FROM SHELLS TO SOLUTIONS: LABORATORY CONVERSION OF CRUSTACEAN WASTE INTO FUNCTIONAL CHITOSAN

This research initiative focused on developing a reproducible, low-cost, and environmentally sustainable protocol for the laboratory-scale extraction of chitosan from conventional biological sources such as crustacean shells and fish scales. Chitosan is a value-added biomaterial recognized for its biodegradability, antimicrobial properties, and wide-ranging industrial applications. The core aim was to validate chemical extraction steps and to characterize the physicochemical properties of laboratory-produced chitosan to align with commercial benchmarks.