Enzyme & Microbial Technology Research Center - EMTech

We proudly congratulate all 8 postgraduate students who successfully presented their PhD/MSc research proposals and final seminars during the 44th Biotech Colloquium (Semester 1, 2025/2026). Your presentations reflected strong scientific rigor, innovation, and dedication. Well done to everyone involved! 👏✨

🔬 Presenters & Research Titles:

1. Nur Safiah Khairuddin
Structure Prediction, Expression and Biochemical Characterisation of a Putative Novel Carbonic Anhydrase from Bacillus anthracis S3WAHI
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Mohd Shukuri Bin Mohamad Ali

2. Iman Imran Bin Hamzah
Enzymatic Defatting, Extraction and Purification of Type 1 Collagen Peptides from Seabass Scales
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Mohd Shukuri Bin Mohamad Ali

3. Rishiganeshan A/L Gunasaigaran
Co-Immobilization of Multienzyme System for One-Pot Synthesis of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) and Sucrose Fatty Acid Ester (SFAE)
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Mohd Shukuri Bin Mohamad Ali

4. Riem Elsir Ahmed Ali
Structure Determination and Mutagenesis of Alcohol Dehydrogenase from Anoxybacillus geothermalis D9
Supervisor: Dr. Nor Hafizah Ahmad Kamarudin

5. Pervin Rehana
Identification and Characterization of Calcium Carbonate Precipitating Bacteria for Self-Healing Concrete
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suriana Sabri

6. Nur Zulaikha Afrina Binti Shamsul Anuar
Production of Mozzarella Cheese Using Mutant Esterases Expressed in Recombinant Pichia pastoris
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siti Nurbaya Oslan

7. Yogaletchumy Seevanathan
Screening, Identification and Characterisation of Trehalulose-Producing Enzyme from Stingless Bee and Their Associated Microbes
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suriana Sabri

8. Marina Binthe Alam
Development of a Biosensor for Rapid and Dual Detection of Candida Species Merozymal guilliermondi and Candida albicans
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siti Nurbaya Oslan

Once again, congratulations to all presenters and supervisors for a successful colloquium. EMTech is proud of your achievements and looks forward to your continued research excellence! 🌱🔬💡

✨ Mesyuarat Kumpulan Penyelidikan EMTech Bil. 1/2026 ✨

Dalam mesyuarat ini, kami:
✅ membuat refleksi pencapaian sepanjang 2025,
✅ menetapkan KPI bagi tahun 2026, dan
✅ merancang strategi untuk terus cemerlang dalam penyelidikan serta memberi impak yang bermakna kepada masyarakat dan industri.

Lebih daripada segala pencapaian, kami amat bersyukur atas hubungan yang harmoni, sokongan padu, dan semangat kekeluargaan dalam kumpulan ini. Semoga ukhuwah ini terus kukuh dan berpanjangan, insyaAllah. 🤍

Tahun ini EMTech genap 40 tahun penubuhan — satu perjalanan penuh dedikasi, inovasi, dan kecemerlangan.

Alumni EMTech, watch this space! 💙

We are proud to celebrate EMTech’s postgraduate students at Malaysian Society for Microbiology Postgraduate Symposium (MSMPS) 2025.

👏 Puan Sheau Ling won the Young Scientist Award (Emerging Scientist) for her oral presentation on optimizing and scaling up antimicrobial compounds from Bacillus velezensis PD9, paving the way for alternatives to antibiotics.

👏 Yogaletchumy Seevanathan impressed with her poster on identifying trehalulose-producing microbes from stingless bees, opening opportunities for large-scale production of this health-promoting sugar.

Kudos to both for representing EMTech with excellence and contributing to science, health, and sustainability!

EMTech warmly congratulates Ameera on the successful defense of her PhD thesis under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mohd Shukuri Mohamad Ali.

This achievement reflects Ameera’s dedication and hard work, together with the continuous guidance and support from her supervisory committee. We celebrate this important milestone and look forward to her future contributions to science and biotechnology.

Thesis Title:
Structural and Functional Characterisation of Paraoxonase Isolated from Bacillus sp. strain S3WAHI (S3WAHI-PON) with Organophosphate and Antibiotic Compounds Degrading Ability

EMTech Research Team at AFOB Regional Symposium 2025

The EMTech research team proudly participated in the Asian Federation of Biotechnology (AFOB) Regional Symposium 2025, held from July 27–30, 2025 at The Everly Putrajaya, Malaysia.
This year’s theme, “Biotechnology Horizons: Nurturing Sustainability for Global Well-Being”, brought together international researchers, industry leaders, and academics to share cutting-edge advances in biotechnology.

Congratulations to our team members for their impactful contributions:

-Prof. Dr. Mohd Shukuri Mohamad Ali
Delivered a keynote lecture on “Evolution-driven protein engineering: insights from reconstructed and cold-active lipases of family I.3”.

-Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suriana Sabri
Presented an oral talk on “A genome-guided approach to uncover and purify potent antimicrobials from Bacillus velezensis PD9 for combating multidrug-resistant pathogens”.

-Mrs. Afifah Husna Mat Saad (Young Researcher Session)
Presented her research on “Solvent-free biodiesel synthesis using immobilized reconstructed ancestral lipase LUCA”.

-Mrs. Iwana Zainudin (Young Researcher Session)
Presented on “Surface charge engineering of microbial esterase for enhanced performance in acidic conditions”.

-Mr. Hu Jintao (Young Researcher Session)
Shared findings on “Process optimization and structural insight into RTX LUCA lipase catalyzing long-chain fatty acid production from waste cooking oil”.

-Mr. Oluwasola Michael Akinola (Young Researcher Session)
Presented “AptamerGen: Deep learning framework for designing multi-target aptamers against digestive enzymes”.

Through their diverse contributions from antimicrobial discovery and enzyme engineering to sustainable bioprocesses, our team demonstrated the strength of EMTech’s research in advancing biotechnology for sustainability and global well-being.

Congratulations from EMTech!
We are proud to announce that the following postgraduate students have successfully completed their presentations at the 43rd Biotech Colloquium (Semester 2, 2024/2025) held on 22 July 2025 at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UPM.

PhD Final Seminar Presentations:

🎓 Afifah Husna Binti Mat Saad
Project: Solvent-Free Biodiesel Synthesis Using Immobilized Reconstructed Ancestral Lipase LUCA
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Mohd Shukuri Mohamad Ali

🎓 Hu Jintao
Project: Enzymatic Conversion of Waste Cooking Oil into Biofuel: Structure Identification and Process Optimization
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Mohd Shukuri Mohamad Ali

🎓 Ibrahim Ahmad
Project: Structural and Functional Analysis of Recombinant Oil Palm Defensin (RegK) as α-Amylase Inhibitor
Supervisor: Dr. Fairolniza Mohd Shariff

PhD Proposal Seminar Presentation:

🧬 Tan Chun Keat
Project: Evaluating the Impact of Trichanthera gigantea and ASR-Engineered Phytase Supplementation on Broiler Chicken
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Adam Leow Thean Chor

We congratulate our students and their supervisors on this milestone and look forward to more impactful research from EMTech!

CONGRATULATIONS TO EMTECH'S PROUD RECIPIENTS OF GERAN PUTRA IPS 🎉

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suriana Sabri
Awarded Amount: RM 25,000
Project Title:
Unravelling the Antibacterial Mechanism of Bacillomycin D from Bacillus velezensis PD 9 Against Carbapenem Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
Duration: 24 months

Dr. Fairolniza Mohd Shariff
Awarded Amount: RM 20,000
Project Title:
Characterization and High-Throughput Analysis of Prospective MICP-Relevant Microbes for Biocementation Study
Duration: 36 months

Academic Visit from Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta (UAJY), Indonesia

On 5th June 2025, the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UPM, welcomed a delegation from the Faculty of Biotechnology, Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta (UAJY), Indonesia, for an academic visit.

As part of the visit, the delegation toured the Enzyme and Microbial Technology Research Centre (EMTech), where they were introduced to our ongoing research initiatives and facilities.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the UAJY delegation for the engaging discussions and keen interest in future collaborations. We look forward to fostering meaningful partnerships and advancing biotechnology research together.

Congratulations to EMTech Members on Their Achievements at the 2024 Faculty of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences (FBSB) Staff Excellence Awards

Heartiest congratulations to all EMTech members for their outstanding success at the 2024 FBSB Staff Excellence Awards Ceremony, held on 27 May 2025 at The Olive8, Pusat Perniagaan Olive Hill, Bukit Serdang. The awards received span across research excellence, as well as impactful contributions in community engagement and industry collaboration.
We proudly celebrate the achievements of:

Prof. Dr. Mohd Shukuri Mohamad Ali
Awards:
• First Place – Impactful Publication Award (Professor Category)
• First Place – Best Innovation Award
• Industry and Community Networking Project Award (International)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siti Nurbaya Oslan
Awards:
• First Place – Impactful Publication Award (Associate Professor Category)
• Second Place – Best Innovation Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Leow Adam Leow Thean Chor
Awards:
• Second Place – Impactful Publication Award (Associate Professor Category)
• High Impact Industrial Project Award (National)

Dr. Noor Dina Muhd Noor
Awards:
• Highest Impact Value Community Project Award
• High Impact Community Project Award (National)

May this recognition serve as a continued source of motivation and inspiration to strive for greater excellence and impact in the future.

We’re thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our EMTech Award Winners 2024 🎉

Congratulations to the recipients of the Researcher of the Year, Miss Congeniality (Dual winners), and Al-Biruni Academic Award. Your hard work, passion, and dedication continue to inspire us all.

Well done and keep shining!

On March 12 (11 Ramadhan), we came together for a beautiful evening of reflection, gratitude, and togetherness at the EMTech Annual Iftar.

It was heartwarming to see P*s, students, and their families gathered, starting with a Tahlil ceremony, followed by Iftar—a beautiful moment of unity and togetherness.

The night was also an opportunity to celebrate the incredible contributions within our research group. A big shoutout to this year’s well-deserved award recipients:

🏆 Researcher of the Year – Ameera Aisyah
📖 Al-Biruni Academic Award – Adamu
💐 Mrs. Congeniality – Afifah Husna & Sahar

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined and made the evening special. Looking forward to more moments like this in the future. Ramadhan Mubarak to all! 🌙💖