Malaysia4Biotech

BioMalaysia

2011-11-23T16:05:00.000+08:00

It’s that time of the year again and BioMalaysia rolls around for the Malaysian biotech industry to showcase the progress being made in the country. This year’s edition comes with a twist as the conference is bundled together with the BIO Pacific Rim Summity on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy 2011, a prestigious international event by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). This

2nd National Intervarsity Biotechnology Debate Competition!

2011-11-18T16:04:00.000+08:00

After last year’s successful Intervarsity Biotechnology Debate Competition, the 2011 edition was held in AIMST University, all the way up in Semeling, just outside of Sungai Petani in Kedah. Besides having the chance to visit AIMST’s gorgeous campus, it was also a good eye-opener into the world of debating, something not many science types are aware of. The intervarsity debate scene in Malaysia

Reaching the Grassroots

2011-11-01T16:02:00.000+08:00

MABIC was given the opportunity to reach out to Form Three students in Sri Dasmesh, a private school, recently to talk about the opportunities that come from studying biology. We were asked to come in as the teachers were concerned about an increasing trend among students to drop biology in Form Four. This was due to students believing that biology was merely memorizing facts and regurgitating

Communicating Agribiotech in Muslim Countries

2011-10-03T18:17:00.005+08:00

Welcome to the rebooting of the Malaysia4biotech blog! Things have been pretty intense here in MABIC as we steady the Petri Dish ship. Our national holidays have given us some interesting challenges as we squeezed out the past few issues. September was best remembered for a workhop we conducted in the island of Langkawi regarding communicating agribiotechnology in Muslim countries. Langkawi

Get your own Petri Dish at your Doorstep

2011-05-18T11:18:00.002+08:00

The Petri Dish – the first of its kind newspaper in the region is receiving raving responses from the biotechnology community. A number of them have expressed interest to subscribe to it, though it is a free newspaper and is being sent their institutions and companies. The reason being – they want to have their own copy. Some would like to bring it home to share it with their family members.

Spiders weaving silk

2011-05-03T16:41:00.003+08:00

During the recent Earth Hour season, my colleague, Nicholas Boo Tzyy Guang happened to be in Sunway Giza one weekend. While walking along the eateries, he stumbled upon an eye-catching exhibition by an owner of an organic shop. I am sharing two photos taken by Nicholas. For ease of reading, I am reproducing the captions provided by the organizers. Do you know frog genes are inserted to your

Raving responses for The Petri Dish

2011-05-03T16:06:00.009+08:00

We are into the third issue of The Petri Dish – the first popular biotechnology newspaper in the region. Ever since it hit the public domain in February, we have getting many emails and phone calls congratulating MABIC in publishing this newspaper. The content, language, pictures, print quality and the design impress our readers. The Petri Dish is now being circulated to universities and

The Petri Dish: Bridging Biotech and Society

2011-03-24T13:43:00.007+08:00

For the past four months, MABIC office turned into a mini pressroom and will remain so indefinitely. We have initiated another first-of-its kind in Malaysia, or perhaps in the region. MABIC is now publishing a free newspaper on biotech that aims to bridge biotech and the society. It is named The Petri Dish. We hope with The Petri Dish we will be able to dish out all the interesting and innovative

Myanmar Greens Its Map

2011-03-15T15:36:00.004+08:00

For the first time, Myanmar makes headlines for different reasons. This time it is not about its Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Ski nor its military government. Myanmar has emerged as the second nation in Southeast Asia to grow GM crops. The jolting news is Myanmar cultivated BT cotton last year for the time – up to an astronomical 270,000 hectares through the sweat, toil and ingenuity of 375,000

Organic vs GM: Comparing apples to oranges

2011-02-08T13:08:00.004+08:00

Time and again I have encountered arguments or comparisons between organically grown crops/plants and GM crops. The recent one was in a local newspaper sometime during the Chinese New Year. The article was about a homemaker who rears chicken in her backyard to serve a sumptuous meal during the New Year celebration. She prefers chicken that are not hormone-fed. Great idea, I thought. But as I read

Resolution on the Halal Status of GM Crops/Foods

2010-12-21T16:06:00.001+08:00

Two weeks ago MABIC organized an International Workshop for Ulama on Agribiotechnology. The theme was “Agribiotechnology: Shariah Compliance” The aim of this workshop was to bridge the knowledge and communication divide between scientists and ulama and to adopt a resolution on the halal status of GM crops/foods. MABIC has been engaging all stakeholders involved in the biotech sector and ulama is

Seminar on Agribiotechnology: Listen to what is happening in Africa and more…

2010-11-26T11:25:00.007+08:00

MABIC is organizing a seminar on agribiotechnology featuring speakers from Nigeria, Egypt, USA and the Philippines. They will talk about the developments in agribiotechnology in Africa, biosafety regulations and biotechnology communication in the Asia Pacific region. The seminar is jointly organized by Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR), University

GM Mosquito to Combat Dengue

2010-11-24T10:14:00.005+08:00

Every day we read about new cases of dengue and the number is rising, in spite of the heavy campaign carried out by the Ministry of Health. Dengue is a vector-borne tropical disease caused by Aedes aegypti. It can be fatal a disease as timely detection is a problem. Symptoms only appear 3-14 days after the infective bite. The symptoms are the same as any common viral disease and currently there

Where Fashion Meets Biotech...

2010-11-11T10:48:00.009+08:00

Biotechnology made its way into fashion pages of newspapers for the first time through the efforts of MABIC and BiotechCorp and the support of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM, Perak Campus). MyBio Carnival which took place from 25 Sept – 2 Oct at the National Science Centre in Kuala Lumpur saw fashion luminaries researching on biotech to design their outfits. The fashion design undergraduates of

MyBiotechnology Carnival 2010

2010-08-10T16:44:00.005+08:00

Communicating biotechnology requires not just science but also creativity and innovation. Not only science has evolved rapidly, but also ways in communication science. From conventional media such as newspapers, television and radio, new media has been employed which are perceived to be much more efficient with far-reaching impact. These media are internet, facebook, twitter and blogs. There also

Use of Animals in Clinical Testing

2010-06-15T08:51:00.005+08:00

The animal activists have called for the ban in using animals for clinical testing and created a huge hue and cry on this matter. I would urge the government to listen to them and form a committee made up by these activists to brainstorm for better options that can be used in drug discovery. Anyone who has such strong objections should also come out with better alternatives that can save lives.

The Real Meaning of Functional Foods

2010-06-07T12:22:00.004+08:00

Malaysian biotechnology sector is flooded with health supplement companies. They are lucky to be clustered as “biotech company” as Malaysia has a broad definition of biotechnology. And also health supplement does not go through stringent safety procedures and also of the public perception that anything natural is “safe”. Some of them who label themselves as “high-end” biotech company simply buy

BASF GM Potato: The second GM crop approved in EU for planting

2010-04-22T12:38:00.004+08:00

After 13 years of battle, BASF was finally successful in getting approval for its GM potato, Amflora for planting in the EU. This is the second crop approved by EU Commission. The first was Monsanto’s MON810 trait for corn that protects it from European corn borer. Amflora will have a big impact in the European starch industry where Europe produces 2 million tones of potato starch annually.

Communicating Biotech: Taking the less travelled path

2010-04-15T16:58:00.004+08:00

Communicating science is a challenging task. Who is interested to know more about nanotechnology, genetic engineering, tissue culture or marker assisted selection among the general public? Who would take time to read about these technologies? Science has to be taught in a very innovative way that will raise the students’ or the audience’s inquisitiveness. Many abhorred science in schools but are

The Fairer Sex in the World of Science

2010-04-05T14:41:00.005+08:00

Girls do better than boys in primary and secondary schools. Even at tertiary level, there are more girls than boys in most universities. But where do they go after that? Why do we see most top positions, head of departments, chief scientists, and executives at decision making levels are occupied by men? I would like to share a riddle with the readers. Here it goes:One day, a father and son went

Phytase Corn: Breakthrough by Chinese Scientists to Improve Feed and Reduce Pollution

2010-03-31T09:57:00.011+08:00

Chinese scientists at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) have successfully developed a genetically modified (GM) corn that could help enhance the nutritional value of livestock feed and reduce environmental footprints caused by the livestock industry.This corn called the “Phytase Corn” is a result of the insertion of a gene from a fungus, Aspergillus. It is a known fact that 80%

I spoke at the EU parliament...

2010-03-17T13:04:00.008+08:00

I just returned from Brussels after a seminar at EU parliament on “The impact of EU GMO-regulations on biotechnology research for the public good”. I had very little time to indulge in Belgian chocolates but listening to the experienced and prominent speakers made up for it. What more, when given an opportunity to make an intervention... When did I ever imagine that I would speak at the EU

New wave of adoption of GM crops

2010-03-04T17:34:00.008+08:00

Communication is an important aspect of science which has been constantly overlooked. A well-thought out argument, a intricately crafted presentation is somewhat of a rare offering among science researchers as verbosity and technical jargon seems to be the order of the day. TED is a brilliant

A Tribute to the Man who Fed the World: Dr. Norman Borlaug

2009-09-16T12:37:00.005+08:00

Norman Ernest Borlaug(March 25, 1914 – September 12, 2009)The Father of Green Revolution has died at his home in Dallas, Texas on 12th Sept, last Saturday at the age of 95. If not for this legend, most of us would not have been here today. His efforts in increasing crop yields have saved hundreds of millions of lives around the world. It has been said the Borlaug saved more lives than any other

Blue Rose: The Impossible

2009-09-07T11:18:00.001+08:00

Roses are loved by everyone. It signifies love. But to be precise each colour brings a different meaning and feelings. Red is said to mean love and romance; pink for grace and elegance; yellow for warmth and happiness; white for purity and innocence; orange for desire and enthusiasm; and lavender for enchantment. So what about blue? Since blue roses do not occur naturally and it was

Where will the Dengue Fever Vaccine come from?

2009-08-28T13:38:00.004+08:00

Dengue has been killing hundreds of people each year and the numbers is not going down. We have all been advised to spend 10 minutes every week to clean the pots and other mosquito breeding places around our houses. What else can we do? Is this enough to curtail the problem? Is cleaning around the house enough to deprive these creatures from breeding? Months ago we heard about the sterile male

Into the industry: the leap of faith

2009-08-21T11:40:00.006+08:00

Of late MABIC has been getting some enquiries by Monashians who want to know about their prospects in the biotechnology industry. I have to apologise on behalf of all of us, as we were in the midst of a few major projects and we could not provide too much time for them to answer all their queries. They have been very concerned that when they come out, they graduate with a degree that leads them

Brief 40: Communicating Crop Biotechnology: Stories from Stakeholders

2009-07-29T03:47:00.001+08:00

The human race has always been a storytelling species. From cave paintings outlining a successful hunt, to fairytales and the Brothers Grimm on our bedside. We have always been captivated by the spell of word weaving, conjuring up nitty gritty stories which bring us tales, fact or fiction, which are beyond our experiences in life. We love reading and hearing of stories which bring up experiences

Finding a Common Language between Ulama and Scientists on Agribiotech

2009-07-21T12:58:00.003+08:00

MABIC just organised an international workshop for Islamic scholars “Islam and Agribiotechnology: Finding a Common Language between Ulama and Scientists”. The workshop proved the existence of a wide communication and information gap between the two groups. More so, among the religious scholars and officers where there is lack of understanding of biotechnology. Scientists remained guided by

Enzymes and the pseudoscience heresy

2009-07-06T09:54:00.005+08:00

A previous post of mine spoke about how one could conduct scientific research in the kitchen, with everything from tissue culture to molecular biology. However, one must always remember that these suggestions and comments actually come with a pre-condition of a good knowledge in science and a sensible head on ones shoulders.One of my favourite phrases, “detox” is one of the most commonly used

Quotes on GM Crops and Technology and Technology - Taking a cue from top scientists and leaders

2009-06-20T14:17:00.001+08:00

In this article I would like to share some of the views of eminent personalities and organizations on GM crops and technology. Surely, for the cream of the crop to accept this technology, it cannot be junk science. Let these views erase the horror stories of GM crops created by naysayers. Enjoy reading. "Research is international. Restrictions here in Germany do not prevent worldwide progress;

The Art of Gene Silencing

2009-06-12T11:39:00.006+08:00

In this post, I thought of discussing something a little technical but in simple, layman terms. I hope this will be informational and enhance the understanding of biotech for those who are not in this field.We all know DNA is the hereditary material that makes the protein and gives the individualistic traits to all living organisms. Most traits are wanted and useful, but there are traits

Launch of ISAAA’s Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2008 in MARDI

2009-06-03T15:54:00.003+08:00

Last week, for the second time MARDI hosted the launch of the ISAAA’s Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops. The first one was in 2007. This time round the publication was launched by the Dato’ Mohd Mokhtar Ismail, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry in the presence of Datuk Dr. Abd. Shukor Abd. Rahman, the DG of MARDI and Dr. Umi Kalsom

No Two Patents Are The Same (Part 2)

2009-05-19T15:37:00.004+08:00

Example 2Say a researcher has been conducting research on palm oil. Yet similar results can be obtained using other vegetable oils, say corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil etc. Unless there is support for the use of the other vegetable oils, it is very likely the patent examiner will object to a set of broad claims covering all vegetable oils. Therefore to claim full benefit of the invention, the

Giving True Meaning to “Malaysia Boleh”

2009-04-27T05:41:00.003+08:00

I attended an MoU signing ceremony between a private research organization and an European based multinational company recently. It was an honour for me to act as a witness for the signing of this MoU, as well as present a talk at that event. Since the launch of the National Biotechnology Policy in 2005, we see a mushrooming of ‘biotech’ companies in Malaysia where many label their business as ‘

April Fools

2009-04-20T12:58:00.002+08:00

How many of you were actually fooled on April 1st? What is the nature of the prank? April Fools is a day whereby pranks and jokes are played on the gullible to varying degrees. Elaborate and well-known pranks include BBC's spaghetti trees documentary in 1957, the changing of Big Ben to analogue, BMW yearly pranks etc.This sounds odd for a topic on a biotechnology website, but then I would like to

No Two Patents Are The Same

2009-04-06T08:10:00.002+08:00

“The research has been completed. These are the results. I want you to obtain a patent for me” – a typical instruction we receive from a research institution or a university. “I have made a proto-type of my invention. I want you to file a patent application for this product” – another typical instruction from an inventor from the industry. How to handle such type of instructions? There are two

Bt Corn in “No-man’s Land”

2009-03-25T08:45:00.006+08:00

During my recent visit to Manila, I was on a field tour to a corn farm in Anoa, a village in Mexico City, Pampanga. Pampanga is a province in the central Luzon region of the Philippines. Called the rice granary of the Philippines, the region (Pampanga, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and the nearby provinces some 40 km North of Manila) is known throughout the country for its rice and corn

Highlights of the Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2008

2009-03-05T18:30:00.000+08:00

Every year, this time we are furnished with the latest statistics of the global status of GM crops, comprehensively reviewed by ISAAA. This is the most cited publication in agribiotechnology and at any major agribiotech conference, you will not miss the famous world map that depicts countries that grow GM crops. I would like to share the summary of the Brief 39 Global Status of Commercialized

Public Research vs Private Research

2009-02-27T00:28:00.002+08:00

Commercialization is the end product of research. Every research organization and individual scientist wishes to bring their products to the market one day. This would mean that their product has market value; years of their research could be converted to dollars and cents; all their sloughing hours at the laboratory bench would benefit mankind, improve lives and quality of life; they were

GM Brinjal anyone?

2009-02-17T16:10:00.008+08:00

Brinjal is one of the most important vegetables in Asia. Statistics in India shows that brinjal is the second highest consumed vegetable and a total of 1.4 million small, marginal and resource-poor farmers grow brinjal on 550,000 hectares annually. Brinjal provides a steady income to Indian farmers throughout the year and India produces one quarter of the global production which translates to 8 –

Plant Disease Diagnostics

2009-02-11T11:34:00.004+08:00

In Malaysia, we often hear that the agricultural sector will be transformed using biotechnology applications. However, not many understand or are aware of what biotechnology really entails and how its applications can be used in the agricultural sector. We have not heard concrete recommendations on how and which applications will be applied in this field. The main hurdle seems to be the level of

Backyard Science and the Kitchen Lab

2009-02-05T14:40:00.006+08:00

Having blogged so much on students' perspectives and related issues in biotechnology, I've decided to move on further into the field of biotechnology by talking about my pet projects and hobbies that I hope to have that is biotech-related. Biotech-related hobby sounds slightly oxymoronic, in fact, how could someone take something that requires large amounts of funding and high-end equipment and

The Fear Factor

2009-01-28T12:15:00.008+08:00

(Excerpt from Alan McHughen, Nature Biotechnology 26, 1226 (2008)Biotechnologists perhaps more than other scientists, are often puzzled as to why the public is so often anxious, if not outright suspicious, of their craft. "If only they knew the facts" is a common lament. As a result, biotechnologists may attempt to engage the public to explain the science and thereby mollify public wariness.But

The Malaysian Chapter of Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS)

2009-01-21T11:44:00.002+08:00

The Malaysian Chapter of Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) was formed last week under the leadership of Prof. Farida Habib Shah who is also an executive board member of TWOWS . A protemp committee was established. TWOWS is an international organization under the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) whose central role is to promote women’s access to science and technology,

Biotech Enablers: The Key Factor

2009-01-13T17:23:00.003+08:00

The National Biotechnology Policy was launched almost four years ago and will enter into the second phase in two years time. Where are we and how far are we from achieving our goals and targets? Much effort has been channelled into realising our dream of making a mark in the biotechnology sector. Infrastructure, various schemes and incentives, funds, and training are some of the key areas

Science Journalism in Malaysia

2008-12-31T13:00:00.003+08:00

It is undeniable that science and technology play a vital role in nation building, elevating the status of a country from developing to developed nation, improving the quality of life and environment, alleviating poverty, and increasing self-sufficiency of a nation among others. These are just some simple examples of the impact of science and technology. None of us can deny that science and

Biofuel Debate (3rd Part)

2008-12-23T10:45:00.003+08:00

Dear readers, here I am writing my final article on the series of Biofuel. Unfortunately interest in Biofuel among public, industry and even government is at the lowest now simply because crude petroleum is trading around USD 40 per barrel. Besides that, people are now more worried about retaining their job from retrenchment than to worry about global warming and green energy. If the petrol price

My New Year Wish List

2008-12-16T17:55:00.006+08:00

I don’t believe in making new year resolutions, as I always feel you don’t have to wait till the end of the year to make a resolution or make resolutions only once a year. I make resolutions whenever there is a need. So, throughout the year, I make several resolutions. It is like running a company, whenever there is an urgent need, you call for an Extraordinary General Meeting and make

Biotech Revolution in Agriculture: Where is Malaysia?

2008-12-10T11:07:00.001+08:00

Agriculture is a dynamic, ever evolving field. The Green Revolution that took place between the 1940s and 1960s transformed the agriculture landscape and successfully led to significant increase in food production. During this period, technologies introduced included agrochemicals, irrigation projects, synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, mechanization, and plant breeding. This revolution prevented

Conventional Breeding vs Genetic Modification (Part 2)

2008-12-05T13:46:00.005+08:00

I got an interesting comment on my article posted sometime ago: http://malaysia4biotech.blogspot.com/2008/07/conventional-breeding-vs-genetic.html.I started responding to the comment and it got too long, that I decided to post it as an article. Here is my response: We have to first understand that there is nothing such as absolute safety. But what we can safely say is that in spite of many anti

Opportunities in Biobusiness: Creating Wealth with Biology

2008-12-02T10:12:00.005+08:00

Anyone who is looking to invest should seriously consider Asia. This is the fastest growing region that offers great opportunities. With its population rapidly moving up the socioeconomic hierarchy, there are unlimited opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs to create value and wealth. One area that generates lots of excitement is “biology” or “biotechnology” to be more

MABIC is hiring!

2008-11-28T11:25:00.002+08:00

MABIC is looking for a suitable candidate to fill in the position of Biotechnology Information Officer. Below are the details:The Job:· The Biotechnology Information Officer will be fully responsible for the management of MABIC website, its databases and information resources· Assist the Executive Director in initiating programmes and activities for its stakeholders· Take

Internships: First dip into the industry

2008-11-25T14:56:00.002+08:00

The completion of a tertiary education can never be said as being fulfilled without industry experience. Students, who have been cooped up in the ivory tower for so long, find it hard to adapt to the dynamic and demanding lifestyle of the working environment without prior experience. Similarly, many companies have been complaining on the lack-luster quality of graduates, unable to cope with the

EU’s GM aversion costs €2.5 billion a year

2008-11-17T13:25:00.001+08:00

The European livestock sector is losing €2.5bn a year thanks to EU time-wasting on authorising GM feeds and a zero-tolerance policy on new GM varieties, according to a report by agricultural trade researchers.While feed prices have been hit by poor harvests and world-wide shortages, EU import bans on GM maize have pushed up prices further, the report by organisations including the Agricultural

Global Entrepreneurship Week Seminar: Bio-entrepreneurship: Driving the New Economy

2008-11-13T13:13:00.001+08:00

Bio-entrepreneurship: Driving the New Economy19th November 2008University Kuala LumpurThe 21 st century has been widely touted as a century for the renaissance of the ‘New Biology' in the form of life science and biotechnology. Asia is currently a source of global economic growth where the demand for bio0based products for food, feed, fiber and industrial materials is fast growing. Putting all

Biofuel Debate (2nd Part)

2008-11-07T17:29:00.001+08:00

I am definitely not qualified to debate on biofuel as im not an economist, an industry player, an activist and definitely not a politician thus my views are going to be very personal and general. From what I have been observing lately, on the global and local trend on biofuel, there seems to be groups that believe in this golden oil and critics who oppose this technology. In my previous post, I

The New Economy

2008-11-04T11:41:00.000+08:00

Recession is setting in; share prices are plunging; food prices are soaring; many companies are wrapping up. Many countries are gearing up to face the financial uncertainties that are in store globally. Is this going to be worse than the 1997 financial turmoil? We don’t know. Many MNCs are moving out of Malaysia. Furthermore, Vietnam and China seem to be a preferred choice among investors and

UK: GM Protesters 'On Messianic Mission'

2008-10-28T14:49:00.000+08:00

UK farming minister Lord Rooker last night hit out at anti-GM protesters, claiming they were on a "messianic mission" not based on science and that the public were being "taken for a ride" by campaigners who behaved as if opposition to the technology was a "religion".Amid mounting frustration at the emotive debate being hijacked by talk of "Frankenstein foods", the minister warned Britain was at

BioFuel Debate (1st part)

2008-10-21T16:08:00.000+08:00

Biofuels originate from some type of biomass, or biological matter that can be used for fuel. The two most common types of biofuels are bioethanol and biodiesel. Bioethanol is created by fermenting sugar or starch; corn and sugar are most often used. Biodiesel, on the other hand, is made by combining alcohol, usually methanol, with vegetable oil, such as that found in soybeans, palm oil, animal

A Boost to Malaysian Biotechnology

2008-10-15T13:22:00.000+08:00

The recently concluded BioMalaysia 2008 was a success, which saw the convergence of science and the industry. The exhibition reflected the seriousness of companies, both local and foreign in the industry. Compared to previous years, more ‘real’ biotech work was exhibited by both the private and the public sectors. These are certainly some good signs.But the darling of the event was our Prime

Revisiting Agriculture

2008-10-10T23:36:00.000+08:00

Malaysia moved from agriculture based economy in the 1970s to he manufacturing and electronics in the 1980s and now is revisiting the agriculture sector. In the last few years the agriculture sector has been accorded prominent emphasis and identified as the third engine of economic growth. Whereas, under the National Biotechnology Policy this sector is listed as the number one thrust. This move

Scientists vs journalists: Making the connections (Part 3)

2008-10-06T10:23:00.000+08:00

In my last post, I was highly critical of the mass media in their method of dissemination of scientific information and news, as I believe that they are the nearest link lying in between scientists and laymen. If anything, the mass media should be communicative and sensitive in their reporting while remembering that their role should be to spark interest in science and not to impede it. However,

BioMalaysia 2008

2008-09-30T12:38:00.000+08:00

BioMalaysia2008Conference & Exhibition7 – 9 October 2008Kuala Lumpur Convention CentreBioMalaysia, Malaysia’s premier global biotechnology conference and exhibition is just around the corner. This significant event is jointly organized by Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and Malaysia Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp) with the support from Malaysian Biotechnology

Mandatory vs Voluntary Labelling of GM products

2008-09-26T01:41:00.001+08:00

Next time you buy your groceries, please check for items that contain derivatives from three major GM crops – soy, corn and canola. They come in the form of lecithin, emulsifiers, hydrolysed oil, starch, cooking oil, syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, fructose, corn meal, flavourings, food additives, and sweeteners among others. Now this is a long list that forms the ingredients of thousands of food

Scientists vs journalists: Making the connections (Part 2)

2008-09-24T10:01:00.000+08:00

Recent events that have been occurring in the country has just begun to remind us of the importance of journalists as independent observers of particular issues, where the ideals are to report in a fair-handed and unbiased manner. Although there is discussion over the various mannerisms that the media has been taking in the recent events, what is obvious over here in the field of science

Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be, will be...

2008-09-20T07:48:00.000+08:00

Ask a class of primary school students, what they want to be when they grow up and you will have more than half the class say “doctor”. Ask a class of students in the science stream in secondary school and most likely all will say “doctor”.I still remember one particular year when there was a big hue and cry when many top students did not get a place in the local university to pursue medicine.

BioInformatics for Malaysia

2008-09-16T10:48:00.000+08:00

Bio-informatics isn’t just another tool used in biotechnology research activities. It is deemed as the most important tool that is rapidly transforming the huge genomic data into useful information ranging from health care biotechnology to agriculture biotechnology. Without these tools, the abundant genomic data available becomes meaningless. Being such an important tool, it comes with no

Scientists vs journalists: Making the connections (Part 1)

2008-09-10T13:57:00.000+08:00

The scientific community is usually a pretty hard to understand group. Separate from most of society by an aura of mystique, scientists are a largely misunderstood bunch. The popular images of Dr. Igor Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde in the bowels of deep, dark dungeon laboratories conductng maniac experiments seem to usually come to mind. However, this is very far from the truth. Looking at the

Plastic Bags or GMOs...?

2008-09-07T01:05:00.000+08:00

Every time I buy a loaf of bread I cringe when the grocer puts it into a plastic bag before handing it to me. And I have never failed to return the plastic bag to the grocer. Yet, the next time I go to him, he too never fails to place the nicely packed bread into a plastic bag. This just doesn’t happen when we buy bread. The same scenario is repeated when we buy anything else that already comes

2009 National Budget

2008-09-03T15:43:00.000+08:00

Just last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi unveiled the 2009 National Budget with the theme “A Caring Government” focusing on three specific strategies namely:-1) Ensuring the Well Being of Malaysian2) Developing Quality Human Capital; and3) Strengthening the Nation’s Resilience. National Budget is often one of the best indicators of the directions taken by the government to

Story of the Egg: Human Capital of Biotechnology and its challenges (Part 3)

2008-08-30T17:15:00.000+08:00

Industries are the bread and butter of science. In a pragmatic sense, what use is there for frontline, hard-edged research if there is no one to translate it into products and methods which are relevant to society? Where would the wheel be, without having it being turned into carts and cars? What use would it be for researchers to discover the perfect anti-cancer compound when it could not be

The New Organic

2008-08-25T13:01:00.000+08:00

Sorry for not updating the blog for a few days. We were extremely busy with two big events last week. Here is our new article...The year 1996 marked a new era in agriculture. An important change swept over farms in many countries around the world with a new farming technique being adopted. The new technique allowed farmers to spray far less insecticides over their farms. In China, for example,

Have Biodiversity Will Flourish...?

2008-08-13T12:43:00.000+08:00

I promised an article on my thoughts on our herbal industry and research. Here it is.Every conferences and seminars I attend, I am repeatedly reminded of our rich biodiversity, that Malaysia is one of the 12 megabiodiverse countries, and that we are richer than the US, Canada and Europe put together in terms of biodiversity. Of course, I can’t agree more. But owning something and the ability to

Story of the Egg: Human Capital of Biotechnology and its challenges (Part 2)

2008-08-08T15:49:00.001+08:00

Since the "grand" push for biotech, courses in biotechnology have been popping up in various universities, with most offering 3 year courses on various general aspects of science and relating that to the industry, like microbiology, biochemistry, bioinformatics etc., and later following up with industrial training in various institutions and companies across the country, like MARDI, FRIM, Sime

Zero risk... Anyone?

2008-08-05T23:19:00.000+08:00

I have a passion for driving especially on long distance routes. My first preference would always be to drive (within the peninsular) than to fly but unfortunately my mother hates the idea of me driving long distance. According to her it is dangerous to drive long distance but surprisingly she is fine with me riding bike to work every day (25km one way). I have attempted many times to explain to

Conventional Breeding Vs Genetic Modification

2008-07-31T19:39:00.000+08:00

Have a look at the pictures below. These are pictures of the wild parents of some of the vegetables we consume almost every day. Try identifying them and guess their offspring. The wild varieties have undergone tremendous evolution due to conventional breeding. The answers are at the end of the article.Genetic Modification or GM technology has been singled out by activists to create alarm and

Story of the Egg: Human Capital of Biotechnology and its challenges (Part 1)

2008-07-28T22:24:00.000+08:00

The launch of the National Biotech Policy has been promising the country's graduate population of the various job prospects in the biotech industry. I, myself, hopped on the bandwagon of enrolling in a BSc in Biotechnology back in 2004. At the end of my course, I have been faced with questions by friends, family and fellow graduates alike, as to whether the industry has been developed as hoped,

Malaysian Made Nobel Laureate: The Way to Stockholm

2008-07-21T16:57:00.000+08:00

Malaysia has set a target to produce a Nobel Laureate by 2020. And I heard a number of research institutes and universities have their own targets as well on the same issue. Great! I love ambitious idea, more so if it brings pride and benefits to the nation for her to prosper further.The first step to success is dream. We need dreams, big dreams. But a dream can only be realised if it is followed

Malaysian Biotech Human Capital Development: Chicken or Egg Debate

2008-07-18T10:51:00.000+08:00

Thrust Five of our National Biotechnology Policy focuses on building human capital in Biotechnology via education and training. This is indeed a very important and crucial step to fuel the growth of biotech industry especially for a developing country like ours. But the question now is, can the human capital be developed without having a strong industry base (which is obviously lacking in

Why blog on biotechnology?

2008-07-15T11:17:00.000+08:00

The 21st century is hailed as the century of biological sciences, particularly biotechnology which is revolutionizing all aspects of our lifestyles from food to agriculture, environment, industry, and healthcare and medicine. Biotechnology is changing the terrains and landscapes of these fields to enhance the quality of life and environment. Countries are racing to embrace this powerful tool to

Why Malaysia4Biotech?

2008-07-06T06:47:00.000+08:00

When I first heard about blogs, I never thought I would be blogging one day. Certainly not a blog on politics which is spreading like wildfire. But I was on a constant search for a platform to communicate with the public and sharing my thoughts on biotechnology – an emerging technology which is rapidly changing the landscape and terrains of various aspects of our lives from food to agriculture,

About the Bloggers

2008-07-05T13:36:00.003+08:00

Mahaletchumy ArujananMahaletchumy Arujanan is the Executive Director of Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC) who is a trained scientist with a Bachelors degree in microbiology and biochemistry and Masters in biotechnology. She realized she is not cut out to be a scientist as she likes to meet and talk to people instead of sitting at the laboratory bench. She likes to think of