Rediscovered firefly puts Bukit Kiara’s urban ecology under the microscope
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe rediscovery of a rare firefly, Gombak bent-winged firefly (Pteroptyx gombakia), a species believed to have gone unrecorded for more than a century, has prompted the Malaysian government to pursue a 300-metre ecological buffer around Bukit Kiara Federal Park, highlighting the scientific importance of protecting increasingly fragmented urban habitats. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department […]
From a Father’s Kitchen to a Village Enterprise: How Ubi Kayu Is Helping Build Healthier Diets and Stronger Communities
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhat began as one father’s search for safe food for his child has grown into a small but promising example of how local agriculture, food innovation and community livelihoods can work together. In Siak, Riau, Indonesia, Wibowo Nugroho, 33, founded Telarasa after struggling to find suitable food for his child, who has sensitivities to gluten […]
A Tiny Sensor Could Transform How We Monitor Gut Health
Reading Time: 3 minutesFor years, measuring a key indicator of gut health has required expensive laboratory equipment, specialist expertise and days of waiting for results. That may soon change. Researchers in Singapore have developed a fluorescent nanosensor capable of detecting indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a molecule produced by beneficial gut bacteria that is increasingly recognised as an important indicator […]
Malaysian Microbiome: How Ethnicity and Diet Shape Our Health
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn Malaysia’s rich cultural tapestry woven from Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous (Orang Asli) threads our food is more than just sustenance. It is heritage, identity, and, as science now shows, a shaper of the tiny microbial worlds living in our guts. Researchers have long known that ethnicity can act as a proxy for lifestyle […]
Sharper Tools for Gene Editing: TALEN and Zinc Finger Make a Safer Cut
Reading Time: 3 minutesSharper Tools for Gene Editing: TALEN and Zinc Finger Make a Safer Cut Gene editing using artificial restriction enzymes (also known as artificial nucleases) has revolutionised the life sciences, with far-reaching applications across agriculture, medicine and biotechnology. By editing the genes of microorganisms, plants and animals, scientists can introduce specific mutations such as deletions or […]
A Dying Symphony: Insects Vanishing Even in Protected Forests
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA Dying Symphony: Insects Vanishing Even in Protected Forests Ecologists are raising alarm bells as nearly half the tree of life could vanish within a few decades due to accelerating planetary warming, The Guardian reported. One of those voices is Daniel Janzen, a veteran ecologist who has spent decades studying Costa Rica’s lush rainforests. In the 1970s, he recalls, […]
Sabah’s new climate law sets stage for investment and regional carbon market cooperation
Reading Time: 3 minutesSabah’s new climate law sets stage for investment and regional carbon market cooperation KOTA KINABALU – The passing of the Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025 has positioned Sabah to attract greater investment while laying the foundation for a regional carbon market, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. “This legal foundation gives investors […]
Sarawak eyes hydrogen from cow dung as part of bold circular green economy plan
Reading Time: 2 minutesSarawak eyes hydrogen from cow dung as part of bold circular green economy plan KUCHING – Sarawak is exploring the use of cow dung as a source of hydrogen fuel in a move to strengthen its circular green economy and waste-to-value strategy, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg revealed today. Speaking at […]
Agriculture still vital to Malaysia’s economy, but urgent reforms needed to secure food future
Reading Time: 3 minutesAgriculture still vital to Malaysia’s economy, but urgent reforms needed to secure food future Agriculture and its related activities remain a critical pillar of Malaysia’s economy, even as its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen to single digits. Beyond being a food supplier, the sector continues to absorb a significant portion of the […]
Chitose Group sets sights on 10 million hectares of global microalgae farms by 2050, with Sarawak as key hub
Reading Time: 2 minutesChitose Group sets sights on 10 million hectares of global microalgae farms by 2050, with Sarawak as key hub KUCHING – Japan’s Chitose Group, which operates the world’s largest flat-panel microalgae production facility in Kuching, Sarawak, is charting an ambitious plan to develop 10 million hectares of large-scale microalgae cultivation farms across Malaysia, Indonesia, India, […]