Biotechnology Focus #1

Pictured here is student Sonia Yusantri, batch of 2020. Sonia is studying the controlled fermentation process to increase cacao qualities under the supervision of Prof. Pingkan Aditiawati. Indonesia is the 4th cacao producer globally, but export is problematic due to the relatively low quality of beans. Sonia aims to improve the palate profile of the beans by fermentation using specific microorganisms. Ultimately, she wishes to boost the quality of chocolate production in Indonesia.