How to be an

outstanding researcher

in resource constrained

environment.

Abu Bakar SallehProfessor of Biochemistry

2

The Research Environment

• Research grants

• Sources

• proposals

• Implementing Research

• Group research

• Monitoring

• Disseminating research

• Reporting

• Publication

• Support Facilities and Environment

• Post graduate students/Research

officers

• Incentives and Reward

3

4

COLLABORATION

5

Why collaborate?

• Project needs

• Personal needs

6

The Research Environment

• Research grants

• Working in a group

• Sharing Facilities and Equipment

• The rewards

7

Elements of Successful

Research

• Love

• Commitment

• Leadership

• Environment

• Planning

• Monitoring

• Endurance

• Luck

8

Research team

• A leader: credible, transparency, honesty

• Select team members…check carefully

- Right expertise

- Similar aspirations

- Unselfishness

9

Researcher

• Expertise

• Track record

• Positive attitude/focus

• Responsiveness

• Productivities

• Timeliness

• Giving a chance

• Fit in

• Doers

10

Types of collaboration

• Intra-Institution

- in the department

- in the Faculty

- inter faculties

• Inter-Institutions

- National

- International

• University-industrial linkages

11

Research leader

• Can plan and prepare future strategies -

visionary

• Solve problems

• Resolve priorities - decision maker

• Determine policies - decision maker

• Make decisions

• Motivator - charismatic

• PR – the balancer

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES!!!

12

DR. CHE NYONYA ABDUL RAZAK

PIONEERS S1986

DR. Che Nyonya

Abd Razak

PROJECT (1986-1990)

13

ENZYME AND MICROBIAL

TECHNOLOGY:

BIOTECHNOLOGY OF FATS AND OILS

Collaborative research

Enzyme and Microbial Technology

Search for enzymes

Modification of enzymes

Applications

Novel enzymes

-Lipases

-Proteases

-amylases

Enhancement of yield

- molecular biology

- Process engineering

Protein tailoring

Genetic engineering

- enhanced activity

-specificity

-Stability

Novel reactions

- Designer proteins

Discipline development

Microbiology Biochemistry Chemistry

Microbial growth and

physiology

Polymer chemistry

Enzymology

Enzyme technology

Analytical

chemistryProtein engineering

Oleochemistry

Organic chemistry

Catalysis

Multi-disciplinary

NATIONAL

COLLABORATION

16

EFFECT OF CONFORMATION ON PROTEIN FUNCTION

(2001-2006)STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY

Frontier research

Microbiology Biochemistry Chemistry

Microbial growth and

physiology

Molecular Biology

Polymer chemistry

Enzymology

Enzyme technology

Analytical

chemistry

Genetic engineering

Protein engineering

Computational biology

& Chemistry

Bioinformatics

Oleochemistry

Organic chemistry

Catalysis

18

Universities:

UM, UKM, USM, UTM, USIM, UMP, UMS, UPSI, UNISEL, MSU, Curtain

Research InstitutesMGI, Ipharm, MARDI, MPOB

Private sectorsSime Darby, JBiotech

National Collaborators

19

Universidade do Minho, Braga, PortugalColloid and Interfacial Chemistry Center, Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, Barcelona, SpainLund University, SwedenUniversity of Hyogo, Hyogo, JapanOsaka University, Osaka, JapanMaruwa Food and Bioscience Inc., Yamata, JapanJapanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tokyo, JapanUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USATexas A&M University Commerce, Dallas, USAThe University of Kansas, Kansas, USANanyang Technological University, Singapore

International Collaborators

PROJECT (1986-1990)

20

ENZYME AND MICROBIAL

TECHNOLOGY:

BIOTECHNOLOGY OF FATS AND OILS

Collaborative researchRM1.2

21

Conformational design

Bioinformatic …

Rational design

~20M

Scale up productionNanodelivery system

Biosensor

Enzyme mimicking

22

PRODUCTION OF WAX ESTER, 7TH JULY 2007, U.S

PATENT NO: US 7,557,288B2

-8

-4

0

4

8

12

16

20

1 2 3 4 5

Time (minutes)

Co

rneo

met

ric

Un

it (

c.u)

POEs

Control

The test showed that the skin moisturisation of POES is

significantly higher than that of the control

R1CO—OCH2

CHO-OCR2 + Alcohol RCOOR1,2,3 +

C3H8O3

Lipase Ester

Glycerol

R3CO—OCH2

Palm Oil

R1,2,3 = alkyl group

Approved:

11

Pending:

35

23

Biodegradation of hydrocarbons

in soil by microbial consortium

FM Ghazali, RNZA Rahman, AB

Salleh, M Basri (2004)

International biodeterioration &

biodegradation 54 (1), 61-67

Cited: 126

1st Paper

24

Samad, M.Y.A., Salleh, A.B., Razak,

C.N.A., Ampon, K., Yunus, W.M.Z. and

Basri, M. (1990). A lipase from a

newly isolated thermophilic Rhizopus

rhizopodiformis. World journal

Microbiol. Biotechnol. 6, 390 - 394.

25

AWARD (1992)THE BEST PAPER (JAOCS) ACHER

DANIAL AWARD

• Basri, M., K. Ampon, W.M.Z. Yunus,

C.N.A. Razak and A.B. Salleh (1992).

Amidination of lipase with hydrophobic

imidoesters. JAOCS 69 (6), 579-583. 26

X-ray Crystallography

Crystal structure of T1

Lipase

Cryo-Loop Diffraction

pattern

Crystal dimension:

0.2 x 0.1 x 0.05 mm

1st protein crystal in Malaysia

28

MICROGRAVITY EFFECT ON

PROTEIN CRYTALLIZATION

PROTEIN CRYSTALLIZATION IN SPACE

(2006-2008)

SPACE

PROGRAM

LATEST EQUIPMENT

CCD DETECTOR SYSTEM FOR CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, X8 PROTEUM

Discipline development

Microbiology Biochemistry Chemistry

Microbial growth and

physiology

Molecular Biology

Polymer chemistry

Enzymology

Enzyme technology

Analytical

chemistry

Genetic engineering

Protein engineering

Computational biology

& Chemistry

Bioprocess

engineering

Bioinformatics

Product development

Advanced Materials

Pharmaceuticals and

Cosmetics

Oleochemistry

Bioprocess design

Fermentation

Organic chemistry

Catalysis

30

70 JIF

47 CIJ

Sharing

• UPM

– 16 Faculties

– 7 Research Institutes

– 16 CoE’s (faculty levels)

National

- Universities

- RI’s

- HiCoe

31

32

18

40 Associates

MS and PHD

El Aragi

Iraq

Lee

MalaysiaRashidah

Malaysia

El Taweel

Libya

Rofandi

Thailand

Ariotejo

Indonesia

Kargiban

Iran

Gunawan

Indonesia

Shukuri

Malaysia

Masomian

Iran

Adam

Malaysia

34

MICROGRAVITY EFFECT ON PROTEIN CRYTALLIZATION

25 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE(1986 - 2011)

PROFESSORS

ABU BAKAR SALLEH

WAN ZIN WAN YUNUS

(currently at UPNM)

KAMARUZZAMAN AMPON

(currently at UMS)

MAHIRAN BASRI

RAJA NOOR ZALIHA RAJA

ABD RAHMAN

MOHD BASYARUDDIN

ABDUL RAHMAN

YOUNGEST PROF BY

AGE 36

35

IRA MAYA HARIS &

NOR HAFIZAH AHMAD

KAMARUDDIN

Institute of Biological

Chemistry, Academia Sinica,

Taipei, Taiwan

Duration: October 1st, 2011

- March 31st, 2012

Purpose: Collaborative

research projects on

structural analysis of lipase

enzymes by synchrotron x-

ray crystallography

• Malaysia’s Premier Green Chemist

conferred Outstanding SEARCA

Scholarship Alumni Award.

• 2015 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in

Science Awards

• Fellowships

• Top Scientists

– OIC

– UPM

36

37

38

Thank you