Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering students from the GAMER Lab successfully defended their undergraduate thesis for the academic year 2025 to 2026 at the Roque Ruaño Building, May 16, 2026.

The first research team successfully defended their thesis titled “Packed Bed Adsorption of Lead in Water Using Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol/Banana Peel Hydrochar Composite Beads.” The project explored the fabrication and application of biodegradable composite adsorbent beads for the removal of lead contaminants from water systems. Heavy metal contamination remains a major environmental and public health concern, particularly due to the persistence and toxicity of lead in aquatic environments.

The study was conducted by Marc Joseph T. Vendivil, Audrey Arzenia Faith B. Prado, Carlos Luis S. Isip, Pocholo Angelo B. Perez, and Adriel Cyrus P. De Leon under the Environmental Remediation research cluster for Academic Year 2025–2026. Their work highlighted the potential of low-cost and sustainable composite materials derived from biopolymers and agricultural waste for water purification applications. By combining chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, and banana peel hydrochar into composite beads, the team developed an adsorbent material with promising capability for lead removal in packed bed systems.

The second research group presented their study titled “Syngas Generation from Dry Leaf Gasification: Design and Fabrication of a Small-Scale System for Sitio Malasa, Bamban, Tarlac.” The project focused on the development of a compact biomass gasification system capable of converting dry leaf waste into syngas for small-scale energy generation applications. The work contributes to ongoing efforts in renewable and decentralized energy systems, particularly for rural and underserved communities. Biomass gasification has gained global attention as a promising pathway for syngas production and sustainable energy recovery from agricultural residues and organic wastes.

The study was conducted by Jason Mikhail C. Misolas, Lilianna Nicole D. Lojo, Alliza Nicole Bañares, Jenna Francine P. Paraiso, Elijah Samuel E. Penetrante, and Tagun, Lance Nathaniel N. under the Energy Storage and Renewable Energy research cluster for Academic Year 2025–2026. Their work demonstrated the practical design, fabrication, and operational evaluation of a small-scale gasification unit tailored for local community conditions in Sitio Malasa, Bamban, Tarlac. The research also supports sustainable waste-to-energy initiatives and highlights the potential of locally sourced biomass as an alternative energy resource.