult.

In this context, the newly developed sensor offers a practical alternative. Its portability and ease of use make it particularly valuable in situations requiring rapid decision-making, such as field inspections, remote locations, and routine monitoring. In Oman, such technology aligns closely with national priorities in food safety, water quality, public health, and environmental protection. Its compact design also opens up future possibilities for integration into mobile devices, potentially enabling personal, on-the-spot testing and expanding its range of applications.

The second patent represents a distinctly Omani innovation in sustainable microbial culture media, developed by Dr. Hamad bin Hamoud Al-Nadabi, a researcher at the Centre for Environmental Studies and Research.

This breakthrough introduces a novel microbial growth medium derived from dates and marine algae, offering a practical and cost-effective alternative to conventional media used in cultivating microorganisms. The formulation utilises date powder as a natural, nutrient-rich source to support microbial growth, alongside agar extracted from marine algae to provide the solid structure required for cultivating fungi and microbes.

What sets this innovation apart is its reliance on locally available resources in Oman, including the Mabsli date variety and indigenous marine algae. This approach reduces dependence on imported materials, lowers production costs, and strengthens local value chains in research, development, and biotechnology. It also reflects a forward-looking commitment to the circular economy, leveraging natural resources to produce laboratory materials of both scientific and commercial value.

The newly developed medium has demonstrated promising performance in supporting fungal growth, including faster growth rates, increased mycelial density, and enhanced sporulation and pigmentation across several fungal genera. These attributes broaden its potential applications across research laboratories, educational institutions, agriculture, food safety, environmental studies, and specialised areas such as pharmaceutical microbiology.

From an investment perspective, the innovation extends beyond a substitute laboratory product. It offers a scalable technological platform with strong commercial potential, combining sustainability, local manufacturing, and scientific advancement rooted in national resources.

This patent forms part of a wider research and development trajectory aimed at transforming scientific knowledge into practical, scalable, and investable solutions. It contributes to strengthening the national value of research and innovation in Oman, while supporting broader economic and technological development goals.

The patented innovation is linked to a research project entitled “Production of New Formulations of Indigenous Microorganisms for Use in Biological Control of Plant Diseases”, funded by the Strategic Research Programme Grant. The project has helped to foster a supportive research environment, paving the way for further high-impact scientific and developmental outputs.