Indonesian firm offers framework to speed up sustainable agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutesJAKARTA: Pandawa Agri Indonesia (PAI), the first Indonesian life science-based company with innovation in pesticide reductants, today announced its three sustainability frameworks to accelerate sustainable agriculture in Indonesia. The frameworks are called 3 PROs: 1) protecting the environment, 2) prospering the people, and 3) promoting responsible business practices. These frameworks were unveiled in the company’s first […]
More than 100 tons of Golden Rice harvested in the Philippines
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE Department of Agriculture Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has announced that more than 100 tons of fresh paddy of beta carotene-enriched Malusog Rice (Golden Rice) have been harvested in 17 pioneer production sites across the country. This first harvest will be milled for distribution in target households in selected provinces in the country with preschool children at-risk […]
GM Purple Tomato Gets Approval in the United States
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a Regulatory Status Review (RSR) on September 7, 2022, stating that the new genetically modified (GM) purple tomato from Norfolk Plant Sciences may be safely grown and used in breeding in the United States. The purple tomato was modified to alter its color and […]
Adaptation governance in Malaysia: It’s time to listen to science
Reading Time: 4 minutesWritten by A Concerned Citizen AS THE SEA LEVELS RISE and the tide of climate change continues to sweep across the globe, Malaysia is bracing for impact. With an 8,000 km long coastline, the country’s coastal communities and ecosystems are on the front line of this battle. States such as Johor and Sabah, which boast the […]
Expert: Weigh your own risk for Covid-19 second booster
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY UMAIRAH RAZAK & MARYAM AL-HERWI MOST countries are guarding up again due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in China. The Malaysian government has urged the public to get a second booster shot after two main variants in China, BA 5.2 and BF.7, were detected in the country early this year. Both variants […]
2023: Way forward for climate action
Reading Time: 3 minutesBY AHMAD AFANDI THE year 2023 will be another important junction in Malaysia’s climate journey. The Minister of Natural Resources, Environment & Climate Change, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, has already stated some of his priorities, which include enacting a Climate Change Act. The newly formed ministry has also reunified the natural resources and environment portfolios, which […]
Localising climate adaptation plan
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY MARYAM AL-HERWI & VIRMAN JURI PUTRAJAYA: Think City is moving the needle to implement Malaysia’s first urban climate change adaptation plan – the Penang Nature-Based Climate Adaptation Programme (PNBCAP). The multilateral collaboration was officiated during a cooperation agreement signing between Think City and UN-Habitat, witnessed by the Minister of Natural Resources, Environment & Climate […]
Zooming in on HPV with aptasensors
Reading Time: 3 minutesBY SAARANI VENGADESEN & THIVIYA DARMARAJAN BIOGENES TECHNOLOGIES (BIOGENES) is already known for its novel innovation of diagnostic kits using an aptamer-based biosensing platform to replace the use of animal-derived antibodies. After successfully innovating aptamer-based diagnostic kits to detect the Covid-19 virus and sepsis infection – the company is developing a similar diagnostic kit to […]
Climate action must address needs of women and children
Reading Time: 3 minutes BY DR SHARIFAH MUHAIRAH SHAHABUDIN THE world is witnessing a climate emergency, disrupting all living beings on earth and its natural environment. The change in climate has seen devastating floods, extreme heat waves, strong storms, and severe droughts. The rising sea levels are threatening to submerge coastal communities, while extreme heat becomes intolerable to the human […]
Researchers identify genes to help fruit adapt to droughts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCHERS from the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and Cornell University have completed the first study that provides a comprehensive picture of changes in gene expression in response to water stress in tomatoes and identified genes that could help plant breeders develop fruit that can cope with drought conditions. Led by BTI Assistant Professor Carmen Catalá, who is also a […]