Bimo Rizki Abdusshamad or more often called Bimo was successfully selected to participate in the Indonesian International Mobility Awards (IISMA) at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). IISMA is a scholarship program from the Indonesian government that provides opportunities for students to study abroad. Bimo started the selection process in the middle of semester 4 by registering through the official IISMA website. Next, Bimo was asked to choose the course and university he was interested in. The IISMA registration process was also assisted by the Faculty of Biology such as providing letters of recommendation and approval regarding courses to be taken at Host University so that credit transfers can be made. Furthermore, Bimo also did an English proficiency test, made a SKCK, wrote an essay question such as academic and non-academic achievments, plans to engage with local and international communities during IISMA program, and reasons for joining the IISMA program. All files were then sent to the university through the Office of International Affairs (OIA UGM) and the Ministry of Education through the IISMA website. In addition to files, the selection process also includes a “kebhinekaan” test and interview session. The final selection results had been announced on May 15, 2022.

One of the reasons that made Bimo choose UC Davis as an IISMA host university was because this university has departments and research related to agriculture and food science. Interested in coffee had brought him to UC Davis, which is famous for its course design of coffee by analyzing coffee using sensors and chemical engineering. It is a matter of pride for Bimo to be at UC Davis. Besides UC Davis, there are many great places and locations around California to visit, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento. In addition, Bimo also considered the experience in America to be a great journey, because many top-global leading companies and businesses come from here.

Bimo’s journey to take part in IISMA begins on July 24, 2022. Bimo departed from Semarang to Jakarta to gather with all other IISMA participants. The trip from Jakarta to the USA was carried out the next day after a release meeting was held by IISMA representatives. IISMA participants made one transit in Taipei until finally the journey continued to San Francisco. During his studies in the USA, Bimo felt difficult to adapt to US food and to the various shops there which closed quite early. However, behind the sorrow he experienced, there were many joys that Bimo felt, such as having new relationships from various circles, living with the host family who often took him around to see orchestras, visit peach farms, and visit various famous places in New York, such as the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. Bimo’s hope after participating in the IISMA activity is to open a start-up regarding coffee and be able to introduce Indonesian coffee abroad, especially America. Bimo hopes to be present at the coffee exhibition in San Francisco, and will be a committee at the coffee stand as a representation of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia located in San Francisco. Bimo hopes to expand his connections and open a path to introduce the American audience to Indonesian coffee.

Euglena is an organism that has both plant and animal characteristics. These organisms can move like other aquatic animals because they have flagella. However, it  also carry out photosynthesis as in plants. So that Euglena can absorb CO₂ through the process of photosynthesis and can take food directly through the cell surface.

Food is often stored as a complex carbohydrate known as paramylon, which allows organisms to survive in extreme conditions. Euglena is rich in wax esters used for the production of BioAvtur and also contains protein and other active compounds which are developed into food, feed, cosmetics, drugs and fertilizers. Furthermore, Euglena also has the ability to absorb CO2 produced from flue gas, so it can be developed to reduce the greenhouse effect.

Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, a lecturer at the Faculty of Biology UGM together with PUI Microalga Biorefinery, Center for Energy Studies and the Department of Chemical Engineering UGM since 2019 received funding from NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development) Japan to collaborate with large industries in Japan such as Euglena Co,Jp , Mitsubishi, DENSO, ITOCHU and Universities/Research Institutes in Japan, such as Tsukuba University, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and RIKEN.

Research conducted by the Faculty of Biology in the UGM research group has succeeded in obtaining more than 30 local Euglena isolates and one of them has a growth speed and biomass production that is competitive with Euglena strains from Japan both in laboratory and mass scale. In addition, the local isolates studied also have the ability to absorb CO₂ up to 15% and can grow at low pH. The culture under low pH conditions is not only resistant to high concentrations of CO₂, but also reduces the level of contamination by bacteria and fungi, especially on a mass scale. This research also received funding from SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) for the next 5 years in collaboration with BRIN (National Research and Innovation Agency), Universitas Padjadjaran, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia Power Paiton, and partners from Japan, namely Tokyo University, Euglena Co.Jp and RIKEN.

RIKEN is Japan’s largest and most comprehensive research organization for basic and applied sciences founded in 1917, and has been promoting innovative and pioneering research in a wide range of fields spanning the entire range of the natural sciences, from biology to quantum physics and computer science. It is hoped that the results of research on Euglena can be a new and renewable energy alternative and can be a source of food and new medicines for the future.

International classes can be one solution in responding to the government’s challenge to increase the ranking of universities in the international arena. However, internationalization is still being intensively carried out, even though UGM is ranked 231 based on the QS World University Ranking (QS WUR) this year. For instance, with the International Undergraduate Program or IUP.

The Faculty of Biology has entered the fourth year of implementing the IUP program. To further strengthen the IUP, the Faculty of Biology participated in the Campus Expo organized by Regents School Bali on October 4 – 5, 2022. In addition, with 17 foreign universities, the Faculty of Biology introduced the IUP Biology program to students, teachers, and parents of Regents students. Balinese School. “We hope that the number of registered and active IUP students at the Faculty of Biology will increase yearly,” said Zuliyati, head of the IUP Faculty of Biology UGM.

Yamagata University is a higher-educational institution that has a long tradition and history starting with the establishment of the Yamagata Prefectural Normal School (YPNS) in 1878 and subsequently joining as part of the National University system in 1949. Yamagata University is currently ranked #401-450 at Asian Universities (according to QS World University Rankings 2022) and has 6 Faculties (Undergraduate Study) and 8 Graduate Schools spread across Yamagata Prefecture in 4 campuses, namely: Kojirakawa Campus (Yamagata City), Iida Campus (Yamagata City), Yonezawa Campus (Yonezawa City), Tsuruoka Campus (Tsuruoka City).

In addition to these campuses, Yamagata University also has an affiliated school and campus called the Mogami Campus Area. As a comprehensive university, Yamagata University offers students a wide variety of curricula, especially in the arts and sciences.

Since 2018 until now, the Faculty of Biology at Universitas Gadjah Mada has collaborated with the Faculty of Science at Yamagata University, especially in the visiting professor program from Yamagata University to the Faculty of Biology UGM, as well as Lecturers from the Faculty of Biology UGM as invited speakers at Yamagata University. Closer cooperation, at the beginning of 2020 the Sakura Science Program for undergraduate-regular and S1-IUP (International Undergraduate Program) students conducted training and workshops for 1 week at the Faculty of Science Yamagata University. However, with the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2021 and 2022, the Sakura Science Program will be held online.

Considering that in 2023 the condition of the Covid-19 pandemic is getting better, it is planned that the Sakura Science Program 2023 will be carried out offline or lurin in several laboratories and fields around Yamagata University. It is planned that in 2023, 10 undergraduate students will be selected with the support of Sakura Science Program funds and 5 students who have personal funds to participate in the program.

In order to improve academic and research cooperation, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. as the Dean of the Faculty of Biology UGM, Dr. Niken Satuti Nur Handayani, M.Sc. (Plt. Deputy Dean for Finance, Assets and Human Resources), and Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. (Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation and Alumni) made a return visit to Yamagata University Japan on Monday, October 3, 2022 at the Faculty of Science Yamagata University Japan.

During their visit, discussions with Prof. Miyagi as Vice Dean for Education, Faculty of Science Yamagata University; Dr. Arai (Head of International Office, Yamagata University); Prof. Jun Yokoyama and Prof. Pujiyama (Senior Lecturer and Researcher) related to the development of double degree academic cooperation for doctoral programs and international exposure programs for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Hopefully the cooperation that has been going on so far through the Sakura Science Program can continue and develop (double degree program), so that students can add knowledge as well as study abroad experiences so that UGM remains Locally Rooted, Globally Respected.

Thursday (29 September 2022), the Faculty of Biology UGM again received a visit from the Australian National University (ANU) in order to hold a Double Degree presentation. The event, which was held online the previous year, was finally able to be held in a hybrid manner, both via zoom and offline at the Auditorium of Tropical Biology, Faculty of Biology, UGM. This presentation was attended by Caretaker Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Rina Sri Kasiamdari, S.Si. Ph.D., Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono. S.Si., M.App.Sc. and Manager of the Office of International Affairs Faculty of Biology, Nur Indah Septriani, S.Si. M.Sc. Ph.D. Present online the Manager of the International Undergraduate Program of the Faculty of Biology, Zuliyati Rohmah, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., Eng. and Head of the Undergraduate Study Program, Faculty of Biology, Sukirno, S.Si. M.Sc. Ph.D. Meanwhile, from ANU, it was attended by Jay Poria, Head of Relations and Partnerships, ANU College of Science, ANU College of Health and Medicine. The presentation was also attended by students from the S1-Regular, S1-IUP, and S2 programs both via zoom and offline.

The event began with an opening by Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, S.Si. M.App.Sc. which describes the five-year collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and ANU, College of Science. He also emphasized that the collaboration with ANU is something to be grateful for because ANU is the best campus in Australia. The commitment of both parties is manifested in the form of Double Degree cooperation which can be followed by UGM students who have studied for two years at UGM for undergraduate students and one year at UGM for master students.

In the next presentation, Jay Poria explained that ANU is the first ranked university in Australia and ranked 30th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2023). ANU has won six Nobel Prizes and has a strong focus on research. The facilities offered by ANU are also very varied, including an ideal campus environment, high standard laboratories, and very adequate facilities for students. Jay further explained about the Double Degree program offered by ANU with a 2+2 scheme. This means that undergraduate students can join the program if they have completed two years of study at UGM and the next two years at ANU. Students are also required to have taken the Evolution course and have an IELTS score of 6.5 at the time of registration.

The next program that Jay Poria offers is Future Research Talent (FRT) for Masters students. This program aims in general to develop research cooperation between the two countries. Program participants will receive research facilities that are very supportive and guided by the best ANU experts. The selection process for this program is carried out in two stages, namely the first stage by UGM. Participants who pass the UGM selection will then be re-selected by ANU. Only the shorlisted participants are accepted for this program.

Jay also added that there are scholarships from ANU for Ph.D candidate students. The key criteria for qualifying for this scholarship are already doing a good level of thesis research and obtaining good grades in master’s studies. This presentation was closed by Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, S.Si. M.App.Sc, with the hope that the cooperation between the Faculty of Biology UGM and ANU, the College of Science will be better and stronger.[aulia]

The MBKM Team, Faculty of Biology UGM, chaired by Sukirno, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. with four student members, namely Amelia Rifki Alifiah, Fatika Soraya, Tiara Rachma Jatiningtyas, and Qonita Fillah on Sunday, 18 September 2022, held a Catfish Cultivation and Digital Marketing Training in Kebonalas Village, Manisrenggo, Klaten. This event is one of a series of MBKM programs to develop Fruit Garden Village in Kebonalas. This activity took place at the RW hall in Kebonalas at 09.00 s.d. 12.30 WIB and attended by 31 participants consisting of representatives of the Kebonalas Village community. At this event, there was socialization and direct practice by the village community regarding catfish cultivation and the small scale production of alternative feeds as well as digital marketing training.

The training activities were divided into two presentation sessions. The first training was about catfish farming and alternative feed production with Mr. Suharjita, a practitioner from the Faculty of Biology UGM, as a speaker. In catfish cultivation, feed is the highest expenditure. The cost of feed can reach 70-80% of the total production cost. Therefore, the participants of Kebonalas Village were given training on the manufacture of alternative feeds using household waste and other organic materials. In this training, the participants were given tips and things to consider in catfish farming such as making ponds, water management, sorting, to marketing strategies. Not only that, Mr. Suharjita also invited the residents of Kebonalas Village to practice directly how to ferment feed and manage pond water by utilizing probiotics from independent cultures to reduce the high cost of purchasing probiotic products.

The second training is a training on digital marketing together with Laili Nugraheni who is a student of the Faculty of Biology who received PKM and PMW funding from Gadjah Mada University. The target of this training is young village residents in the hope of helping the movement of MSMEs in Kebonalas Village in digital and internet-based marketing. This presentation aims to provide an overview to the public regarding the basic principles of entrepreneurship, e-commerce, and how to make attractive products. In this presentation there is also an interactive discussion with participants about the strategy to sell products to attract more buyers.

It is hoped that the event that has been held this time will be able to provide benefits for participants who are interested in catfish cultivation so that they can increase their business with various tips and tricks that have been conveyed by the resource persons. In addition, it is hoped that young people and Kebonalas residents who are interested in digital technology are able to apply the knowledge that has been given to develop their business through digital marketing. Hopefully with this activity, catfish cultivation which is currently being developed in Kebonalas Village can produce high-quality livestock and can help village communities who are developing their businesses to innovate with digital marketing. We do not forget to say thanks to all levels of the Village Management  (Bapak Supriyanto, S.Pd. and Bapak Suwadi, S.Pd. and teams), BUMDES Maju Makmur (Ibu Mulat and Teams), BPD, Karang Taruna Kebonalas Village, and all parties who have been involved and supported the continuity of this event.

As a form of cooperation between the Faculty of Biology, Gadjah Mada University and the Kebonalas Village Government, Manisrenggo, Klaten, Central Java. The Independent Learning Program Team of the Independent Campus (MBKM) Sukirno, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. and Yousuf Soulaeman, S.IP., together with the MBKM Student Team and with the Village Head (Mr. Supriyanto S.Pd.), Village Secretary (Mr. Suwadi, S.Pd.), Head of BPD, Staff of Bumdes Maju Makmur, and Mr. Sunardi, to build fruit garden as tourism destination, on Saturday, August 20, 2022, coordination was carried out for arranging Master Site Plan for Fruit Garden Destinations with BUMDES Maju Makmur. An area of ​​14,000 m² is prepared to be built as a tourist destination for fruit gardens, a means of supporting community activities such as an art stage and an MSME center. In the future, this land will be planted with durian, longan, avocado and star fruit commodities as superior products. To support tourist destinations, Kali Putih, which is located on the west side of the land, will also be developed into water tourism.

This Fruit Garden Program is one of a series of forms of the MBKM Village Building Program, Faculty of Biology, UGM which has been implemented since March 2022. After some time ago, a training program for the cultivation and care of fruit plants was carried out, as well as the manufacture of independent fertilizers using insect larvae from the black soldier fly, the village land on Monday, August 22, 2022 began to be processed and arranged. Alhamdulillah, the village government together with the residents are very committed to supporting and implementing this program in a sustainable manner. Hopefully with this program, the Faculty of Biology UGM can play a role in improving the welfare of the people of Kebonalas and its surroundings with sustainable community empowerment programs. In the next few weeks, the MBKM Program will continue with training in fish cultivation, making alternative fish feed with maggot, training for creative SMEs, and digital marketing.

Tiara Putri S.Si., M.Sc., a doctoral student from the Faculty of Biology, UGM, was announced as one of the winners of the Bayer Foundation Fellowship Award 2022. Bayer Foundation is a non-profit organization which supports and provides international exchange opportunities for brilliant young researchers all over the world who are working in the field of science. They provide 3 specific fellowships for the following categories: Otto Bayer – fellowships for drug discovery sciences, Jeff Schell – fellowships for agricultural sciences and Carl Duisburg – fellowships for medical sciences. This year, they have selected 41 young people for this unique experience and Tiara received the Otto Bayer – fellowship in the field of Drug Discovery.

As a follow up of this award, she will undertake part of her doctoral research at Universität Greifswald, Germany to compliment her current scientific studies in a Double Degree scheme. The topic of her research is about pneumococcal co-infection in COVID-19 infected children. During her doctoral study, Tiara is supervised by Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. (Dean of the Faculty of Biology, UGM) and Prof.  Dr. rer. Nat. Sven Hammerschmidt (Head of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Universität Greifswald).

Tiara was a former Bachelor and Master student at the Faculty of Biology, UGM and graduated with Cum Laude at both degrees. Her research topic was motivated by the fact that evidence on bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19 is still limited and diagnosis remains a challenge, as both diseases are associated with a similar clinical presentation and high inflammatory markers. As of August 28, 2021, there have been over 214,468,601 confirmed cases according to WHO and over 4,470,969 deaths reported nationwide. In spite of interventions to limit its spread, data regarding the epidemiologic characteristics and clinical features of infected children are very few. Therefore, a collaboration with the Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology at the Universität Greifswald will be conducted to explore deeper insights into the mechanisms of bacterial-viral co-infection using a K18-hACE2 mouse model.

“I do hope that my research on COVID-19 in children could provide long term information related to this pandemic situation. I’m sure that there are still many new and exciting discoveries waiting to be found and of beneficial support for our children and their future. And for certain, I want to be a part of the next discovery,” told Tiara on 12/8/22.

SNBT 2022

Laporan Ketua Panitia SNBT 2022

Sambutan Prof. Ir. Nizam, M.Sc., DIC, Ph.D., IPU, Asean Eng mewakili Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi

MoU Fakultas Biologi UGM dengan MonsterAR

Narasumber I: Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc

Narasumber II: Wiryanatha Wijaya, (Presdir MonsterAR)

Narasumber II: Stephen Ng, CEO sekaligus Executive Chairman WIR Group

Presenter Paralel

Peserta Daring

Antusias peserta mencoba Virtual Reality

Penyerahan Doorprize

The 6th National Seminar on Tropical Biology which hold in a hybrid version on July 23, 2022 at the Faculty of Biology, UGM is an annual scientific activity held thanks to the support of the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada. This seminar aims to disseminate research results in the field of tropical biology and as a means of exchanging information with various parties, such as researchers, academics, and industry players. The theme of this year’s seminar is “The Future of Indonesia’s Biodiversity in the Metaverse Era “. This theme is motivated by the development of the metaverse era which has had a wide impact on life on earth, and there has been a lot of discussion currently discussing its consequences on technology, social and commercial, and does not rule out aspects of biodiversity.

The theme of this year’s seminar was greeted with great enthusiasm by the participants. The total number of participants in this year’s SNBT reached 259 registrants. There are more than 130 registered presenters who present their work at this seminar. The participants came from various agencies, at least 66 institutions, both from universities, industry, private sector, and government agencies. The topics presented by the presenters were quite diverse, and were divided into 7 topics, namely: Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Exploration and Conservation of Tropical Biodiversity , Bioprospection , Biomedical, Tropical Biofunctionality , Genetics and Molecular Biology, and Biosystematics and Evolution.

The event was opened with a report from the chairman, Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono, S.Si., M.Si and continued with remarks by Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc , as Dean of the Faculty of Biology UGM. The next speech was also delivered by Prof. Ir. Nizam, M.Sc., DIC, Ph.D., IPU, Asean Eng representing the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology which also opened this seminar. At the moment Today , Faculty of Biology UGM together with MonsterAR signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) as a follow-up to the cooperation plan Among Faculty UGM Biology with MonsterAR in various fields in education, as well as research. This collaboration expected give positive impact for second parties together for explore and maintain Indonesian biodiversity.

After the seminar was officially opened, the next agenda was a plenary session . In the plenary session , there were 3 speakers. The first speaker was Prof. Budi Setiadi Daryono from the Faculty of Biology, UGM. On this occasion, Prof. Budi said that biology in the past talked about classical biology and cell biology. Meanwhile, in the present day biology talks about molecular biology, biomimicry and biorobotics , the era of genomics . and post-genomics , exobiology and deep-sea biology. However, in the future biology will develop vertically and horizontally and raise the metaverse . In biology, the metaverse functions as a tool in developing science and knowledge. Therefore , it is hoped that in the future we can explore biodiversity virtually.

The second material was delivered by Stephen Ng , CEO and Executive Chairman of the WIR Group. Mr. Stephen conveyed the development of the metaverse which is increasingly affordable and accessible. Various fields of study now explore the world of the metaverse , from socioeconomics , law and government, to science. In line with this, the metaverse is also increasingly being used by various companies to promote their products. Virtual work and the scientific community are two things that are currently hot and the metaverse is a bridge that facilitates these things.

plenary session was continued by Mr. Wiryanata saying that metaverse offers a new way for users to collaborate virtually. In the metaverse ecosystem, many business opportunities can be run virtually. Various types of industries and scientific fields take advantage of this developing technology. In the world of research and education, the metaverse can have an impact, for example, Indonesia ‘s biodiversity can be visualized virtually.

Participants continued their presentations in parallel sessions . In this session, the participants presented their scientific works both offline and online. At the end of the event, the committee announced the best presenters for each room and also distributed door prizes for participants who actively participated. The smooth and success of this national seminar cannot be separated from the support of sponsors, including: Mangrove printing, Kimia Farma, Bantul Bank, Hista Labora, Earth Literacy. See you again at the next SNBT…

On July 17^th, 2022, undergraduate students from the Faculty of Biology won 1^st place in the National Scientific Writing Competition organized by Universitas Brawijaya, out of eighty teams from universities across Indonesia that participated in this competition. The team consists of Umi Salamah, Maria Bening Wohingati, and Wulan Usfi Mafiroh from Biology 2018 under the supervision of Dr. Ardaning Nuriliani, S.Si., M.Kes. This competition was part of the annual KATULISTIWA 14 event, with the theme “Innovative Mindset: Let’s Build Society 5.0 for Indonesia” that aims to express students’ innovations and ideas in order to improve their scientific thinking skills.

This competition was divided into five stages: abstract submission, paper evaluation, announcement of the top ten, video and poster evaluation, and the climax was the presentation of the work in front of the judges. Our team proposed “Decolorization of Textile Dye Waste Based on Enzyme Mediator System by Microalgae” for this competition. This idea was motivated by the fact that many textile industries dispose their waste without proper management, resulting in the environmental pollution and the death of organisms. We proposed the combining ability of microalgae to synthesize enzymes that play a role in decolorization of textile dye waste with biofuel production. We would like to thank everyone who helped us won the 1^st PLACE at the KATULISTIWA 14 event. [US]