Kathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences

17/07/2026

The Kathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences (KIAS) is currently studying environmental across the Valley. The team is actively visiting local households and to measure indoor and collect dust samples, which will be tested for various organic and inorganic to ensure a safer environment for .

If you would like to participate and have your home or school's air and dust tested, please reach out to the KIAS team today by emailing infokias.org.np or calling +977-1-5190232.

06/07/2026

🐄🐕 **Microplastics found in nearly every animal p**p (n=102) tested in Kathmandu**

New research just published in preprint (not peer reviewed yet) from KIAS researchers found that 99% of f***l samples of cattle and dogs in Kathmandu Valley contained microplastics.

🔬 Key findings
- Samples averaged 181 particles per 100g of f***s — with huge variation between individuals
- Stray cattle and free-roaming dogs had significantly more microplastics than animals in managed/domestic settings
- Cows and dogs showed different "microplastic fingerprints" — fibers and fragments dominated in cow f***s, while pellets were more common in dogs
- FTIR analysis confirmed common culprits: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene — the same plastics found in packaging, bottles, and textiles

🌍 Why this matters:

Animals living alongside us are quietly absorbing the plastic pollution in our shared spaces and their waste can act as a bioindicator, helping scientists track environmental contamination in cities like Kathmandu.

As urban and peri-urban areas grow, understanding these exposure pathways is a critical step toward addressing plastic pollution at its source. 🌱

Congratulations to all authors of the work!

📄 Read the full preprint: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10151532/v1

03/07/2026

KIAS researchers have published a new research paper titled "Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Climate Risks:
Assessing Local Engagement, Implementation and Scalability in Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal". The results of this paper shows that nature-based solutions represent effective, community-driven
strategies for urban climate adaptation.

Congratulations to the authors of this timely publication.

Full text:

02/07/2026

Research Training Opportunity: Environmental Monitoring of Schools and Households

The Kathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences (KIAS), along with its research partners, has been studying environmental pollution for past several years. It now invites applications from motivated Science and Engineering students and graduates for a short-term, intensive Research Training Program.

This practical training is embedded within an ongoing KIAS research project investigating indoor air quality and dust contamination (organic/inorganic pollutants) in schools and households across the Kathmandu Valley. Selected trainees will step directly into the world of active research, gaining invaluable, hands-on experience in environmental monitoring and field methodology.

📋 Training Overview
Focus Areas: Indoor air quality measurement using handheld monitors, field sample collection protocols, questionnaire surveys, and data analysis.

Duration: Minimum 15-day full-time commitment (10 - 25 July 2026).

Location: Based at Bagdol, Lalitpur, with regular travel to field sites within the Kathmandu Valley.

Number of Seats: 6

Target Audience: Highly motivated individuals looking to gain practical field skills, especially those planning a career or advanced studies in environmental science, engineering, or public health.

Eligibility: Current students or graduates with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any Science or Engineering stream.

🎁 Benefits for Trainees
Professional Skill-Building: Comprehensive technical and methodological training.

Fully Funded: There is no fee to participate, and all field-related expenses are fully covered.

Global Networking: Opportunities to connect and interact with national and international researchers.

Career Milestone: Exceptional hands-on experience to significantly improve your skills for future jobs or graduate school applications.

📲 How to Apply
Due to the hands-on nature of this program, space is strictly limited to 6 positions. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

👉 https://forms.gle/9ohV3SpUsCYBX79r6

Take your academic knowledge out of the classroom and into the field.

Update (05-07-2026): As we have received more than 120 applications already, the call has been closed now. Selected candidates will be contacted for further process. Thank you all for your interest in this training opportunity.

28/06/2026

Substandard and falsified medicines are a global health threat, especially in resource-limited areas. While traditional testing methods like HPLC work fine, they are expensive, time-consuming, and require heavy laboratory infrastructure.

A new proof of concept method developed by researchers at Kathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences (KIAS) in collaboration with researchers from Florida A&M University in USA proposes to verify the quality of eye drops just by looking at how they dry. 💧📉

The research work published as a pre-print study (not peer reviewed yet) introduces a game-changing, low-cost solution by combining Evaporation-Induced Deposit Imaging combined with Machine Learning. Researchers took hundreds of images, looked at their pattern through 46 image features and trained few machine learning models to predict the identity and concentrations of the ophthalmic antibiotics.

Why This Matters 🌍
This serves as a powerful proof-of-concept proving that macroscopic images can unlock complex chemical information. By leveraging simple imaging and smart machine learning models, this framework opens the door to rapid, accessible, and affordable medicine quality screening right where it is needed most.

Congratulations to the research team—Alisha Bogati, Sanam Pudasaini, Beni B. Dangi, and Basant Giri—on this innovative work! 👏

Pre-print link: https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.15005197/v1

Substandard and falsified medicines remain a significant global health challenge, while conventional analytical quality control techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography and X-ray powder diffraction are often costly, infrastructure-...

22/06/2026

🏔️ The 8th International on Mountains in the Changing World ( ) is in full motion! 🏔️

The Mochwo Kathmandu conference is a professionally run scientific conference in Kathmandu hosted by KIAS since 2016.

The organizing team is gearing up for the conference. Whether you want to present your latest research or connect with global experts, now is the time to act!

The conference is currently accepting abstracts for both oral and poster presentations, and registration is officially OPEN! 📝✨

📌 Key Dates & Details to Remember:

📅 Conference Dates: October 9–10, 2026
📍 Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
⏳ Abstract Submission Deadline: August 31, 2026
🦅 Early Bird Registration Deadline: August 1, 2026

🎓 Attention Students! 🎓
1) The conference provides registration waivers (full and partial) for 20 student presenters!

2) It will also award Best Student Presentation Awards (across oral, poster, graduate, and undergraduate categories)!

Pre-conference training:
The conference is also offering pre-conference training on GIS for sustainable natural resource management.

Don't miss out on being part of this vital conversation on mountain ecosystems.

Save the dates and submit your abstracts today! ⛰️👇

More: https://conference.kias.org.np

12/06/2026

🔬 Surfactants interfare crystallization pattern of salts

In our latest video, postdoctoral research associate Dr. Shreeti Jha, at KIAS explains her work on controlled crystal engineering.

A drop of salt solution dries on a glass surface leaving an unique crystallization patterns. Manipulating the crystalization pattern with surfactants may lead to understanding of surface chemistry with several applications.

In this video, Dr. Jha breaks down her work on understanding the surfactants aided interfacial chemistry by analyzing crystallization patterns of salt solutions. By observing three different salts (NaCl, KCl, and NH 4Cl), her research reveals how the addition of surfactants yields distinct, distorted, and dendritic morphologies—unlocking new pathways for further research.

Check out her sharp 30-second breakdown below!

10/06/2026

We were honored to host Dr. Sam Dhakal from Virginia Commonwealth University , USA, at our research office today!

​Dr. Dhakal is a professor of chemistry at VCU and he spent time interacting with our research team and exploring exciting opportunities for future collaboration.

​Thank you, Professor Dhakal, for your valuable time and insights. We look forward to working together!

​

08/06/2026

How pure is the turmeric on your kitchen shelf?

In our latest video, research intern Vishesh Rajbhandari at KIAS explains his work on predicting turmeric quality using machine learning.

Turmeric adulteration is a widespread food quality challenge, but standard laboratory verification of curcuminoid content can be incredibly time-consuming. Vishesh is developing a faster, more accessible solution by pairing Raman spectroscopy with machine learning models that analyze a single spectrum. Having already collected around 1,000 spectra across varying curcumin concentrations, he is now focused on pre-processing data and building predictive models.

Check out his sharp 30-second breakdown below!

05/06/2026

Are human activities changing the very soil beneath our feet? 🔬🌱

In our latest video, undergraduate thesis student Rojit Sapkota at KIAS explains his research on how microplastics accumulate across different land use systems—comparing organic farmland, conventional farmland, and forest soils.

By investigating whether agricultural inputs and human actions drive this contamination, Rojit hopes to uncover why some soils carry a heavier plastic burden than others.

👇 Check out his sharp 30-second breakdown below!