This portfolio highlights applied research and development projects focused on creating resilient systems in environments with limited infrastructure and resources. Each project emphasizes local sourcing, modular design, and community ownership, addressing critical needs including food, energy, water, sanitation, healthcare logistics, and data management. Progress is grounded in hands-on experimentation and practical deployment, with an emphasis on replicability and sustainability.

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Mycelium and Sweet Potato Food Systems

Purpose and Scope
This project explores producing nutritious food in constrained environments, combining mycelium cultivation and sweet potato propagation to create sustainable, locally sourced nutrition.

System Design

• Mycelium Production
  Mycelium is sourced from the wild or locally obtained spawn. The project has had particularly strong results using recycled cardboard as a growth substrate. Fresh mushrooms or spawn are placed on sterilized (only boiling water) soaked cardboard, which allows the mycelium to colonize the material efficiently. In theory, once fully colonized, the spawn can be transferred into fruiting substrates such as sawdust, straw, or other locally available organic material, where it grows into edible mycelium. This approach leverages widely available materials and minimizes dependency on specialized media.
• Sweet Potato Propagation
  Complementing mycelium cultivation, sweet potatoes are propagated from single tubers. Shoots are cut and placed in a split water bottle system (also known as wicking bed system), where the top half contains soil and the shoots, and the bottom half contains water. This allows roots to develop and supports the growth of multiple plants from a single tuber. Once mature, these plants will produce a new generation of tubers, expanding local food availability in a low-input, replicable way.
• Shoots (sprouts) 3-7 days partially submerged in water to develop strong roots to be transplanted into larger pots.
• These shoots can be kept alive for 2-3 months indoors as long as there is continuous water supply to the root system which can be used to withstand winter conditions. 
• In addition to the tubers, the leaves from the sweet potato can be eaten 

Jerusalem Artichoke Cultivation

Jerusalem artichokes are being introduced for their hardiness, resilience, and minimal maintenance requirements. They grow year-round in various environments and can withstand challenging conditions. Both the leaves and tubers are edible, providing multiple sources of nutrition. Their ability to grow continuously and require little attention makes them an ideal crop for food security initiatives in constrained environments.

 

Current Status

• Mycelium cultivation using recycled cardboard has been highly successful, showing strong colonization and reliable growth. Next steps involve transferring spawn into fruiting substrates to produce edible mushrooms.

  

• Sweet potato propagation is underway, with shoots currently developing in the split water bottle system. The team is monitoring for root and tuber development to begin the next cycle of planting.

       

• Jerusalem Artichoke: Have been planted and are being monitored for growth performance, resilience, and yield.

Scrap Wood Poultry Incubator

Purpose and Scope

A project collaboration with Veranda Design – (verandadesign.org) – The Scrap Wood Incubator project addresses the need for affordable, off-grid poultry incubation in resource-limited and humanitarian settings. Poultry provides a reliable source of protein and can support household level food security and small-scale income generation. The goal of this project is to design an incubator that can be built entirely from salvaged and low-cost materials, while maintaining the precise thermal conditions required for successful egg incubation.

The core challenge is achieving stable temperature and insulation efficiency without relying on commercially manufactured incubators, specialized insulation, or grid electricity.

System Design

The incubator is constructed from scrap wood, forming a closed chamber with capacity for approximately 300 to 500 eggs. Early prototypes used styrofoam-based insulation and incandescent light bulbs as a heat source, allowing rapid testing of thermal behavior using easily available components.

Through our background research, we found that insulation quality is the most critical factor in reducing energy demand and maintaining stable incubation temperatures. Current development is therefore focused on improving insulation performance using low cost, locally available materials.

For heat generation, the project is actively exploring alternatives to light bulbs. These include:

• Conductive metal-based heating elements:  including graphite pencils, nichrome from recycled hairdryers
• Simple electrochemical setups, such as vinegar based solutions combined with low voltage electrical input

These methods are being evaluated for safety, efficiency, cost, and ease of replication.

To power the system, the incubator is being designed around a closed-loop energy approach. A pedal-powered generator, such as a bicycle-driven system, charges a battery. This stored energy is then used to power the incubator’s heating system, reducing reliance on fuel or grid electricity and enabling continuous operation in off-grid environments.

Current Status

A functional prototype has been built and is currently in the testing and measurement phase. Ongoing work includes:

• Measuring heat loss under different insulation configurations
• Evaluating thermal efficiency and temperature stability
• Testing alternative heating methods for reliability and safety

The next major milestone is conducting hatch trials using fertilized eggs. These tests will provide real-world data on temperature control, energy consumption, and hatch rates, informing further refinements to the design.

All findings, design iterations, and test results are being documented with the intent to release the project to low resource refugee communities, allowing others to replicate, adapt, and improve the incubator for local conditions.

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From left to right: 1) As a conductive heating source. 2) Egg incubator prototype in progress. 3) Measuring heat conductivity from graphite pencil

Structures and Greenhouse Systems

Purpose and Scope
This project focuses on building resilient greenhouse structures that enable food production, composting, soil restoration, and the distribution of agricultural kits to support food sovereignty at the household level.

System Design
The greenhouse serves multiple functions. It provides a protected growing environment, a space to produce compost from organic waste, and a hub for assembling agricultural kits. These kits are designed to help families grow their own food using limited land, degraded soil, and constrained water access.

Partnership and Deployment
Nushoor Institute is partnering with Veranda Design, a Gaza based company specializing in sustainable agricultural development. Veranda previously operated a greenhouse that was destroyed during floods and storms. Rebuilding this structure creates an opportunity to restore lost capacity while integrating improved, modular designs adapted to local conditions.

 

3D Rendering of Greenhouse in Gaza

Current Status
A formal partnership is in place. Design files for the greenhouse structure have been shared, and a promotional video has been completed to communicate the project’s goals and impact. Fundraising targets have been met, and coordination is underway to procure materials and begin construction in Gaza.

Working prototype greenhouse 

Portable Power Station

Purpose and Scope
The Portable Power Station project addresses the need for safe, modular electricity storage in environments where grid power is unreliable or absent.

System Design
The system repurposes components salvaged from abandoned vehicles, including fuse boxes, lead acid batteries, and wiring, to create a robust power storage unit. Safety and modularity are core design principles, allowing individual units to be repaired, expanded, or interconnected.

The power station is designed to accept multiple energy inputs such as pedal generators, wind turbines, and solar panels. Multiple units can be linked together to form a small scale community microgrid.

Parallel work focuses on improving the energy inputs themselves, including increasing the efficiency of pedal generators, building wind turbines from scrap materials, and repairing damaged solar panels.

Current Status
A proof of concept power storage unit has been completed. Instructional videos are being prepared for release on Archive.org to gather feedback and enable replication. Work is also underway to replace a commercial fuse box with a salvaged automotive fuse box for improved accessibility.

         

From left to right: Previous Portable Power Station Iteration (PPS).   PPS updated for easier mobility

Wind Turbine

Purpose and Scope
This project aims to provide decentralized electricity generation using wind energy and materials available in Gaza.

System Design
The system is designed to charge the Portable Power Station and run essential devices such as lights, communication tools, medical equipment, and small household appliances.

Rather than relying on imported turbines or specialized components, the design prioritizes salvaged materials and local fabrication. The wind system integrates directly with the Portable Power Station to form a flexible energy ecosystem.

Current Status
Development is currently underway using repurposed washing machine motors as electrical generators. These motors are widely available and well suited for wind energy conversion. Ongoing work focuses on blade design, mechanical coupling, electrical output stabilization, and safe system integration.

Diagram of our wind turbine system

Water Purification and Desalination

Purpose and Scope
This project addresses access to safe drinking water by developing low cost, locally buildable purification and desalination systems.

System Design
The initial focus is on slow sand filtration, a proven method that removes particulates, pathogens, and organic contaminants through physical filtration and biological processes. Performance is measured using turbidity monitoring, biofilm development tracking, and bacterial testing.

Once validated, the system is rebuilt using only locally available materials. A parallel effort explores desalination methods such as solar stills to address saline or brackish water sources.

Current Status
A slow sand filter proof of concept has been constructed and is currently in the biofilm formation phase. Once mature, water quality testing will begin. MVP structures are planned for deployment in Gaza and in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Solar Concentration and Sand Battery

Purpose and Scope
This project focuses on low cost thermal energy storage for cold environments.

System Design
A large Fresnel style water lens, constructed from clear plastic tarp, water, and a simple frame, concentrates sunlight onto a metal container filled with dry sand. The sand is heated to high temperatures during the day and used as a thermal battery at night.

Stored heat can be released slowly to warm sleeping areas, floors, or small rooms using insulated containers or basic air channels. The system relies entirely on locally sourced materials and solar energy.

Current Status
Multiple lens configurations are being tested. The most promising design uses a mesh supported lens to prevent water pooling and a frame supported at all four corners for stability.

 

Decentralized Data Management

Purpose and Scope
This project addresses the fragmentation of critical data, particularly medical records, in regions with unreliable infrastructure.

System Design
A three-layer system includes: (1) patient-held smart cards with vital info and access control, (2) local servers storing full records, and (3) a permissioned blockchain tracking access metadata. An internal intranet allows the system to function even if public internet connectivity is unavailable, ensuring continuity of care during outages or emergencies.

Current Status
Proof of concept servers and software are being developed and connected. The project will progress toward a fully hardwired intranet for resilient, decentralized operation.

Humanitarian Drone Project

Purpose and Scope
Enable rapid delivery of essential medical supplies in remote or resource-constrained areas using minimal personnel.

System Design
The drone uses sensors, and machine learning for autonomous navigation. It transports medical supplies from central hospitals to rural sites and returns for repeat missions. Renewable energy integration is planned for later stages. Designs prioritize simplicity, repairability, and replicability.

Current Status
The frame and electronic components are under assembly. Firmware flashing and system integration are ongoing. The team has entered the CalState Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies Unmanned Aerial Systems Challenge, scheduled for June, providing a platform to test autonomous navigation, reliability, and mission execution.

 

Autonomous Drone for CalState competition

3D Printing Medical Devices

Purpose and Scope

To empower healthcare workers in underserved and crisis-affected communities by providing them with a reliable 3D printer and a library of medically validated, ready-to-print tool designs. This enables clinics to manufacture essential equipment locally, affordably, and on demand.

Big Picture

Imagine a world where a clinic’s most valuable piece of medical equipment is not just a stethoscope or an X-ray machine, but a 3D printer. For many communities worldwide, unstable supply chains and limited resources block access to even the most basic medical instruments. The Clinic in a Box initiative reimagines this paradigm by decentralizing production. Instead of shipping bulky boxes of physical tools, we deliver digital design files and the means to create them.

This approach allows healthcare workers to print customized forceps, retractors, splints, prosthetic components, and anatomical models tailored to their specific patient needs. Furthermore, our team can digitally recreate and model requested tools based on a clinic’s unique requirements, ensuring they receive accurate, ready-to-print files. The goal is to reduce crippling dependency on external donors, accelerate the speed of care, and transform each participating clinic into a self-sustaining, agile manufacturing hub.

Current Status

Currently studying models and products from Formlabs along with 3D scanning and printing different viable products. Looking forward to sharing good news in the near future!

From left to right: 3D Printed Artificial teeth SLA Resin 3D Printed Bambu Printer – Otoscope