General Manager of Sarawak Research and Development Council (SRDC) and Organising Chairman of SRDC Research and Development Symposium 2022
PROGRAMME
ORGANISATION SUMMARY
• Government Agencies
• Industrial Organisations
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS’ ABSTRACT & BIOGRAPHY
• Ir. Chin Hon Sin
• Mr. Abdul Razak Mohd Isa
• Dr. John Tang Ing Ching
• Dr. Charlie Yeo Tiong Chia
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
• Biological and Agricultural Science
• Engineering and Technology
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
• Engineering and Technology
• Biological and Agricultural Science
TED TALK ABSTRACTS
CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS
OPENING REMARKS
I am delighted to welcome you all to the inaugural Sarawak Research and Development Council (SRDC) Research and Development Symposium 2022. This year’s symposium marks an important milestone, as
second grant call was in 2020 In total, both grant calls provided fundings to 11 Organisations comprising of 6 Universities,1 Research Agency, and 4 Small and Medium – sized Enterprises with funding worth a total of RM9,988,700
This symposium was designed to showcase research projects funded by SRDC and provide a platform to discuss translating cross-disciplinary research to impactful outcomes which will to share about their research projects and progress while discussing with fellow counterparts from various universities and agencies from all around Sarawak on the impact of their research
It is the goal for the symposium to help strengthen the sense of community and integration among current SRDC grant researchers, academia, students, stakeholders, as well as to engage with potential new industry partners and collaborators.
Thank you all for contributing your valuable time to present in this event I invite you all to enjoy the symposium.
Ts. Dr. Peter Morin Nissom
General Manager of SRDC
PROGRAMME
2 November 2022 Wednesday
8:00 AM Arrival and Registration
Session 1: Keynote Presentation
9:00 – 9:50 AM
Chaired by Dr. Lee Yeung Huei, Curtin University Malaysia
Ir. Chin Hon Sin, Assistant Director(Research & Investigation), Public Works Department Sarawak
Bridging Infrastructure Development and Higher Learning
Institution by Research Collaboration: A Catalyst to Rural Connectivity Agenda
9:50 – 10:10 AM Morning Refreshments
OPENING CEREMONY
10:15 AM Arrival of Ministers and Distinguished Guests
10:30 AM Arrival of Guest of Honour The Right Honourable
Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr.) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg
Premier of Sarawak and Chairman of Sarawak Research and Development Council
National and State Anthems
Doa Recitation
Welcoming Speech by Ts. Dr. Peter Morin Nissom
Organising Chairman of SRDC Research and Development Symposium 2022
General Manager of Sarawak Research and Development Council
Organising Chairman of SRDC Research and Development Symposium 2022
Sarawak Research and Development Council
Symbolic Launching of SRDC Research and Development Symposium 2022
Presentation of Memento to The Right Honourable
Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr.) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg
Premier of Sarawak and Chairman of Sarawak Research and Development Council
Visit to Poster Showcase
12:00 – 1:30 PM Lunch
Session 2: Keynote Presentation
Chaired by Dr. Lee Yeung Huei, Curtin University Malaysia
1:30 – 2:20 PM Mr. Abdul Razak Mohd Isa, CEO and Co-Founder, Medika Natura Sdn Bhd
Sarawak 2030: The Global Commercial Hub of Botanical Drugs and High-Value Natural Ingredients
Session 3: Technical Sessions
Track: Biological and Agricultural Science
Chaired by Dr. Latifah Omar, University Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus
2:30 – 2:55 PM T1: Assoc Prof Dr William Lim Kiong Seng, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Isolation of Neurological Drug Candidates from Potential Neuroprotective Plant Extracts
Track: Engineering and Technology
Chaired by Dr. Sebastian Dayou, University Technology Sarawak
T6: Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Chan Yen San, Curtin University Malaysia Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles as a Potential Alternative to CopperBased Fungicide: The AntiPathogenic Capability and Transport Properties
2:55 – 3:20 PM T2: Pn. Sal Hazreen Bugam, CRAUN Research Sdn Bhd A Randomized Double-Blind Parallel Controlled Trial to Study the Long-Term Effect of Sago (Metroxylon Sagu) Resistant Starch Consumption on Glycaemic and Metabolic Control Parameters in Type 2 Diabetes Patients
3:20 – 3:45 PM
T3: Prof Dr Mohd Hasnain bin Md Hussain, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Sago Genome and Preliminary Transcriptome Analysis
3:45 – 4:00 PM Afternoon Refreshments
T7: Pn. Syazie Nordzaima Ali Mohamad, University Technology Sarawak Evaluation of Engineering Properties and Environmental Effect of Silica Fume and Ordinary Portland Cement as Peat Soil Stabilizer
T8: Ir. Dr. Ngu Lock Hei, Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus Development and Optimization of Accelerated Weathering of Limestone for CO2 Capture from Cement Industry Gas Emission
4:00 – 4:25 PM T4: Ms Bong Zhang Ru, T9: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tay Swinburne University Meng Guan, Universiti of Technology, Sarawak Malaysia Sarawak Campus Optimization of Photocatalytic Physicochemical Fuel Cells (PFCs) in the Characteristics and Bioactive Treatment of Diluted Palm Oil Contents of Sarawak Stingless Bee Honey (SBH)
4:25 – 4:50 PM
T5: Prof. Dr. Edmund Sim T10: Dr. Lau Shiew Wei, Ui-Hang, Universiti Malaysia Curtin University Malaysia Sarawak Box–Behnken Design Study In Silico and In Vitro of Milling Effect on the Evaluation on the Anticancer Alkaline Extraction of Lignin and Apoptosis-related Activity from Oil Palm Empty Fruit of Piperine Compound on Bunch Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Lines
5:00 PM Conclusion of Day 1
5:00 – 7:30 PM Free and Easy 7:30 PM Networking Dinner and Casual Photography Session
3 November 2022 Thursday
8:00 AM Arrival and Registration
Session 4: Keynote Presentations
Chaired by Dr. Xavier Chee Wezen, Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus
9:00 – 9:50 AM Dr. John Tang Ing Ching, CEO, Twin Catalyst Sdn Bhd Invention – A Sarawakian Perspective
9:50 – 10:40 AM Dr. Charlie Yeo Tiong Chia, CEO, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre The Journey of SBC in Commercializing LitSara®
10:40 – 10:55 AM Morning Refreshments
Session 5: IP Protection and Research Commercialisation
Chaired by A/Prof Dr. Wong Sin Yeng, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
10:55 – 11:20 AM Pn. Nor Intan binti Pamin, Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO), Sarawak Branch MyIPO and IP Protection
11:20 – 11:45 AM Dr. Ivan Yap Kok Seng, Deputy General Manager, Sarawak Research and Development Council Sarawak Intellectual Property Committee: A proposal to optimise innovation in Sarawak
Session 6: Trade Show TED Talks
Chaired by A/Prof. Dr. Wong Sin Yeng, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
11:45 – 12:25 PM Borneo Indah
A Quantitative Digital PCR Sample Preparation
Carl Zeiss
Next Generation Confocal Microscope with Airyscan for Fast and Gentle Multiplex Imaging
Keller Keller in Malaysia
Medika Natura
Development of Evidence-Based Indigenous Medicines
Innoniaga The Introduction of 3D Bioprinting
Eppendorf Eppendorf Tubes Made from Cooking Oil?
12:25 – 12:30 PM Photo Session
12:30 – 2:00 PM Lunch
2:00 – 3:30 PM
Session 7: Poster Session
Chaired by Dr. Zakiuddin bin Januri, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak
CLOSING CEREMONY
3:30 PM Arrival of Distinguished Guests
3:45 PM Arrival of The Honourable Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development
National and State Anthems
Closing Speech by The Honourable Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn
Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development
Presentation of Token of Appreciation to Invited Speakers -
mittee Members
Presentation of Best Talk and Best Poster Prizes
Presentation of Souvenir to The Honourable Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn
Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development
4:30 PM Refreshments
END OF SRDC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM 2022
ORGANISATION SUMMARY
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
1. CRAUN Research Sdn Bhd
CRAUN Research Sdn Bhd is a company wholly owned by the Sarawak Government to undertake Research & Development (R&D) activities on potential underutilized crops CRAUN started as a unit under the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) in 1993 prior to sago starch industry in Sarawak.
Our areas of research covers both upstream and downstream activities, and further supported information that can holistically serve the sago community spanning throughout the supply chain with the ultimate aim to increase the overall productivity of the sago industry while at the same time increase the economic returns for Sarawak.
Over the years, we take great pride in our achievement and contribution to the industry through our R&D activities CRAUN had successfully mass produced a selection of good quality sago planting materials via tissue culture technology, developed smart agriculture practices, farm mechanization initiatives, introduced zero-waste sago milling concept, as well as creating innovative food and nonfood products from sago starch and its biomass to meet the current market trend and demand, while highlighting the unique and functional properties in sago starch.
In line with the Sarawak Government’s Post Covid Development Strategy 2030 to develop the State’s economic sector based on digital economy and environmental sustainability, CRAUN have aligned its R&D activities towards promoting in the creation of a circular economy for the Sarawak Sago Industry, thus ensuring its healthy development towards a sustainable, modern,
Fisheries
The research focuses on several aspects such as:
Planning and managing Pulau Layang Layang Malaysia Marine Research Station and the Labuan WP Marine Park. corals. farming systems. products.
Provide advisory services and technical expertise on aquaculture and capture
2. Fisheries Research Institute Bintawa (FRIB)
Research Institute Bintawa (FRIB) under the Federal Government of Malaysia in Sarawak.
3. Sarawak Skills Development Centre (PPKS)
The Sarawak Skills Development Centre (Pusat Pembangunan Kemahiran Sarawak) is an organisation formed in 1994 under the Societies Act 1966 It was established through the efforts of the Ministry of Industrial Development Sarawak in response to the Federal Government’s directive that each state in Malaysia establish a skills development training centre The understanding was that the Federal Government would fund the capital expenditure and the State Government(s) in Malaysia would provide the operating expenditure
In Sarawak, the industry would be members of the Sarawak Skills Development Centre (Sarawak Skills) without being shareholders, and the management and administration of the centre would be by a Management Council elected every three (3) years Various companies/ organizations were invited by the then State Secretary to establish Sarawak Skills At the inaugural meeting, 15 companies were present, and they became the founder members of Sarawak Skills Currently, Sarawak Skills has more than 70 members from various industry sectors such as oil and gas, plantation (oil palm), timber, manufacturing, engineering, aviation and many other priority industries Indeed, the members’ numerous contributions over the years have enabled Sarawak Skills to provide the very best of industry-relevant education and training for the populace This has facilitated the ongoing transformation of Sarawak for the
In 1994, Sarawak Skills commenced its operations by offering two Skills Enhancement
as Chargeman, Wireman, Occupational Safety and Health, and Computer Repair and Maintenance were conducted for working adults either on a full-time or part-time basis Today, the Sarawak Skills Group of Learning Institutions offers a wide range of industry-relevant academic and skills programmes
As a registered training provider with the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), the group also delivers customized training programmes in both technical and soft skill areas. This has gone a long way towards advancing the noble cause of Human Capital Development and transforming the vibrant canvas of Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole
As a stakeholder in the transformation of Sarawak’s economic, educational and digital landscape, Sarawak Skills has adopted a multipronged approach to talent development In July 2021, the launch of the Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) with an emphasis on digitalization and automation, has propelled Sarawak on an exciting voyage towards 2030
In this respect, Sarawak Skills has taken steps to complement the Government in its quest to develop a thriving society driven by data and innovation To support the main engines of growth as Sarawak progresses along the voyage to 2030, the tremendous contributions by the Sarawak Government and various industry sectors have enabled Sarawak Skills to transform its teaching and learning ecosystem, especially in the area of new programme development covering the broad spectrum of academic and skills courses/programmes as well as training programmes Sarawak Skills has also embedded Industry Revolution 4 0 and Green Energy Technologies in its technical curricula
The Clinical Research Centre at Sarawak General Hospital (CRC SGH) was the third CRC established by the Ministry of Health (MOH) as part of the 38 hospital CRCs under Institute of Clinical Research (ICR) It was established in 2003 with the aim to foster closer clinical research and cooperation at MOH hospitals in Malaysia by providing assistance in research proposals and writing, research funding and grant applications
Conventionally, the CRC-SGH organizes training workshops in biostatistics and research
CRC SGH improved its facilities and support services to cater for early phase clinical trials, in line with the vision of the ICR to become the leading clinical trial institution in Asia.
at the new CRC building to cover clinical, laboratory, administrative and archiving services for clinical research. The operation for CRC SGH started in the new CRC building since 1st
IEC 17025: 2017 and MS ISO 15189: 2014 accredited; and CRC SGH has received provisional NPRA Phase I Programme accreditation.
5. Sarawak Biodiversity Research (SBC)
SBC agency was established under the Sarawak Biodiversity Ordinance 1997. Our role was to carry out inventory and regulate research on Sarawak’s biodiversity. SBC Ordinance amendments was made to facilitate the documentation of traditional knowledge among the (PIC).
To commercialise Sarawak’s bioresources, SBC’s Natural Product Library were set up through Sarawak under Project Rakyat, a catalytic project under Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 The Sarawak Bioindustrial Park focuses on manufacturing biobased products Our vision is “Enriching Lives with Breakthrough Innovations in Biodiversity “and Mission “To Diversity (CBD), Nagoya Protocol, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and PCDS 2030.
6. Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO), Sarawak Branch
Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) is a statutory body incorporated under the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia Act 2002 and an agency under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs MyIPO is responsible for the development and management of the intellectual property system in Malaysia
MyIPO administers and enforces Intellectual Property Legislation namely the Trademarks Act 2019, the Patents Act 1983, the Copyright Act 1987, the Industrial Designs Act 1996, the Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits Act 2000, Geographical Indications Act 2022 and subsidiary regulations MyIPO also actively organize public awareness programs to promote the importance of intellectual property registration and rights
4. Clinical Research Centre at Sarawak General Hospital (CRC SGH)
7. Centre of Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS)
Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak formerly known as Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak also known as CENTEXS, was established by the State Government through Yayasan Sarawak on the 1 October 2014 to undertake the call by the Governor of Sarawak Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud and the late Pehin Sri Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr ) Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem, former Chief Minister of Sarawak to train more people on technical skills that Sarawak needs to industrialize the economy
The transformation of the Sarawak Digital Economy by the Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr ) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg in 2017 has allowed CENTEXS to leap digitalizing the technical training and supply of digital talents for Sarawak CENTEXS is continuously engaging towards establishing a digital academy that was announced by the Premier of Sarawak on 29 March 2019
Therefore, CENTEXS was given the responsibility to train and upskill the young generation and organisation workforce to meet the technical needs and requirements of the State industries focusing on the industry of oil and gas, electrical, construction, textile and heritage, hospitality and tourism, digital and agriculture From technical training based to the current technology training, CENTEXS has trained 3155 graduates throughout the state The unique feature of
in close consultation starting with the State government and direct involvement of industry players in assuring the relevancy of training to meet the demands of the industries and for job assurance CENTEXS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yayasan Sarawak with its headquarters in Kuching, has expanded its branches throughout Sarawak in Lundu, Dalat, Lawas, Betong and Mukah
Besides Yayasan Sarawak, CENTEXS is also governed by the Premier of Sarawak Department and the Ministry for Education, Innovation and Talent Development of Sarawak CENTEXS aspiration is to create an ecosystem for learning, research and innovation for the state development to achieve economic prosperity, social inclusivity and a sustainable environment for the people of Sarawak Through government support and collaboration with strategic partners, CENTEXS is committed to supporting the achievement of the Sarawak 2030 vision
INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS
Borneo Indah Sdn Bhd was established in 1994, as a leading organisation in the SCIENTIFIC (Analytical & Life sciences) , MEDICAL (Hospital & Biomedical) , EDUCATION (Tertiary Laboratory Trainers) & QA/QC Testing machinery industry, we offers a comprehensive range of innovative solutions for both our clients and principals.
Our team are constantly being exposed to the latest technologies and consistently being trained to provide prompt and precise services to these industries. We had set-up & maintain
Business Partner:
2.
(M) Sdn Bhd
NNONIAGA (M) SDN BHD was incorporated in Year 2001 engaged in the sales and marketing of life sciences, analytical and medical related instrument, chemicals, and consumables products in East Malaysia THE MARKETS WE SERVE includes Government & private research institutions, educational institutions, Government & Private Hospital, Clinical and commercial testing laboratories
Among the Brands that we distribute/resell: Roche Diagnostics, Agilent analytical instrument, Biorad, Promega, FujiFilm, illumina NGS, Celllink 3D Bioprinter, Denovix , Sigma-Aldrich chemicals, MDC Laboratory Furniture
1. Borneo Indah Sdn Bhd
Innoniaga
3. SOP Green Energy Sdn Bhd
Avantsar Sdn Bhd and SOP Green Energy Sdn Bhd are both subsidiary companies of Sarawak Oil Palm Berhad (SOPB). Avantsar is being set up to undertake research and
SOP Green Energy R&D department focuses on food related product development.
The establishment of Avantsar and SOP Green Energy R&D department introduced in-depth open up new channels and insights that lead to great success.
About Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad (SOP)
Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad (SOP) started out as a joint-venture between the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) and Sarawak State Government in 1968 SOP’s upstream of oil palm estates and mills are all located in the state of Sarawak, the largest state in Malaysia, and Malaysia is one of the world’s largest oil palm growing regions In the early days, SOP had only 4,600 hectares of oil palm plantation
SOP Group continues to be an industry leader in sustainability efforts through various sustainable practices, complying with National and State environmental laws, the Group is committed to environmental preservation through biodiversity conservation and mitigation of negative impacts in all its operational units On top of that, SOP Group is passionate in supporting the local community through various economic support and social contribution programmes; especially in the areas of education, healthcare and disaster relief
Sarawak First Contract Research Organisation
Borneo Kinetics Sdn Bhd (957686-U) incorporated in Year 2011, aims to be the ‘Choice of Site Management Organisation Service for Early Phase Clinical Trials’ by providing drug development services to both ASEAN and International pharmaceuticals, commercial or consumer healthcare industries
All clinical trials are conducted in compliance with the Good Clinical Practice (GCP) to ensure the quality of the trials, especially the rights, safety and well-being of subjects, and clinical data credibility We have a dynamic team which comprises GCP-trained research physicians,
ZEISS Microscopy is the world’s only one-stop manufacturer of light, electron, X-ray and ion microscope systems and offers solutions for correlative microscopy The portfolio comprises products and services for life sciences, materials and industrial research, as well as education and clinical practice
With its unique portfolio, constant innovations and strong partnerships, ZEISS Microscopy
service team enable customers to use their ZEISS microscopes to their full potential.
4. Borneo Kinetics Sdn Bhd
5. Carl Zeiss Sdn Bhd
Keller has a long & rich history in providing specialist ground engineering solutions around the world. Our Malaysia story started in 1974. The key strength of Keller is providing our clients with innovative solutions via our Design & Build capability Examples are Penang STP & Malaysia Double Track project from Ipoh to Padang Besar which proved to be faster & more cost effective Keller has been instrumental in introducing new technologies into Malaysia The Vibro Stone Columns were introduced in 1989 and DSM in 2003
When Malaysia started their major tunnelling infrastructure construction in the KL karstic limestone (SMART & KVMRT), grouting technologies were introduced to manage the geotechnical risks in limestone As the world is pushing towards a sustainable construction, Keller has taken the initiative to embrace this in our way of working
Our Dry Bottom Feed technology was recognized as Green Technology by MATRADE in 2012 It is our mission to provide low carbon foundation solutions to our clients with various GI technologies within our toolbox For example, by optimizing the foundation for the new Sarawak Methanol Plant in Bintulu with GI, our solution provides a CO2 saving of 55% when compared to conventional driven piling solution In Keller, we strongly believe with our focus on being local in Malaysia, we will be able to continue to provide our clients with sustainable & innovative solutions by leveraging on our global strength
7.
Hana Sdn Bhd
Awatra Hana is the leading specialist in the era of anti-corrosives We provide pertinent solutions to corrosion that is prevalent in the marine, oil and gas industries Our unique, high performance coating composites are not only perfect for weathering harsh, operating environments, but are also effective in prolonging the life of your equipment and machinery Awatra Hana through many years of research, development and expertise, are able to offer leading solutions via our range of products. These products consist of superior anti-corrosive and adhesion properties, suitable for withstanding the harshest of environmental conditions
Durability by SIRIM QAS, Malaysia and TÜV SÜD, PSB, Singapore – further attestation to the supreme quality of our products
Medika Natura Sdn. Bhd. (MNSB) is a Malaysian leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical. We focus on the sustainable development and commercialisation of botanical drugs and high-value herbal products of Malaysian and Southeast Asian origin for a continuum of wellness and healthcare management.
One of our core products is a patent-pending SKF7® (Standardized Extract of Kacip Fatimah) which is the FIRST ingredient from Malaysia and the region to receive USFDA clearance as a New Dietary Ingredient and is pending approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as a Novel Food It is also the FIRST Malaysian bioactive ingredient that has received multiple regulatory-body approvals from Malaysia, Indonesia, and India to conduct Human Clinical trials MNSB has utilized proprietary processes to produce SKF7® and evaluated its pharmacological and safety aspects in a battery of comprehensive in vitro and in vivo studies
MNSB has recently completed two Phase-II multi-centered randomised controlled clinical trials in Malaysia and Indonesia for the treatment of Obesity. A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial was also conducted in healthy adults to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of SKF7® in India Subsequently, SKF7® will be submitted to the US FDA for an Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance in 2023
6. Keller Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Awatra
8. Medika Natura Sdn Bhd
Eppendorf is a leading life science company that develops and sells instruments, consumables, and services for liquid handling, sample handling, and cell handling in laboratories worldwide Its product range includes pipettes and automated pipetting systems, dispensers, centrifuges, freezers, fermentors, bioreactors, CO2 incubators, shakers, and cell manipulation systems Consumables such as pipette tips, test tubes, microplates, and single-use bioreactor vessels complement the range of highest-quality premium products As digital solution, Eppendorf is developing new business models and transforming the Eppendorf portfolio to meet Industry 4.0 requirements.
Eppendorf products are most broadly used in academic and commercial research laboratories, e g , in companies from the pharmaceutical and biotechnological as well as the chemical and food industries They are also aimed at clinical and environmental analysis laboratories, forensics, and at industrial laboratories performing process analysis, production, and quality assurance Eppendorf was founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1945 and has about 5,000 employees worldwide The company has subsidiaries in 26 countries and is represented in all other markets by distributors
Other Participating Organisations include
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS’ ABSTRACT & BIOGRAPHY
Ir. Chin Hon Sin, Assistant Director (Research & Investigation), Public Works Department Sarawak
Ir. Chin Hon Sin obtained his Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (Civil) from University of Malaya in 1997.
as a designer Later he was offered a post in civil service and since then has spent the last 24 years with JKR Sarawak. He has been assigned to various positions such as construction resident engineer, building structure designer and manager of Central Materials Laboratory, an MS ISO 17025 accredited testing laboratory Currently, apart from Material Testing, Subsurface Investigation and Forensic Investigation, he is also being entrusted with spearheading the research agenda of JKR Sarawak under Research & Investigation Branch since 2014
For the last 8 years, Ir Chin has established a wide and far network connecting to the engineering research domain in local universities such as UNIMAS, Swinburne University of Technology, Curtin University Sarawak, UiTM Sarawak and University of Malaya Subsequently, many research collaborations are initiated and in progress, while few were completed successfully with tangible contribution to the engineering community.
At the same time, he is presently involved personally in a research on quality control in the
with Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM), Corporate Member of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (MIEM), Member of Institute Of Quality Malaysia (MIQM), Senior Auditor under
With Department Of Standard Malaysia.
Bridging Infrastructure Development And Higher Learning Institution By Research Collaboration: A Catalyst to Rural Connectivity Agenda
Innovation, through research and development has always been recognised as the niche of higher learning institutes. The universities are known for the intellectual mind in researching dissertation in journals. On the other side of the divide, the practical needs of the people are
Works Department Sarawak (PWDS) is the biggest infrastructure implementation arm of the State Government of Sarawak.
Billions of RM spent annually to deliver amenities for the convenience and connectivity of the people Dedicated to excel in engineering technology, the organization recognizes and strives to adapt and adopt research innovations into its project delivery mechanisms by collaborating with the academic intellect This paper explains how PWDS established its collaborative relationship with the higher learning institutions to develop viable and ready to use engineering solutions
R&D Solution has been recognized as essential to facilitate and support the primary agenda and business of PWDS in establishing connectivity to the rural area via cost effective and river gravel. This paper highlights research innovations being implemented by PWDS projects with its unique research collaboration model. The outcome have thus far been promising, for both the State rural development agenda and PWDS as the leading technical agency
Mr. Abdul Razak Mohd Isa, CEO and Co-Founder, Medika Natura Sdn.Bhd
CEO and Co-Founder of Medika Natura Sdn Bhd, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and commercialization of botanical drugs and high-value natural products of Malaysian and Southeast Asian origin Notable Achievements of Medika Natura are,
First to receive 2 New Dietary Ingredient authorization from the US FDA on its patent-pending SKF7® (Standardized Extract of Kacip Fatimah) i e (NDI-001143, 2020 and NDI- 001250, 2022),
2019/1337) approval on SKF7®.
First to simultaneously complete Phase 2 Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Double Blind, Dose-Ranging Clinical Trials of SKF7® for Obesity in Malaysia and Republik Indonesia and Phase 1 Human Safety in India
First in Malaysia and in the region a robust and comprehensive Pre-Clinical and Clinical pipelines of botanical drug research & development.
Ahli Jawatankuasa Induk Kebangsaan Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan Perubatan Herba (JKPPH) bagi tempoh 2022 – 2023, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia,
Member of Akademi Sains Malaysia Task Force on National Biotechnology Policy (NBP) 2.0 and Chairperson of Key Strategic Area (Healthcare & Wellness),
Adjunct Professor, Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), UKM, Herbal Product Development Advisor, Centre for Natural Products Research and Drug Discovery (CENAR) University Malaya,
Panel Pakar DANA R&D MOSTI (2021-2023) MOSTI.
Sarawak 2030: The Global Commercial Hub of Botanical Drugs and High-Value Natural Ingredients
Malaysia has 15,000 species of vascular and seed plants comprising more than 3,000
Sarawak. Sarawak is the largest Borneo state of Malaysia. Known as the Land of the Hornbills, it is a unique and biologically diverse region in terms of its population, culture, geography, and history The tropical rainforests of Sarawak are important global carbon sinks and are home
endemic Borneon terrestrial mammal species However, there is no large-scale commercial and sustainable investment that taps into Sarawak’s vast potential to be the global producer of high-value natural products and ingredients
The projected market size is staggering, according to the National Traditional & Complementary Medicine (T&CM) Blueprint, Ministry of Health Malaysia 2019 produced by Boston Consulting, the blueprint could contribute RM27 0 billion to GDP by 2027, and the global herbal extract the growth from RM249.0 billion in 2017 to RM517.0 billion in 2028.
Botanicals, which have been part of human food and medicine for thousands of years, are perceived as being safer than synthetic pharmaceuticals In terms of NPRA and FDA regulations, botanical drugs are no different from non-botanical products, having to meet the safety and effectiveness standards of a new drug Sarawak is well-endowed with a diverse wealth of biological resources that could be the impetus to turn Sarawak into the Global Commercial Hub of Botanical Drugs and High-Value Natural Ingredients by 2030
Dr. John Tang Ing Ching , CEO, Twin Catalyst Sdn Bhd
Dr John Tang Ing Ching is a consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist with 30 years of clinical experience He graduated from The University of Queensland in Australia in 1990, completed his MRCOG at the Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists in London in 1996, and was awarded a fellow (FRCOG) by the same college in 2008 As well as the CEO of Rejang Medical Centre, the largest private hospital in Sibu, Dr. Tang is the co- founder of Rejang Healthcare Centre Sdn Bhd, which is the largest private hospital group in Sarawak that runs Borneo Medical Centre in Kuching, Bintulu Medical Center and Borneo Medical Centre in Miri. During his practice, he invented 3 dimension waterproof dressings for wounds and medical devices, Wondaleaf® unisex condoms, tension adjustable rubber band Slit-Tie®, Hammock Wheelchair and Menstrual tube, among others. Dr. Tang’s inventions have drawn worldwide attention and have won multiple international awards
In 2013 he co-founded a startup Twin Catalyst Sdn Bhd to spearhead his innovative ideasfrom concept, manufacture, testing, clinical trials and commercialization To-date the company has been awarded multi million ringgit grants from both local and federal innovation agencies for research and development of these inventions For his contribution to innovation, he is currently employed by the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) to serve as an adjunct professor He considers himself an inquisitive Sarawakian who endeavours to make sense of God’s creations from the most basic societal and biological constructs
Invention- a Sarawakian Perspective
Globally, about 73% of all inventions that have started new industries have come from problems faced by humans has never been easier- even in a state in Borneo From research, prototyping, testing to funding, resources are more readily available than ever before Often all that is missing is just a good idea Daring to hold on to it and striving to make it real are what it takes to be an inventor, who shall henceforth be rewarded with the most enviable journey in creativity, the joy of easing the lives of others and God willing, riches and glory for Sarawak
Dr. Charlie Yeo Tiong Chia - CEO, Sarawak
Biodiversity Centre
Biodiversity Centre (SBC), an R&D agency in Sarawak focusing on utilization of biodiversity SBC was established in 1998 Its functions include the documentation of traditional knowledge of the indigenous communities of Sarawak and R&D of natural products to commercialize its applications Charlie and his team systematically collect genetic resources from the rainforest and set up one of the most diverse natural product libraries in Malaysia for research It consists of extracts from plants and microbes including essential oils, genomic and transcriptomics sequence information, marine sources and natural scents Charlie received his Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry at the California State University, Los Angeles in 1991, before he went on to work at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California working on plantibodies: transgenic plants producing mammalian antibodies In 2000, he graduated from University of Washington, Seattle and obtained a PhD in Immunology where he worked on cancer immunology.
The Journey of SBC in Commercializing LitSara ®
Litsara (R) is the trademark for an essential oil that is extracted from the fruits and leaves of Sarawak Litsea. Sarawak Litsea is name for the species of Litsea cubeba found in Sarawak
over the oils from similar species growing in China and Vietnam Because of this property as well as the usage of the indigenous communities, SBC developed the oil as an active ingredient in personal care products that is natural and refreshing. The utilization of genetic resources linked to traditional knowledge of the indigenous community in a fair and equitable
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
Isolation of Neurological Drug Candidates from Potential Neuroprotective Plant Extracts T1
Protocol is an international treaty of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that aims at implementation of ABS from the utilization of genetic resources. In 2019, Litsara® became the of developing a genetic resource until commercialization and the experience SBC learned along the way.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. William Lim Kiong Seng
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Due to aging global population, the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) diseases is set to rise but effective drugs have lacked behind The majority of approved drugs for CNS diseases are either natural products or their derivatives. Phenotypic drug discovery can identify active compounds even in potentially complex disease model pathways Eight Sarawak plant compounds from Sarawak Biodiversity Centre were screened for potential drug leads and targets in major neurological disease models using PC12 Neuroscreen-1 (NS-1) cells Stroke is a major cause of death and disability but there is still no neuroprotectant approved for poststroke neuronal injury NS-1 cells differentiated into a neuronal phenotype and deprived of oxygen and glucose in an in vitro stroke model underwent apoptotic cell death
8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (DPAT) SPB, PLT50, EF3 and CF4 all showed activity in decreasing order Among drugs for treating Parkinson’s Disease (PD), none can stop disease progression Administration of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (OHDA) produces in vivo and in vitro biochemical characteristics of PD Treatment of NS-1 cells with 10 µM OHDA attenuated cell viability by 50%, which was almost fully restored with 0 63 nM PLT50
maturing neurons is the process of extending projections for synaptic connections. Activation of the serotonin receptor 1A (5-HT1A) increases adult neurogenesis.
Drugs for treating neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia produce neurite outgrowth Neurite counting revealed 3 µM PLT50 raised neurite outgrowth by 1 64(±0 2)-fold over untreated, followed by other compounds in decreasing order While 10 µM of the selective 5-HT1A antagonist WAY100635 had no effect
by PLT50. Hence PLT50 is a potential lead compound for the treatment of neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases that works via 5-HT1A receptors.
A Randomized Double - Blind Parallel
Controlled
Trial to Study the Long-Term Effect of Sago (Metroxylon sagu) Resistant Starch Consumption on Glycaemic and Metabolic Control Parameters
Sdn. Bhd., Lot 3147, Block 14, Jalan Sultan Tengah, 93050 Kuching, SARAWAK 2 Clinical Research Centre, Sarawak General Hospital, Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce, 93586, Kuching, Ahmad Zaidi Adruce, 93586, Kuching, SARAWAK. 4 Klinik Kesihatan Jalan Masjid, Jalan
General Hospital, Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce, 93586, Kuching, SARAWAK. Corresponding
Sago (Metroxylon sagu) is a local carbohydrate source in Sarawak, which in its native form contains high amount of resistant starch type 2 (RS2) ranging from 40 to 50%. The evidence
increasing This randomised control trial investigated the effect of 12-week consumption of sago RS2 on glycaemic and metabolic control in both early and chronic Type 2 diabetes patients The patients were randomised to either the intervention or control arm in a 1:1 ratio Subjects in the intervention arm were supplemented with sago RS2, whereas those in control received isocaloric amount of corn starch Both subjects and investigators were blinded to the randomisation arms The starches were supplied in the form of formulated premix drinks, which were taken bid This amount provided approximately 20g/day of RS for the intervention
subjects did not show the effect of RS supplementation in diabetic patients. More subjects need to be recruited, with at least 70 patients completing the interventions are needed to be adequately powered for hypotheses testing in this study At present, active recruitment is still on-going to achieve this targeted study population
Secondary endpoints include total daily calorie intake, body weight and body mass index (BMI), body fat and visceral fat changes, waist-hip ratio, blood pressure and heart rate. To date, only 12 patients had completed their 12-week intervention, and their data was unblinded for analysis The unblinding revealed that 5 patients had received sago RS2 Baseline analysis RS2 following the 12 weeks intervention.
Prof. Dr. Mohd Hasnain bin Md Hussain Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) is a starch-producing palm Each mature sago palm contains around 150 – 600 kg dry weight of starch, depending on its cultivar The yield of starch from sago palm is superior to other starch-producing crops This crop has the potential to ensure food security and reduce world hunger. Other than that, the sago palm is a hardy crop where it can grow on waterlogged, acidic, peat and other unfavourable soil condition which
agricultural land use as it includes the portion of land which are not arable to other crops.
the molecular study of the sago palm The growing interest in sago palm molecular research demands better molecular extraction techniques Centre for Sago Research (CoSAR), Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak has published an improved protein and RNA extraction protocol for sago palm leaf tissue
Recently, UNIMAS released the genome and transcriptome assembly of sago palm in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database The model genome was assembled with hybrid data from the second (Illumina HiSeq X) and third (Oxford Nanopore PromethION) generation sequencer platforms by Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy
Orthologue (BUSCO) tool BUSCO assembly completeness is 97 9% (89 8% single-copy; 8 1% duplicated); (1 1% fragmented, 1% missing) The analysis estimated that the sago palm genome size is 509,812,790 bp, with 2025 contigs that the N50 score is 453,371 bp
Transcriptome sequencing was conducted with the second generation BGISEQ-500 platform
Six biological replicates from sago palm leaf tissue, with a total of 40 11 Gb bases, were sequenced producing above 95% clean reads ratio and above 91% Q30 clean reads The assembled sequence produced 102,447 unigenes, with an N50 score of 1809 bp. The establishment of the genome and transcriptome of sago palm will act as the basis for future comparative studies
Sago Genome and Preliminary Transcriptome Analysis T3
Physicochemical Characteristics and Bioactive Contents of
Ms. Bong Zhang Ru ; Ts. Dr. Irine Runnie Henry Ginjom
Stingless bee honey (SBH), locally known as Kelulut honey, is not commonly exposed to the public when compared to Apis bee honey. It is still not widely known commercially due to the limited background knowledge of SBH, and lack of International Standard on its quality standard Thus, it is currently not being regulated by food control authorities
The objective of this research is to generalise better documentation of the physicochemical properties of selected honey samples in Sarawak for allowing better categorisation of stingless bee honey product quality and commercialisation Hence, several physicochemical properties including pH, moisture content, ash content, total phenolic content, antioxidant activities and melissopalynological analysis were conducted to determine their botanical origin, purity, and quality
This information could contribute towards SBH database to assist the preparation of an international standards dedicated for stingless bee honey (SBH).
In Silico
and
In Vitro
Evaluation on the Anticancer and
Apoptosis-Related
Activity of Piperine Compound on Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Lines
Prof. Dr. Edmund Sing Ui Hang
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Although increasing evidence shown the cytotoxicity effect of piperine on several other cancer cell lines, the cytotoxic effect of piperine compound against NPC cells is not completely understood In this study, the anticancer potential of the compound, piperine derived from the fruits of black pepper (Piper nigrum) plant were examined by in vitro and in silico analysis
Materials and methods: The anti-proliferative activity of piperine were investigated via WST-8 assay on 5 different human nasopharyngeal cell lines: NP69, HK1,TW 01, TW 04, C666-1
Computational molecular docking simulation was performed to predict the interaction between piperine and multiple apoptosis regulatory proteins Results: Piperine inhibited cell proliferation of all the cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values ranging from 23 451µ 1 913 to 49 272 µ 1 909 µg/mL Piperine did not show cell selectivity against the NPC cells as IC50 value of NP69 is the lowest amongst the 5 studied cell lines, displaying a low selectivity index.
Besides that, cisplatin drug that was used as positive control showed a much lower IC50 value as compared to piperine compound, ranging from 0 711µ 0 004 to 4 778 µ 0 175µg/mL, showing that cisplatin has more potent cytotoxicity than the piperine compound
Our apoptosis assay showed an increasing activity of caspase 3/7 expression in cells treated with different concentration of piperine This suggests that its anti-proliferation effects on tested the cell lines was associated with apoptotic mechanism Ligand-receptor docking simulation
energy values ranging from -8 7 to -5 7 kcal/mol High binding score were observed from docking of piperine with TNFR-1 (-7 2 kcal/mol), TNF-µ (-6 7 kcal/mol) and caspase-3 (-6 9 kcal/mol), suggesting the likelihood that the activation of apoptosis is via the extrinsic pathway
Conclusion: The piperine compound possesses potent growth inhibitory activity on NPC cells but albeit poor cytotoxic selectivity This anti-proliferative effect is likely to be mediated by apoptotic mechanisms involving proteins of the apoptosis extrinsic pathway The application of a combined cisplatin and piperine concoction in effective growth inhibition of NPC cells should be considered for future study
Sarawak Stingless Bee Honey (SBH)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles As A Potential Alternative To CopperBased Fungicide: The Anti -pathogenic Capability And Transport Properties
Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Chan Yen San, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Law Ming Chiat Curtin University, Malaysia
Plant disease management is a critical issue in agricultural sector This is due to low crop yield and their vulnerability to various crop diseases Fusarium spp fungi are reported to be one of the biggest threats in the agricultural sector in Sarawak As such, farmers usually apply chemicals such as copper-based fungicides to control fungal diseases Although copper-based fungicides have demonstrated excellent performance in fungal disease management, copper does not disintegrate in soil This leads to soil and water contamination in the environment It also causes additional work to farmers as they need to apply extra fertilizers to ensure proper plant growth. Thus, it is important to discover an alternative material that is able to overcome the environmental and crop disease problems
Therefore, this project aims to develop an effective nano-agrochemical that exhibits dualfunction: fungicide and plant growth promoter From literature, metal oxide nanoparticles such as magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs) and iron (II) oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NPs) demonstrated excellent antifungal and antibacterial properties for combating plant diseases They are also able to promote plant growth without causing soil contamination In addition, magnetic properties of Fe2O3 NPs offer targeted delivery ability, which can speed up the fungal treatment and could minimize the losses to environment In this project, various sizes and shapes of MgO NPs and hybrid magnetic Fe2O3-MgO NPs (m-MgO NPs) were synthesized through sol-gel method, and their antifungal performances against F oxysporum were screened Various characterization studies, including UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD and VSM and m-MgO NPs synthesized was found to be 5 843 ± 0 438 nm and 20 60 ± 0 208 nm, respectively The results show that MgO and m-MgO NPs with smaller size can better inhibit the F oxysporum growth Besides, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of MgO and m-MgO NPs against F oxysporum was found to be 2 5 and 10 mg/mL, respectively In addition, the time inhibition study shows that MgO NPs not only have lower MIC, but also have a more durable antifungal performance than those of m-MgO NPs Interestingly, both NPs were shown to be fungistatic, where they only inhibit the fungus growth instead of killing it On the other hand, low concentrations (1 25 mg/mL) of MgO and m-MgO NPs are effective to promote the plant growth. Overall, MgO and m-MgO NPs demonstrated superior antifungal properties and plant growth promotion ability than the conventional copper-based fungicide studies, as well as the experimental and modelling of the NPs transport in soil and plant.
Evaluation of engineering properties and environmental effect of silica fume and ordinary Portland cement as peat soil stabilizer T7
Pn. Syazie Nordzaima Ali Mohamad, Dr. Mastura binti Bujang
University of Technology Sarawak
In Malaysia, there are a total of 2.5 million hectares of peatlands of which 1.5 million hectares of it, is located in the state of Sarawak. It is inevitable that the construction of Pan-Borneo Highway in Sarawak would be quite costly because more than 60% (600km) of the highway in the Sarawak’s strech will be passing through peat soil Therefore, studies are needed to
of silica fume (SF) combined with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) for peat soil stabilization has a good potential to improve the characteristic of the peat, whilst at the same time utilizing waste materials This study was carried out by adding 10-30% (by weight) OPC and 10-30% (by weight) SF to peat soil The physical properties of peat were investigated to characterize the parent peat while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) was conducted to investigate the microstructural variation of untreated peat along with the depth Other than that, the effect of SF and OPC in peat soil was determined
soaked and 7-14 days curing conditions respectively. Finally, toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) test was conducted to determine whether there are hazardous elements present in a sample
Based on the results obtained, it showed that Sibu peat was hemic and sapric in nature with high water and organic contents The UCS results revealed that the untreated peat possessed an extremely low strength of about 49 4 kPa compared to peat with a combination of 10% OPC and 30% SF which achieved 488 7 kPa For CBR value of 16 5% was observed at untreated peat meanwhile a peak CBR of 44% was recorded using 10% OPC and 30% SF It is found that the peat strength increases with the increasing curing period The morphological
the EDX analysis showed that the composition of peat varied less with the depth and possess almost the same percentages of the elements Lastly, the TCLP results proved that the peat contained with SF and OPC is safe to be used and not harmful to the environment Hence, it was concluded that the upper layer of peat soil can be stabilized with SF and OPC in order to increase the strength of sub-base layer for the pavement
Development and Optimization of Accelerated Weathering of Limestone for CO2 Capture from Cement Industry Gas Emission
Ir. Dr. Ngu Lock Hei
Various environmental complications such as climate change and global warming are caused by the tremendous CO2 emissions from various industries. The cement industry contributes to 2.53 billion tCO2/yr emissions globally. In an effort to remedy this problem, this research aims to implement accelerated weathering limestone (AWL) process to capture CO2 from cement height of 1.182 m and diameter of 0.114 m with a working limestone packing volume of 0.0056 m3.
and alkalinity was performed. It was found that by decreasing the L/G ratio (0.9960 to 0.0030)
greater retention time under a lower L/G ratio operation. On the other hand, the decreased
the parametric study, three optimized solutions (max alkalinity, equal importance and max
obtainable was 2.50 mM and 73.51 mol %, respectively. Overall, this research serves as a preliminary study for the potential future commercialization of the AWL process.
Optimization of photocatalytic fuel cells (PFCs) in the treatment of T9
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tay Meng Guan
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Photocatalytic fuel cells (PFCs) are considered an advanced technology in wastewater treatment as they are able to remove organic based wastewater by using the principle of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and at the same time generate electricity Despite PFCs
out to determine the optimal conditions of contact time, pH, initial organic concentration and light intensity in order to remove the organic matter present in diluted POME Our PFC system was constructed by using NaCl as the supporting electrolyte with ZnO/Zn as the photoanode and platinum wire as the cathode
found to work optimally at pH 7 with a light intensity of 1300 lx for 6 h Meanwhile, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed the high organic matter concentration in POME can lead to the deposition of an organic layer on the photoanode surface which subsequently
This result has indicated that PFC is not suitable for treating the fresh POME directly from the mill, but it is more suitable for treating POME, from the last biological treatment pond.
Box–Behnken design study of milling effect on the alkaline extraction of lignin from oil palm empty fruit bunch T10
Dr. Lau Shiew Wei
Curtin University, Malaysia
Lignin is a type of complex organic polymers found in plants, which can be extracted for a variety of value-added applications, such as adhesives, plastics, binders, and dispersant. This
oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB), by varying the treatment time (30–60 min), temperature (90–121°C,), and solid-to-solvent ratio (1:10–1:50).
Experimental design was conducted according to the Box–Behnken design (BBD) method, and the optimised conditions (treatment time of 60 min, temperature of 121°C, solid-to-solvent ratio
the same conditions The model predicted by the response surface methodology (RSM) from BBD correlated well with the experimental values, indicating its suitability in optimising the extraction conditions
The future work from this study is to apply the extracted lignin in the formulation of phenolic resin and to test the respective resin properties as well as its performance when used as glue for plywood application
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death with 2,000 death cases each year This raises the importance of quick and accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis to ensure timely treatment Most low-middle-income countries, including Malaysia, have been adopting sputum smear microscopy to detect tuberculosis, but such method is time consuming, labour intensive and inaccurate
Other detection methods such as mycobacterium culture and sensitivity test, and chest x-ray offer higher accuracy, but are much more expensive Therefore, our study employed image processing technique to substitute human labour for rapid and accurate tuberculosis diagnosis In our study, the Canny Edge Detection and K-means were used and compared as image processing algorithms to count acid-fast bacilli in patients’ saliva samples The bacilli count per sample was used as a parameter to conduct tuberculosis diagnosis by World Health Organisation standard Canny Edge Detection method achieved 100% diagnosis accuracy, while K-means algorithm achieved 88 9% diagnosis accuracy
Currently, the research is focusing on the feasibility of utilising Machine Learning Model Builder from ML net to decide the best algorithm for acid-fast bacilli counting based on the patients’ saliva samples training data
Mr. Lim Jia Wei, Ir. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chua Hong Siang
Carbon - to-nitrogen ratio characterization of different feedstock for enhanced anaerobic co -digestion processes
Dr. Wong Ngie Hing (Matthew)
Rapid urbanization has led to the disposal of large amounts of food waste (FW) and emissions. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is typically utilized for converting waste to energy via biogas production. The typical designs for AD facilities focus on mono-digestion with only one
Although mono-digestion can be cost-effective, using one feedstock (FW or SS) only in a onestage AD system can cause severe imbalances of carbon to nitrogen ratios (C/N) and other constituents Typically, these imbalances adapted complex control mechanisms for overcoming the volatile fatty acids accumulation and inhibition in the AD systems. Hence, a balance C/N ratio is essential in an anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) system with two or more feedstock types depending on the feedstock characteristics and the operating range of different AcoD systems In this work, we investigate the C/N ratio characterization methods for processing and mixing the feedstock for comparing one-stage and two-stage AcoD systems
Collected FW and SS are sorted and homogenized separately and then characterized for their C/N ratios before and after mixing Subsequently, a series of bench-scale batch experiments with an 8 L working volume for each reactor is adapted to load the mixed feedstock with different known C/N ratios to provide insights into the changes in the C/N ratios and biomethane potential (BMP) The results can be used to design subsequent experiments using two-stage continuous AcoD bench-scale systems This work can develop a novel characterization and mixing strategy with the experimental basis for minimizing the negative impacts on AcoD processes due to the feedstock variation
of river sand has led to depletion and negatively impacted the topography and ecosystem to accommodate the demand Marine sand can be an option to replace river sand in concrete production, but there was a concern with the existing chloride ions presence in marine sand that can leads to corrosion of reinforcing steel
A marine sand washing machine was developed to reduce chloride ions in marine sand to an allowable limit for concrete production River sand, untreated marine sand and treated marine sand was investigated and used for mortar and concrete samples Marine sand washing machine integrates with automation and chloride monitoring system was designed and fabricated. Marine sand highly affects the workability of mortar and concrete as the grading of marine sand was smaller than river sand Strength development of marine sand mortar and concrete was higher at the early stage and slows downs at the later stage
On the contrary, river sand mortar and concrete has slower strength development at early stage and peaks up at the later stage The chloride ions in marine sand accelerates the cement hydration At 28 days strength, 1:1 mortar with treated marine sand (48 5MPa) shows higher strength than river sand mortar (44 3MPa), yet 1:3 mortar shows an opposed result; treated marine sand mortar (12 3MPa) and river sand mortar (13 7MPa) The grading of marine sand highly affects the particle packing of 1:3 mortar matrix The use of treated marine sand in mortar and concrete in industrial application was feasible as the strength differences was within an acceptable range
Ms. Amelia Chai Pei Sze, Dr. Chin Mei Yun
Properties of Mortar and Concrete Made of Marine Sand Treated with Rainwater P3
Ir. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Basil Wong Tung Liong
In recent years, various novel control methods have been shown to improve the energy the cooling effects.
draft rates. The average PMV for all occupants were noted to reach a comfortable value at a ~58% faster timeframe.
The results demonstrate that the smart adaptive vent is capable of achieving greater thermal HVAC system.
Mr. Hii King Ung
confocal microscopy (RCM) is a novel technology that provides non-invasive, in vivo imaging of the skin at nearly cellular resolution.
This research recognized that the improvement on the scanning resolution of conventional
permit further improvement on the axial scanning resolution of RCM.
on the given out-of-focus rays from entering the pinhole of a confocal system, imposing a more stringent limit for rays around the in-focus region to be detected as confocal signal The feasibility of the proposed technique was experimentally examined The axial scanning datas
conventional and muitiple-pass systems.
higher scanning resolution. The comparison of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of
proposed technique is twofold of that of the conventional technique.
Prof. Ir. Dr. Andrew Ragai Henry Rigit
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Tidal energy generation has vast potential for power generation around the world, a lot of its potential is yet to be explored. Several locations for tidal energy generation in East Malaysia
the tidal stream at Triso Island, a previously known macro tidal site.
The model is developed using the numerical tools of Delft3D to solve the Navier Stokes and transport equation Simulation results helped to understand the spatial and temporal changes of depth-averaged velocity and water level at the Triso island, Sarawak Malaysia The model is validated with the time series water level data extracted from the TPXO database
The simulation results for the spring and neap tidal cycle indicate that the nature of the tide at the Triso island is mixed semidiurnal The spatial results showed the maximum depthaveraged velocity of 1 m/s, for the area greater than 0 5 km2 is available near Triso island
the Triso island.
Characterization of Polymer Materials in Construction Piles Application for Civil Works P7
Dr. Lee Yee Yong
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
With the many applications of polymers (more commonly known as plastic) in the domestic, business and industrial sectors, the world production of plastics including Sarawak, Malaysia has reached an unprecedented highs in terms of volumes and numbers in recent years Due to its non-biodegradable nature and long lifespan, the world now need to deal with the resulting increased volumes of plastics waste and the disposal of such waste has proven to be energy and resources consuming
This proposal advocates polymer recycling for Sarawak in order to resolve plastic waste disposal and the related issues and their associated negative impacts It is proposed that plastic waste has potential to be recycled and used for construction works application such as piles production for foundations with light loadings, especially those in civil works. The piles proposed herewith is short piles to replace bakau (mangrove) pile.
Due to the rapid deforestation of mangrove, harvesting of mangrove bakau is no longer sustainable and feasible in terms of environment and economy This study will include researching on the best type of virgin and recycled polymers that emulates (or even better improves) bakau piles’ properties Three type of polymers such as HDPE, PP, PVC in the form of recycled, virgin and 50% V:50% R were tested
Results showed that all the virgin polymer classes have high critical axial load and critical stress, given that PP is the highest Overall, the virgin samples perform better comparing to recycled and 50%R:50%V classes
Tidal stream power assessment and design of tidal current turbine for Pulau Triso. P6
Prof. Dr. Ng Chee Khoon
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Manganese slag is a by-product from the ferrosilicon and manganese alloys production and is categorised as scheduled waste by the Department of Environment (DOE). Due to its good activity index, it is deemed possible to partially replace cement with manganese slag in concrete
The slump of fresh concrete increases with the increase in waste manganese slag content When the waste manganese slag content is at 15% and 30%, the increase in concrete slump relative to the control specimen is not particularly obvious, with a difference of less than 3 mm When the content of waste manganese slag reaches 45%, the slump of manganese slag concrete is 18 mm higher than that of the control specimen
As for compressive strength, the more the amount of waste manganese slag is added to the concrete mix, the lower the corresponding compressive strength of manganese slag concrete is recorded The effect is more obvious on the 7-day compressive strength as compared to the 28-day compressive strength This may be due the waste manganese slag not participating in the hydration reaction in the early stage (7 days) In the later stage (28 days), the waste manganese slag begins to participate in the hydration reaction with time, so that the decrease in compressive strength at the age of 28 days is relatively gentle concrete. Properties Of Concrete With Manganese Slag As Partial Cement
Prof. Dr. M. Shahidul Islam
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
This research aims to develop a two-stage anaerobic pilot plant to produce potable water,
Oxygen Demand, Biological Oxygen Demand, and Total dissolved solids and total suspended solids In addition, contaminants and pollutants in discharged POME will limit compliance with the regulations of the department of environment
The novelty of this research is to develop a model using Central Composite Design (CCD) combined with Design of Experiment (DOE) software to optimize the output in a double-stage fermentation process Based on the data generated from CCD and DOE optimization software, a two-stage batch anaerobic reactor is designed to accelerate the fermentation process of POME for optimizing the acidogenesis and methanogenesis process. Two vertical (6 meters height) CSTR bioreactors are designed for POME digestion to produce biogas and green
Furthermore, to produce potable water from the POME, separation technology, biotechnology, and Nano Technology have been adopted in the process design. A simulation has been
retention time (HRT), Sludge Retention Time (SRT), pH, Organic-loading rate (OLR), and Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C/N) The predicted optimum manipulating input factors for the pilot scale anaerobic reactor are OLR is 5 0 kg (m3-POME-day), pH is 7 1, C/N is 30 5, HRT is 6 5 days, and SRT is 13 5 days The predicted optimum outputs of anaerobic reactors are biogas (litre-POME)-1.
strategies for converting the hazardous POME into biogas and potable water. The research outcome would contribute to achieving SDG 6(clean water production), SDG 7(clean energy production), and SDG 13(climate actions to combat climate change)
Technology for Optimizing Biogas and Water Production from Palm Oil P9
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
This paper presents a mathematical modelling for wearable lower limb rehabilitation robot (WLLR). The Denavit Hartenberg (DH) and the geometric method was employed to obtain the theoretical forward and inverse kinematics model, respectively
The Lagrangian formulation was utilized to derive the dynamic model of the hip and knee joint Simple PID based controller was developed in order to verify the developed dynamic model MATLAB SimMechanic software was used to simulate the WLLR motion behaviour in a real environment
The results showed that WLLR joint successfully follow the desired range of motion (ROM) and walking gait condition within acceptable error margin Thus, the developed dynamic model is acceptable and can be utilized for future improvement of the controller systems for WLRR
Assoc. Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Kismet anak Hong Ping
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. At present, screening mammography is the standard method of breast imaging for early breast cancer detection before symptoms appear Mammography screening produces X-ray images by compressing the breast Mammography caused patients feel uncomfortable and/or painful due to breast compression and exposure to ionizing radiation During screening examinations, breast cancers
is not effective in detecting breast cancer for women with dense breast tissue whose have higher risk of the cancer In addition, mammogram technique may miss up to 15% tumours and have high false reading rates Due to these limitations, microwave engineers interested to use microwave imaging for breast cancer detection Microwave imaging has the possibility to identify breast tumour due to large contrast shown by the tumour with respect to normal breast at microwave frequencies compared to X-ray frequencies Besides that, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are also used for breast screening Microwave imaging has been extensively studied in the past several years as an alternative for
tissue and malignant tumour has driven the interest of microwave researchers in searching new alternative for breast cancer detection in microwave frequencies Forward-Backward Time-Stepping (FBTS) method is one of the inverse scattering techniques in time domain in which is applied to microwave imaging breast cancer detection by considering the dispersion effects of the human tissues The FBTS algorithm is implemented in C++ language executed in parallel computing by utilizing the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) in time-domain form to reconstruct the microwave properties of the breast To demonstrate the validity of the FBTS technique, both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) cases were assessed via numerical simulations and experimental measurements In such framework, 2-D FBTS utilized a slice of Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) from the healthy left breast of a volunteer in the prone position First-order Debye model parameters were mapped to each pixel value using the piecewise-linear procedure The values of the nominal Debye parameters for the various tissues were applied In preliminary study, the breast was assumed to be immersed in a lossless coupling liquid as a background medium Coupling liquid was chosen with a permittivity that roughly matches breast fat tissue. Further research works utilizing the numerical breast model in a free space instead of coupling liquid were carried out to detect
using a free space as the background medium is for the microwave mammography equipment easier to be maintained than using coupling liquids. The reconstruction results demonstrated that the FBTS inverse scattering algorithm has the ability to detect and localize the presence of tumour accurately and provide evidence of FBTS algorithm is applicable for object detection and tumour detection in various types of breast
Reconstruction of Dispersive Breast Composition Using Inverse Scattering Technique for Early Breast Cancer Detection
Ms. Deanne Edwin, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kismet anak Hong Ping
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Microwave imaging (MI) has recently emerged as a popular research issue among scientists, particularly in breast imaging, due to its non-ionizing, cost-effective, portable, and lowcomplexity technique as a tool for therapeutic procedures now in use
Over the microwave frequency range, the conductivity and permittivity of normal and malignant human tissues differ As a result, a wideband operation that begins at a lower frequency is more appealing to employ for the detection of any potential malignant tissues, particularly in the breast imaging system
This paper provided a 47mm×12mm (L×W), L-shaped multiband co-planar dipole antenna that was simple, compact, and cost-effective Multiband dipole antennas are rarely utilised in breast imaging systems and are typically operated at a single frequency only for existing breast imaging applications The proposed antenna functions at multiband desired resonant frequencies ranging from 2GHz to 6GHz, with the entire S11 curve falling below -10dB for the desired bandwidth
Furthermore, the performance of the proposed antenna was compared in both simulation and experimentation, and the results revealed an acceptable correlation As an outcome, the proposed antenna is suitable to be employed in a breast imaging system
Eigen-stress Induced Stimulation to Simulate FES Foot Drop
Rehabilitation P13
Dr. Lidyana bintin Roslan
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
inadaptable as patients grow out of the ankle foot orthosis brace which supposed to force the foot back into the neutral position.
In recent years, functional electrical stimulation (FES) which uses electric signals that stimulate
recover the normal gait. However, the signal required to stimulate the foot to match the gait
anterior and foot bed muscles were constructed. The concept of eigen-stress in the form of thermal induced-stress was introduced to mimic the FES stimulation.
The heat load input are parallel with the tensile direction of muscles to recreate muscle contraction and extension movements. Two cases have been considered in the analyses.
of the gait cycle were obtained.
lower limb compared to the anterior portion.
L-Shaped Multiband Co-Planar Dipole Antenna for Breast Imaging System P12
Sustainable
Dr. Wong Kwong Soon, Dr. Low Wai Wah Curtin University, Malaysia
At Samalaju, ferroalloy related industries demand huge quantities of raw materials and generate enormous volumes of wastes such as such as silicomanganese (SiMn)slag and silica fume (SF)
Aiming to tackle the increasing volume of industrial waste, this investigation explores the use of the wastes in brick paver production Strength of the brick paver was studied using compressive strength and skid resistance tests; whilst abrasion resistance and water absorption tests were conducted for durability properties of brick paver
Maximum compressive strength about 55 MPa for brick paver is observed at 10% of cement replacement by SiMn slag Skid resistance of brick paver increases with SiMn slag content and SF content Water absorption and abrasion resistance of brick paver increase with SiMn slag content
It is found that for pedestrian uses achieving the requirements stated in Malaysia and Hong Kong Standards, about half of the cement in brick paver could be replaced by silicomanganese slag and silica fume
Product Quality Estimation of Sago (Metroxylon sagu) based on Hyperspectral Imaging and Multivariate Image Analysis
Prof. Dr. Agus Saptoro
Curtin University, Malaysia
Malaysia is the world’s largest sago exporter and most of Malaysian-grown sago originate from Sarawak. Therefore, for Sarawak, sago is an important agricultural commodity contributing to the state’s economy Consequently, efforts have been directed toward maintaining and/ or improving the quality of Sarawak sago In the market, however, some sago products are contaminated with chemicals like bleaching agents/additives such as benzoyl peroxide,
Quality monitoring in detecting sago quality including these contaminants is usually carried out using analytical instrumentations.
While the use of these instrumentations can measure their compositions, these procedures have been acknowledged to be cost-ineffective, time-consuming and requiring sophisticated analytical instrumentations and expertise. This project, therefore, aims to develop a rapid, reliable and cost-effective detector and estimator of sago quality The backbones of this proposed technology are hyperspectral imaging to obtain spatial and spectral images of processed sago starch and machine learning based image analyses The research works to date indicate that with appropriate pre-processing and feature selection methods, hyperspectral images can be employed as inputs for machine learning models (multilinear regression (MLR), principal component regression (PCR), partial least squares (PLS) and support vector regression (SVR)) to predict the contents of benzoyl peroxide, L-cysteine, calcium hypochlorite, and
Current results show that PLS models are superior to estimate compositions of sodium of prediction (RMSEP) of 0 0583, and calcium hypochlorite with R2 of 0 9847 and RMSEP of 0 0924 Meanwhile, SVR models perform best to predict the contents of benzoyl peroxide with R2 of 0 9908 and RMSEP of 0 0719, and L-cysteine with R2 of 0 9782 and RMSEP of 0 1103
utilised to rapidly and accurately perform sago product quality estimation
engineering of brick paver using industrial waste at Borneo Island P14
Dr. Mazizah Ezdiani binti Mohamad
University of Technology Sarawak
The construction on peat soils is very challenging due to their properties of low shear strength, high compressibility, and high water content. Due to these geotechnical problems of peat soil, soil stabilization is essential if the peat soil is to be used as a soil foundation On the other hand, the accumulation of waste tyres has caused environmental problems worldwide in recent decades
An effective solution to both problems is the use waste tyres to peat are investigated Peat soil samples were collected from Sg Bidut, Sibu and analyzed for their physical and engineering properties The peat soil samples were then mixed with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) at 5% with three different sizes at 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% of waste tyres each: 0.5 – 3 mm, 1 mm – 5 mm, and 3 mm to 9 mm. The waste tyres were obtained from ZHA Environmental and Proctor compaction.
According to the results the size (3 mm - 9 mm) of the tire produces the highest compressive
properties of the peat soil. The mixture containing 5 % waste tyres ranging in size from 3 mm
From the results, the addition of 5% of each of size showed the best results among the other percentages. In conclusion, soil stabilized with the waste tyre is decrease in optimum moisture
Stabilization through the use of waste tyres not only increasing the strength of the soil, but it also helps in reducing the disposal problems.
Production of biochar -activated carbon from coconut shell and husk using two step self -sustained – steam activation process P17
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Juferi bin Idris
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak Branch, Samarahan Campus
The coconut industry generates a relatively large amount of coconut shell and husk biomass, which can be converted into added value product such as biochar and activated carbon. Nonetheless, production of biochar-activated carbon requires long retention time and energy
Thus, this study aims to produce biochar-activated carbon from coconut shell and husk using two step self-sustained – steam activation process Coconut shell and husk are carbonized separately using pilot scale self-sustained brick reactor whereby coconut biomass is combusted to provide the heat for carbonization on its own in inadequate oxygen to produce biochar without electrical heater.
Produced biochar is then activated using steam activation rector to produce activated carbon
The two step self-sustained – steam activation is expected to reduce retention time and energy in activation process and at the same time produced high quality of activated carbon
The proposed method can be introduced in rural community where agriculture biomass is abundantly available for income generating or agriculture fertilizer using economical technology to ensure sustainability
Effect of Different Size of Waste Tyres with Cement on Peat Soil
Stabilization P16
Added Pyrolyzed ZIF-8 Photocatalyst For Remazol Brilliant Blue R dyes degradation under visible light irradiation.
Dr. Sivasangar Seenivasagam
Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus
The detrimental impacts on aquatic life and human health due to the carcinogenic nature of the toxic organopollutant, Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) dye gains a constant concern among researchers in recent years RBBR dye is highly soluble in water, making it a common pollutant present in industrial sewage
material with the addition of photo-active dopants to serve as a photocatalyst is investigated.
morphology with a tunable porous carbon structure that sustains harsh reaction conditions.
Pristine ZIF-8 was prepared via the incipient wetness impregnation method and pyrolyzed at 700°C (ramping 2°C /min) for 4h. Subsequently, the obtained P-ZIF-8 was doped with photocatalytic performance by maintaining the electron trap state and lower the recombination rate of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. The photocatalyst is then characterized by XRD,
Preliminary UV-DRS analysis shows a notable reduction of band gap value towards visible-
characteristics can be used as an initial reference in the photocatalytic reaction Hence, highly porous X wt%/P-ZIF-8 photocatalysts have great potential in the degradation of RBBR dye and further exploration is underway to be applied in industrial applications such as palm oil
Dopants, Band-gap.
BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
Cationized starch derived from Moraceae plant seeds as promising natural coagulants for turbidity removal
Assoc. Prof. Dr. John Lau Sie Yon Curtin University, Malaysia
The consumption of fruits worldwide is set to rise as fruits are increasingly consumed. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), one of the popular fruits in the Moraceae plant family has the wastes generated, which is problematic without proper methods for disposal Fruit seeds and peels of Moraceae plant family and its related cousins such as chempedak (Artocarpus integer) and tarap (Artocarpus Odoratissimus) are mostly high carbohydrate content and contribute up
The present study aims to re-utilize the unwanted fruit seed wastes and extract starch to produce cationic starch. The cationic starch can be applied in areas including and not limited
starch (JSCS) is recorded in the range of 95-98%, with the removal amount from 150 NTU to approximate 5 NTU.
several particle characterisation studies have also been carried out for JSCS structural and
feasible alternative for wastewater treatment as it can remove turbid water with a comparable result of alum-based coagulant This can greatly reduce the usage of chemicals in drinking water treatment
P21
Dr. Henry Foo Chee Yew, Dr. Tan Inn Shi
Curtin
University, Malaysia
cycle assessment, respectively. To achieve these objectives, this project has been planned in three distinct phases.
During Phase I, the experimental data of supercritical CO2 extraction, conventional Soxhlet extraction, and enzymatic extraction methods are collected The experimental works on batch supercritical CO2 extraction, conventional Soxhlet extraction and enzymatic extraction have been completed We had proved that the performance of supercritical CO2 is comparable with the conventional method as well as reported value in literature A single factor and response surface optimization experiments had been performed to determine the optimum extraction condition to achieve the optimum yield of Brucea Javanica Oils (40oC and 120 min)
As a result, Phase II focuses on the mass production of Brucea Javanica Oils at a pilot plant scale at Sarawak BioValley Pilot Plant (SBPP) 5 preliminary pilot-scale runs have been carried out and successfully extracted antioxidants in mass production Next, in Phase III, the antioxidant potential of Brucea Javanica Oils has been studied and characterized
Javanica oil. Both DPPH and ABTS tests are performed, and their antioxidant properties are reported in detail.
Antioxidant and Antimalarial Properties of Alpinia galanga, Nigella sativa and Canarium odontophyllum P23
Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Stephanie Chan Yen San Curtin University, Malaysia
The advancement in modern drug development against many diseases, malarial treatment and prevention remain an ongoing battle for survival amongst 1/3 of humans on this planet due to widespread resistance of the Plasmodium parasites to existing antimalarial drugs and slow progress in developing malarial vaccines In view of the problem, it is vital to discover new antimalarial agents with potent antimalarial properties to combat the Plasmodium parasites
From the wealth of cumulative knowledge of indigenous people coupled with a large volume
compounds for malaria treatment can be derived from indigenous plant This project evaluates the antioxidant and antimalarial properties Alpinia galanga, Nigella sativa and Canarium odontophyllum
The antioxidant activities of the plants were evaluated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazylhydrate (DPPH), hydroxyl radical scavenging and ferrous (Fe2+) chelating assay. For the DPPH assay, Alpinia galanga exhibited antioxidant activity of 4 29%, followed by Nigella sativa at 6 20% and Canarium odontophyllum at 1 91% Besides, in hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, the plants exhibited activity of 5 44%, 8 11% and 4 89% respectively for Alpinia galanga, Nigella sativa and Canarium odontophyllum In the same order, the antioxidant activity exhibited in the ferrous chelating assay was 13 66%, 9 12% and 13 06% respectively
Lastly, antimalarial Mark III assay was conducted which showed Alpinia galanga and Nigella sativa having dose-dependent antimalarial activity with IC50 of 49 46 µg/ml and 8 971 µg/ml respectively. However, the Canarium odontophyllum extract did not exhibit a dose dependent result At present, there is cumulative evidence that suggests antioxidants improve the symptoms of malaria and might contribute effectiveness of management in malaria
Pilot Plant Scale Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Natural Antioxidant from Brucea Javanica Seeds Used for Pharmaceutical Applications P22
Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus
Sago starch is isolated from sago palm and its utilization is lower than corn and potato starch. This is caused by its low functionality in food formulation. However, the functionality of starch starch.
solubility in water, especially at 95 °C.
Furthermore, the treatments also enhanced the water and oil binding capacities of the starch and the resistant starch (RS) content of the cooked samples. However, there was no
The increase in RS content may be due to the increase in the amylose content and the degree of the double helix which prevents or limits digestion from occurring.
using microwave heat treatment can improve the functionality of the starch and lowers its digestibility which shows its potential as a functional food ingredient.
Determination of mealybugs, ants, and Pineapple Mealybug Wilt-associated Virus (PMWaV) associated with pineapple cultivations in Bintulu, Sarawak
Dr. Muhamad Azmi bin Mohammed
Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus
crop is prone to attack by pests such as mealybugs, which also act as a vector for Pineapple
Mealybug Wilt-associated Virus (PMWaV), which can affect the yield and quality of pineapple
Therefore, this study uses DNA barcoding and RT-PCR methods to identify the mealybug and ant species, and to detect PMWaV in Bintulu pineapple cultivations
An active sampling of mealybug, ant, and pineapple leaf samples was conducted at three pineapple cultivations in Bintulu, Sarawak. As a result, three mealybug species have been
(Forel), Anoplolepis gracilipes (Smith), Iridomyrmex anceps (Roger), Meranoplus bicolor (Guérin-Méneville), and the genus Crematogaster sp. Lund.
Three different types of PMWaV ((PMWaV-1, -2, -3) were also detected from the pineapple
pests species and updating the infection status of PMWaV to develop effective and sustainable pest control methods.
Optimization of Artocarpus odoratissimus (Terap) Seed and Seedling Production P26
Dr. Shiamala Devi Ramaiya
Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus
Artocarpus odoratissimus, or Terap, is an indigenous fruit gaining visibility in local fruit market
Due to the increasing demands and attributes of this fruit in recent years, the present study aims to investigate seed storage and seedling production techniques of A odoratissimus
Artocarpus odoratissimus seeds are recalcitrant by existence, and seed germination is hampered by the loss of vitality in a short period during storage Therefore, it is critical to determine the appropriate storage conditions to ensure the availability of high-quality planting materials for successful seedling production, and this has been addressed in Objective 1
starch via microwave heat treatment
In this study, the seed viability and germination percentages were evaluated under varied storage temperature, container, and period, treatments following a factorial arrangement of a randomized complete block design (RCBD).
Storing in a transparent container at 20°C demonstrated the most potential in prolonging the
55 83 ± 0 13% prohibits germination Besides, selecting an appropriate substrate is one of the most pivotal stages in producing quality seedlings in nurseries Consequently, the effects of substrate incorporated with effective microorganisms were evaluated and addressed in Objective 2
The synergistic triple treatment (T7-Trichoderma harzianum, Bacillus subtilis, and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)) improved the plant height and underground fresh and dry biomass productions at 47 13 ± 10 80 cm, 32 33 ± 3 21 g, and 11 66 ± 1 08 g, respectively, and a
affected the soil’ total nitrogen, available P, available K, and pH.
Furthermore, seedling survival and growth within a forest are determined to a large extent by the environmental conditions Objective 3 has explained the effects of light intensity (100, 75, 50, and 25% sunlight) and watering frequency (daily, once in 3 days, and once in 5 days and once a week) on the growth performances, physiological changes, and biochemical contents of A odoratissimus seedlings Daily watering at 50% (T9) and 25% (T13) light intensities
10.33 ± 1.52 cm) plants.
Nonetheless, the T9 exhibited enhanced leaf area (401.62 ± 57.60 cm2), total dry root (77.90
0.05) Dickson’s Quality Index. Weekly watering (severe stress) with intense light (T4 and T8) recorded diminished total biomass and physiological characteristics of photosynthetic light also stimulated substantial proline and total soluble sugar accumulations, which returned
The results suggested that daily watering at 50% light intensity was ideal for A odoratissimus seedling cultivation and the accumulation of antioxidant contents, particularly proline, contributed to maintaining its growth rate under stress conditions and recovery.
Findings on the
Dr. Wan Asrina binti Wan Yahaya
Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus
Stimulating plant growth and development were characteristics represented by gibberellin acid (GA). However, the optimum concentration for paddy may remain questionable. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate selected agronomic characteristics improved by different GA concentrations This study was conducted at UPM Bintulu Sarawak Campus as a pot experiment in a greenhouse involving Bajong paddy seedlings with four treatments (T1 –control, T2 – 20 mg/L GA, T3 – 40 mg/L, and T4 – 60 mg/L)
The treatment was sprayed twice during the vegetation period (92 and 122 DAT) in the morning between 8 30 am to 10 00 am About 8 kg of soil mixed with two parts of topsoil (Bekenu Series) and one part of compost was added to a pot, and two germinated seedling aged three weeks was placed per pot.
The thinning procedure was performed once the crop reached a month old to allow only one fertiliser applications were applied every month according to the standard recommendation provided by the Department of Agriculture Sarawak The amount was adjusted according to the pot requirement Data collection started once the crop aged two months by measuring height and tillering on a monthly basis
paddy treated with GA experience fragile stalk and break easily This may closely relate to active cell elongation promoted by the GA Besides, more analysis was on going to provide details on this effect
Preliminary
Effect of Gibberellin on Bajong’s Agronomic Characteristics P27
Mr. Louis Tang Ngie Hua, Dr. John Tang Ing Ching
Twin Catalysts Sdn Bhd
To investigate the effectiveness of Wondaleaf dressing on healing speed and reduction of Adhesive Pouch Dressing (WLAP) in the management of patients with a variety of wounds.
Patients with venous leg ulcers, carbuncles, and chronic ulcer following a trauma injury, abscess, pressure ulcers and surgical site infections were evaluated in this study The study was a prospective, randomised, single centre study at Wound Care Unit, Department of dressings and WLAP dressings during the period between November 2020 to November 2021.
Result: We recruited 28 patients to the study This study showed that WLAP was effective as secondary dressing In all but one case the wounds had reduction in surface area There were 5 cases where the wounds were completely closed and healed between 5 and 11 weeks Another 8 cases the wounds achieved more than 80% area reduction in between 3 and 11 weeks Conclusion: Based on the outcomes for these 28 patients it seems that the WLAP was successful in providing a barrier to bacterial contamination and infection
Eco-friendly Cellulose-based Hydrogels derived from Wastepaper for Controlled-Release of Fertilizer P29
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chin Suk Fun
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
In this study, an eco-friendly controlled release fertilizer cellulose-based hydrogel was prepared carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) as a gelling agent.
A maximum swelling capacity of 2000% was achieved for cellulose hydrogel with optimum composition Urea as a model fertilizer was loaded onto cellulose hydrogels to controlled release fertilizer The maximum loading capacity of urea in cellulose hydrogel is 0 51g/g The
soils were evaluated The formulation of cellulose hydrogels was observed to facilitate gradual release of urea, with about 74 71 % release in topsoil, 73 37 % release in wet clayey soil and 71 84 % release in sandy soil within 42 days when compared to the free urea which was about 97.32 %, 95.09 % and 98.47 % release in topsoil, wet clayey soils and sandy soils, respectively within 7 days.
Other than that, this study showed that the pouch pattern of Wondaleaf dressing is effective at joint areas, limbs and any parts of the body to be use as a secondary dressing. Further studies
The results of this study shows that the urea loaded cellulose hydrogel could be a promising controlled release fertilizer.
P30
Dr. Chung Hung Hui
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
world, is mainly targeted for human consumption. The mitogenomic data of this species is available to date, but the genomic information is still lacking.
Nanopore platforms The hybrid genome assembly had resulted in a sum of 1 23 Gb genomic sequence from the 44,726 contigs found with 44 kb N50 length and BUSCO genome completeness of 87 6%
abundance than that of GC Predicted protein sequences had been functionally annotated to public databases, namely GO, KEGG and COG A maximum likelihood phylogenomic tree containing 52 Actinopterygii species and one Sarcopterygii species as outgroup was morphological variations, and evolutionary biology, which are helpful in the conservation of this species.
Dr. Angela anak Siner
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
The commercial value of Ananas comosus (pineapple), one of the tropical fruits cultivated in Malaysia, is no longer limited its fruit. The potential uses of the other parts of the pineapple had remained largely untapped until reports of its potential use for the removal of water pollutants
This aim of this study was to investigate the removal of glucose, one of the organic compounds in clinical waste such as blood, by biosorbents derived from pineapple leaves Glucose was used as the surrogate for clinical waste as it can be measured with a glucometer Scanning electron microscopy showed presence of oblong-shaped particles in the biosorbents and the particle size analyser.
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy spectra showed that non-glucose type carbohydrates were present before and after biosorption with D-glucose, indicating that pre-treatment did not affect lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose content of the biosorbent
Despite the larger-sized particles in alkali pre-treated biosorbents, up to 70% of glucose was removed which might be due the improvement of the interfacial adhesion during the alkali treatment process In summary, these results support the possibility of pineapple leaves as biosorbent for organic compounds
mahseer (Tor tambroides)
Glucose Removal By Biosorbents From Ananas Comosus P31
Nanoparticulate Brain -Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) as a Potential Antidepressant via Neuroendocrine Mechanisms in Experimental Model of Depression. Part 1. Modelling of depression, its correction and evaluation.
Prof. Dr. Marina Kapitonova
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Hypothalamo-hypophyseo-adrenal axis (HHAA) is the major neurobiological link between the factors inducing depression (disfunctional neurogenesis, neurotransmission, immunity and endocrine axes) While stress-related HHAA activation leads to the development of depression associated with a reduced level of hippocampal BDNF, subsequent atrophic changes and altered synaptic transmission, the effect of depression on the HHAA is not known. As effective antidepressants are known to increase the BDNF level in the brain, BDNF as a medication
effect through its modulation of the HHAA The objective of the study is to investigate the mechanism of action of BDNF on the HHAA in modelled depression Material and methods
Three groups of C57BL/6 mice with 6 animals per group were used in the study The 1st group was treated with normal saline; 2nd (negative control) and 3rd (positive control) groups were subjected to depression modelling using reserpine model
After development of depression the 1st group continued treatment with normal saline, while 2nd group started treatment with normal saline, and 3rd group was treated with 10 mg/kg of
test, preference of sucrose and forced swimming test All obtained results were processed in IBM SPSS Statistics 26 and Microsoft Excel 2016 Results The suggested concentration of
changes in the 2nd and 3rd group, as well as the concentration of 1 mg/kg used by some researchers The concentration of 2 mg/kg caused death of 83% of experimental animals Thereafter according to recommendation of other researchers DMSO was used as a solvent for reserpine, when all animals died after one week
According to recommendations of other researchers, the concentration of reserpine was increased to 5 mg/kg, while the duration of modelling was reduced In addition normal saline was used as a solvent for reserpine This design of the experiment allowed us to obtain evidence of depression on the 5th day of modelling Forced swimming showed that the test
Sucrose preference test showed that the animals of the 2nd and 3rd groups did not demonstrate
reduction of the distance walked, total crossing and rearing in the 2nd group compared to the
The 5th series of experiments allowed us to establish a suitable model for depression
due to the high toxicity of acetic acid and DMSO for the breed of experimental animals used
most sensitive test for measuring the level of depression, especially the indicator of grooming, while defecation and urination counts were shown to be less sensitive. Forced swimming test which might be associated with individual vulnerability to depression of the applied breed of animals, while polydipsia was a sensitive indicator of depression successfully reversed by the traditional antidepressant
Secondary metabolites from the stem bark of Calophyllum canum Hook f. ex T. Anderson and their neuroprotective effects
Dr. Vivien Jong Yi Mian
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak Branch, Samarahan Campus
The phytochemical study conducted on the stem bark of C canum has led to the isolation of eight trioxygenated xanthones namely: 5-methoxytrapezifolixanthone (1), 5-methoxyananixanthone (2),caloxanthoneC(3),1,5-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-4-isoprenylxanthone(4),6-deoxyisojacareubin (5), euxanthone (6), trapezifolixanthone (7), ananixanthone (8), along with three common
from the hexane extract. The structures of these compounds were determined based on spectroscopic data, including 1D & 2D NMR, MS, FTIR, and by comparison with references.
The neuroprotective property of selected compounds was tested through in vitro stroke
neuroprotective activity via reduction of apoptosis by ~ 50%.
Evaluation of Somaclonal Variations in Tissue Cultured MD2 Pineapple at Different Subculture Batches Using SSR and ISSR markers. P34
Pn. Shamsyah binti Hamid Craun Research Sdn Bhd
cause somaclonal variation, putting the real features of the intended traits at risk. The main callusing stage, and lengthy culture period because of long number of subcultures In pineapple, somaclonal variation has been associated with various abnormalities such as multiple crowns, spiny leaves, fasciated crown, multiple slips, undeveloped crown, and variegated leaves
The rapid multiplication using tissue culture method can quickly boost the availability of planting materials in order to meet the rising demand for pineapple fruits. However, assessment of produced Therefore, in this study, attempt to detect and evaluate somaclonal variation of tissue cultured MD2 pineapple from different subculture batches were conducted by using molecular markers. Simple sequence repeats (SSR) and intersimple sequence repeats (ISSR) primers were chosen as it is highly polymorphic and reproducible Plant tissue culture materials were initiated from young suckers shoot and subsequently multiplied by subculturing every 45 days in solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 2 5 mg/l Benzylaminopurine (BAP)
Ten DNA samples from shoots regenerated from each subculture up to 15th subculture were isolated for PCR analysis Among 45 primers screened, only 15 pairs of SSR primers and 21 ISSR primers were selected for use in PCR analysis Polymorphic bands were observed in
Nypa palm (nypa fruticans wurmb ) is widely distributed in mangrove forest along the coastal area in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is approximately 111,351 ha of nypa natural stand area in Sarawak (DOA, Sarawak 2014) located mainly in the division at Kuching, Sarikei and Mukah
It is useful and valuable source for the local economy as they can produce products such as sugar from sap which can generate income to the smallholder farmers At the current natural nypa growing area in mangrove biome, the issue often arise are logistic, accessibility and working condition that is not be conducive for commercial scale
However, nypa palms are not only adapted to grow in mangrove areas, they can also thrive away from the coastline as long there is favorable soil types available in the area In view of these circumstances, the Crop Research and Application Unit (CRAUN) established an ex-situ nipah cultivation plot in areas where this species is present at Kampung Tambak, Pusa in 2019 to study the performance of nypa palm grow on in-land soil The nypa palm started to develop ranging from 1 to 13 pieces per cluster. Water salinity in the river and drainage of the nipah planting area indicated that it is inundated with brackish water.
extinction using cryopreservation
that compete for nutrient with the nypa palms.
Mdm. Lim Mui Hua cryopreservation Lim Mui Hua and Jamil Bin Musel Fisheries Research Institute Bintawa, Jalan Perbadanan, Bintawa, P.O.Box 2243, 93744 Kuching, Sarawak. Abstract Cryopreservation
toli) and Ikan Empurau or Mahseer (Tor tambroides) are ecologically threatened freshwater
The semen cryopreservation was started in 2020 at Fisheries Research Institute Bintawa
(LN2) in the laboratory at Fisheries Research Institute Bintawa (FRIB). Sperm motility after cryopreservation was found to be at an average of 50% and 70% for T. toli and T. tambroides
T. toli and T. tambroides respectively.
The sperm motility (%) during milt collection, before freezing and after thawing of each cryopreserved semen samples were recorded. Future prospects of the semen cryopreservation
done to further improve and enhance the grow out for aquaculture purposes.
Keywords: Cryopreservation; Tenualosa toli; Tor tambroides; freshwater; threatened
Good Agronomic Practices for Nipah palm Cultivated Ex-situ P35
Mr. Mohamad Rosman Sulaiman
Malaysian Palm Oil Board
Damage caused by this species can be seen in palm trees as early as 12 months after planting. The initial census is one of the methods for knowing attacks, but the index’s status guide for each attack by the pest is not yet fully developed Thus, a study on establishing an index of attack by Coptotermes curvignathus was carried out at an oil palm plantation in Sri Aman, Sarawak
The census was conducted in four annual rounds, covering a six-hectare study block. The
separated by one drainage. This census-level census index of the termites starts from 0 to variations in the attack rate index obtained on average ‘tasks’, with plot 12 and 16 recordings the highest attacks, 58.62% and 54.74%, respectively. In comparison, the infection trend has shown an increase in the level of attack followed by a decrease in the number of healthy trees throughout the census if control is not taken immediately
With the development of this index, the census work to determine the level of termite attacks can be standardized Thus, appropriate action can be taken in addressing the latest attacks, and other control actions can be strategized
Composite Score Formula for Likert-type Items using Linear Scale Transformation P38
Dr. Donald Stephen
Likert Scales have been ubiquitous in psychological measurement since its conception. Linear scale transformation transforms qualitative variables (observed responses on Likert-type items) into continuous linear scales ranging from 0 to 100 It is cumbersome to perform linear scale transformation for people without prior knowledge in psychometrics
This study delves into the disparities in the treatment and the composite score for Likert-type data and bridges the gap by introducing a linear scale transformation equation for Likerttype items The equation presented in this paper can cater for instruments having a different number of items, scale size, and item polarity Therefore, it can be adapted in any research collecting Likert data to facilitate the linear transformation of the scale.
The transformed scale corresponds to the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), of which is an equidistant scale with the absence of a verbal label attached to each score. By performing linear scale transformation, not only it enhances the consistency of the instrument, but it also allows for a more intuitive comprehension of the score
Establishment Of Ground Census Termite Infestation Severity Index In Oil Palm Planted On Peat Soil P37
Characterization of Indigenous Durians (Durio graveolens and Durio oxleyanus): Relationship of Physicochemical and Aroma Properties P39
Ms. Gerevieve Bangi Sujang, Dr. Shiamala Devi Ramaiya, Dr. Qammil Muzzammil Abdullah @ Meekiong B. Kalu
of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan,
Sarawak is home to 16 unique Durio species Among the wild durians, Durio graveolens (isu) and Durio oxleyanus (daun) are popular among the local communities in Sarawak and are widely sold at Tamu markets at a good price These indigenous species provide a source of nutrition and income for local people in rural areas Considering the rising demand for local durians, factors like nutritional, phytochemical, and aroma are further looked into to explore the potential of favourable traits and increase their economic value Therefore, the present study focuses on the physicochemical and phytochemical properties of two local Durio species; i e , Durio graveolens (isu kuning, isu oren, and isu merah) and Durio oxleyanus (durian daun) The sensory attributes of the genotypes were evaluated using Quantitative Descriptive Analysis
Production of Instant Cubes from Sarawak Indigenous Food Flavouring Plants: Bungkang (Syzgium polyanthum) and Singkil (Premna serratifolia). P40
Ms. Nurul Aisyah Yusli
Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus
Syzygium polyanthum and Premna serratifolia have the ability to be developed as food
of this species to other local communities, this study was conducted to develop an instant cube from both species, to determine the nutrient and anti-nutrient composition of the plants and to evaluate the palatability of the developed cubes Instant cubes were developed using a suitable formulation determined in this study
The nutrient and anti-nutrient also been conducted by following standard methods established for the analysis Palatability test of the instant cube were conducted with 80 semi-trained panelist using blind test and hedonic scale questionnaire This research can become a strength for the state to develop its own natural product and introduce Sarawak’s indigenous plants to the world.
component analysis (PCA).
Group 1 consisted of isu merah, characterized as the creamiest, which indicated higher (16 43±1 54 mg 100 g-1) and vitamin C (27 94±0 17 mg 100 g-1), while isu kuning in Group 3 was the sweetest and juiciest fruit with high carbohydrate (65 40±0 09%), and total soluble predominantly potassium. A strong correlation was observed between sensory properties and comprised of 22 alcohols, 6 aldehydes, 3 alkanes, 30 esters, 7 ethers, 9 ketones, and 4 sulfur compounds detected in the pulp of the 4 genotypes using HS/SPME-GCMS Ester was the butanoate in isu oren Isu merah possessed a high diversity of sulfur and ether compounds responsible for its grassy, nutty, and sulfury aroma 1-isobutanethiol contributed to the durian sulfury aroma, and the less intense ester and alcohol compound in D oxleyanus explained breeding of new durian cultivars with milder aromas.
Production of instant cube also helps to open the commercialization opportunity of the species. Foremost this research could strengthen the uses and conservation of useful plants.
Local fruits: Banana (Musa acuminata) and Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Peels as Prebiotic P41
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Leong Sui Sien
Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus
Research is being done on fruit waste as a novel alternative source of nutrients and minerals that could be used as functional food additives. The objectives of this study are to determine the 1) proximate and mineral composition of fruit waste powder from banana and watermelon that has been dried using various techniques, and 2) the prebiotic potential of the fruit waste powder (FWP) in promoting the growth of the probiotic Lactobacillus casei Two techniques were used to prepare the fruit peels: oven drying and freeze drying
All FWP was sterilised and ground into 180 m particles. The proximate (total ash), mineral (Ca,
had the highest levels of crude protein, crude fat, and magnesium, while watermelon FWP had the highest levels of moisture, ash, salt, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. Banana
there were noticeable compositional variations (p0 05), neither the oven drying method nor the freeze drying approach had a noticeable impact The amount of salt and phosphorus in watermelon FWP, copper content (all FWP), and phosphorus in banana FWP evaluated all
Effects of Nursery Production Periods on the Outplanting Survival and Growth Performance: The Case of Bornean Tropical Rainforests Indigenous Species Shorea macrophylla (de Vriese) P.S. Ashton
Mohammad Musa, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
3Kuching Landscape Restoration Activist Association (RESTOR), Jalan Song Thian Cheok, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
log10 8.280.02- 8.360.01 CFU/mL L. casei net growth and survival rate, indicating its promise and environmentally friendly, they can be used to supplement nutrients and add value to food compositions.
High-quality seedlings with desirable growth characteristics are pivotal to be planted for optimal outplanting survival and growth Since the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species includes the majority of Dipterocarpaceae family tree species, appropriate conservation of these species is required. Very little is known with no clear consensus regarding whether increasing the seedling production period enhances outplanting survival and growth potential of tropical dipterocarp species planted under enrichment planting in Malaysia Thus, a potential Bornean tropical indigenous canopy species Shorea macrophylla (de Vriese) P S Ashton, locally known as Engkabang jantong was grown in the nursery of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and outplanted at Sampadi Forest Reserve, Sarawak Several nursery production periods (3, 6, 9, and 24 months) were examined for the species at the planting time and the
revealed that S macrophylla seedlings (9 and 24 months) were morphologically larger than younger (3 and 6 months) seedlings Nevertheless, after 12, 24, and 42 months of outplanting, the total pooled mean survival rates decreased from 61 7% to 44 6% The survival rate for
old seedlings during the 42 months Despite this, after 42 months of outplanting, the relative growth rate of the stem diameter was higher for the 3- and 9-month-old seedlings than for the 6- and 24-month-old seedlings. Hence, it would be advantageous to keep plant material from seedlings produced at 3, 6, and 9 months of age for transplantation in forest restoration operations in Sarawak Nonetheless, the 24-month-old seedlings will also be useful, particularly
performance in the tropical forest landscape restoration area of Sarawak, Malaysia, is necessary.
Shorea macrophylla; survivorship.
Dr. Mugunthan A/L Perumal, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Effendi bin Wasli
Mrs. Tracy Saptu
Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus
Dabai is a local fruit in Sarawak which belongs to Buseraceae family Dabai or Canarium odontophyllum also known as ‘Sarawak olive’ is a seasonal fruit. Though, dabai is popular among Sarawakian but it is considered as underutilized indigenous fruit due to the short shelf-
Dabai fruits are ovoid drupes with yellowish pulp and thin layer of black purplish skin when matured.
At the core of the fruit, it has hard seed that contains edible kernel Dabai fuits consumed by soaking in warm water for 5-10 min until the outer pulp soften to edible texture Recently, different genotypes of Dabai fruit has been reported which including Jernah, Biasa, Besar,
Dabai fruits has been reported to have high content of fat, protein, carbohydrate and minerals (such as iron, calcium and sodium) It is nutritious and delicious for its fatty and creamy taste Dabai fruit has high ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (PUFA:SFA) This fatty acid ratio is higher than the standard ratio for prevention of cardiovascular diseases
The main composition of the fatty acid are also similar to palm oil fatty acid composition which including palmitic acid (42%), linoleic acid (35%) and linolenic acid (11%) Thus, Dabai fruits are potential to be commercialized as source of healthy oil and nutraceutical purposes
Mdm. Siti Aminah Ibrahimab, Prof. Dr. Azhar Mat Easac, Prof. Dr. Sharulrazid bin Sarbinbd, Dr. Hanisah Kamilah Abd Razakbd
a CRAUN Research Sdn Bhd, Kuching, Sarawak
Malaysia, Bintulu Sarawak Campus, Bintulu, Sarawak.
Nipa palm (Nypa Fructicans Wurmb ) palm is widely distributed throughout the coasts and riverbanks of Sarawak, which primarily wild stands The sap is consumed as fresh and fermented, but preferably is heated into concentrated syrup locally called gula apong Presently, due to high demand of nipa sugar products, the application of gula apong has extended to various types of food product formulations from snacks, cakes, spreads, ice creams to beverages, as
minimal processing and considered as a natural sweetener. Natural sweetener is preferable and toxicity. In addition, nipa syrup holds a range of proximate constituents, minerals, high diabetes.
High sucrose content and natural prebiotic compound detected in nipa syrup. Nipa syrup has a properties.
TED TALK ABSTRACTS
1. Carl Zeiss Sdn Bhd
Next Generation Confocal Microscope with Airyscan for Fast and Gentle Multiplex Imaging
Confocal microscopy is one important research tool that provides the ability to observe a sensors to report biological functions and to quantify the changes within the desired model system. Desired for their optical sectioning capabilities, confocal microscopy systems have imaging applications and common model systems However, like most research tools, inherent performance limitations owed to the current technology, limit the tools application Airyscanning is a novel technique based on confocal laser scanning microscopy ZEISS introduces a detector concept that drastically improves signal by utilizing light that otherwise is rejected by the confocal pinhole The increased signal-to-noise ratio can be used to improve resolution the principle and limitations of traditional confocal microscopes and how resolutions can be boosted with airyscanning using the concept of pixel reassignment Then, we will discuss how the Airyscanning principle is put to work technically to achieve a unique combination of gentle superresolution imaging and high sensitivity.
3. Borneo Indah Sdn Bhd
Quantitative Digital PCR sample preparation
Biosearch Technologies provides products and service for genomic analysis that support mission critical applications for global customers in agrigenomics and human healthcare. The portfolio offers integrated tools and technologies to accelerate sample preparation,
synthesis, nucleic acid chemistry reagent, and oligo therapeutics. The QIAcuity Digital PCR
thermocycling and imaging into a single instrument with minimal hands-on time It is also easy to adapt your current qPCR assays to the QIAcuity Digital PCR System No change in plate handling is required when coming from qPCR, assuring fast assay setup and quick results in under 2 hours. QIAGEN’s real-time PCR cycler, the Rotor-Gene Q, combines multiple optimized design features to provide the outstanding performance and reliable results that your research demands Together with optimized QIAGEN kits for real-time PCR, the RotorGene Q enables streamlined analysis for a wide range of applications Q-Rex Software is operating and analysis software for life science qPCR applications A choice of plug-ins lets all-round systems designed for performance They combine high-quality thermal elements for fast heating and cooling ramping rates and a fast multi-channel detection system for shorter cycling times The open system is compatible with plasticware in standard SBS formats, low-
Eppendorf Tubes Made from Cooking Oil?
Sustainability is no doubt a topic that has gained serious attention in the last few years From the powerful image of a helpless see turtle plagued by a plastic straw to the recent discovery of microplastic in human blood, we are constantly reminded of our carbon impact on the environment As a well-established, traditional mid-sized company, Eppendorf intends to be concrete and consistent in the pursuit of sustainability as it has always has been with its products – just as our company slogan ‘In Touch with Life’ suggests. For us, that means striving for the shortest distance, the most sparing consumption of resources, the solution that produces the least waste, and the sensible reuse and recycling of materials – but also the careful use of every form of energy, whether electrical power, oil, gas, or the human energy of our employees, customers and suppliers More than this, we are taking one step further by resources such as food oil wastes and residues. Find out more about our newly released a researcher.
4. Innoniaga (M) Sdn Bhd
The introduction of 3D Bioprinting
3D bioprinting starts from the word of 3D printing which also known as additive manufacturing in which digital model so called the CAD (Computer Aided Design) models created with layer-bylayer instructions to make a physical 3D object 3D bioprinting is a technology where bioinks, mixed with living cells, are printed in 3D to construct natural tissue-like three-dimensional structures Currently, this technology can be used in various research areas, such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug discovery, personalized medicine & cell cultured food There are two major types of 3D bioprinting: extrusion-based bioprinting and light-based bioprinting. Extrusion-based bioprinting precisely dispenses bio-compatible materials layer by layer, following tool paths generated in slices from 3D models Extrusion-based bioprinters are of biomaterials, opening the door for more relevant tissue engineering On the other hand, light-based bioprinting produces constructs by initiating chemical reactions that solidify or cure bioinks only where they have been illuminated The two types of light-based technologies, digital light processing (DLP) and holographic, are much faster because they cure whole layers even blocks of bioinks simultaneously Thanks to small points of light in the millions, light-based bioprinters are also able to create more intricate details at much higher resolutions
5.Medika Natura Sdn. Bhd.
Development of Evidence -Based Indigenous Medicines
According to the World Health Organisation around 80% of the world’s population is estimated to use traditional or indigenous medicine to meet their primary healthcare needs However, many countries have yet to fully incorporate indigenous or traditional medicine into their national healthcare systems
Developing indigenous knowledge and practices into evidence-based medicine is a path towards a wider reach, safe and effective treatment whilst respecting patients’ values and preferences This presentation will highlight the key components in the journey towards traditional perspectives.
Keller has a long & rich history in providing specialist ground engineering solutions around the world Our Malaysia story started in 1974 The key strength of Keller is providing our clients with innovative solutions via our Design & Build capability Examples are Penang STP & Malaysia Double Track project from Ipoh to Padang Besar which proved to be faster & more cost effective Keller has been instrumental in introducing new technologies into Malaysia The Vibro Stone Columns were introduced in 1989 and DSM in 2003 When Malaysia started their major tunnelling infrastructure construction in the KL karstic limestone (SMART & KVMRT), grouting technologies were introduced to manage the geotechnical risks in limestone As the world is pushing towards a sustainable construction, Keller has taken the initiative to embrace this in our way of working Our Dry Bottom Feed technology was recognized as Green Technology by MATRADE in 2012 It is our mission to provide low carbon foundation solutions to our clients with various GI technologies within our toolbox For example, by optimizing the foundation for the new Sarawak Methanol Plant in Bintulu with GI, our solution provides a CO2 saving of 55% when compared to conventional driven piling solution In Keller, we strongly believe with our focus on being local in Malaysia, we will be able to continue to provide our clients with sustainable & innovative solutions by leveraging on our global strength
Our utmost appreciation for your participation in the
