Soil – the neglected gold
Reading Time: 4 minutes“IT takes close to 200 years to form one cm of soil in the tropics and the process is even slower in the temperate regions,” says Dr Jeyanny Vijayanathan, a soil scientist at Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Jeyanny who advocates environmental awareness says: “We cannot reverse soil erosion that is happening for centuries now, […]
Medhini Group: Pharmaceutical bridge between Malaysia and India
Reading Time: 3 minutesTHIS year marks a very important year for India-Malaysia bilateral relations as it signifies 65 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Medhini Group Sdn Bhd (MG), established in Feb 2020 is proud to represent two major Indian Biotech and Pharmaceutical ecosystem builders in Malaysia and for neighbouring countries. MOU’s were signed in Pune […]
Biogenes trailblazes digitalisation of biotechnology
Reading Time: 3 minutesPCR or Polymerase Chain Reaction is one major innovation that has transformed the field of molecular biology and now its impact spans other biology disciplines. At the heart of this PCR, which is known as the DNA photocopier are the primers. Primers are short single-stranded DNA fragments that bind to the DNA template that is […]
Microbiologist: Viral mutation keeps Covid-19 in circulation
Reading Time: 4 minutesTHE key point which is the most important factor determining whether COVID-19 is here to stay or whether we can eradicate this “virus”, is a mutation, says Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam from Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia. “The virus continues to evolve through mutation, evading the immunity built by existing vaccines,” […]
Want to be in STEM? Follow the trail set by these three women
Reading Time: 6 minutesTHREE women in Sunway University tell the stories of their postgraduate and postdoctoral journey in renowned institutions that led them to teach, research, and inspire young people. The Petri Dish spoke to these women in STEM; Associate Professor Dr Jactty Chew, Associate Professor Dr Felicia Chung, and Associate Professor Dr Kavita Reginald. They shared what inspired them to pursue […]
Climate change vs air pollution: Two sides of a coin
Reading Time: 3 minutesAIR POLLUTION is considered to be one of the largest factors contributing to climate change. We are unenlightened that conversely – as climate change also causes air pollution and both can be portrayed as two sides of a coin. Associate Professor Dr Yusri Yusup, an atmospheric physicist from the field of Environmental Technology based in […]
MBOT gives a shot in the arm for women in tech
Reading Time: 2 minutesAS a professional body that recognises technologists and technicians in all fields of STEM, the Malaysian Board of Technologists (MBOT) is taking a step forward to support women technologists in breaking the glass ceiling in their respective fields. It does not matter that MBOT is the youngest professional body in Malaysia. During the MBOT Experts […]
Can editing help to resolve food security issues?
Reading Time: 3 minutesBY DR SADEQUR RAHMAN AT the centre of all our lives is the necessity of getting enough food, which is more imperative than ever. Our population is almost eight billion and space on our planet is limited. How will we manage to avoid famines and social chaos? It may seem a hopeless task, given all the […]
Novel Way to detect microbial contamination in cell cultures
Reading Time: 2 minutesRESEARCHERS from the Critical Analytics For Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, have developed a new method of detecting adventitious microbial contamination in mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) cultures, ensuring the rapid and accurate testing of cell therapy products (CTP) intended for use in patients. Utilizing machine […]