R&D for biomedical applications is a mandatory activity of CIFT. Understanding the utility of collagen as a connective tissue owing to its tensile strength, CIFT has done pioneering work in fish collagen and development of a technology for sutures from fish gut was a breakthough in the field which is under the process of patenting.
The recent success achieved by Dr M.K.Mukundan and his associates in the Biochemistry and Nutrition Division in developing a collagen chitosan membrane from the collagen of fish air bladder and chitosan from prawn shell is very well received by the medicos, as the trials done at the Calicut Medical College in Kerala have shown that this absorbable membrane, is excellent ?artificial skin? in cases of severe burns/wounds preventing infection and loss of body fluids/ blood. It finds extensive use in dental surgery also as a material for guided tissue regeneration. Dental surgery at present, uses costly imported teflon membrane. The membrane is being patented and is also taken up on consultancy by three biomedical firms.