The delegation from the Faculty of Biology at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) conducted a highly productive visit to Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) on November 17, 2023. The delegation consisted of Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, and Dr. Slamet Widiyanto, Vice Dean for Finance, Assets, and Human Resources.

The purpose of this visit was to identify opportunities and to sign MOU for collaboration in the fields of education and research between the Faculty of Biology at UGM and the Division of Life Sciences at JBNU. The primary focus of the visit was on student exchange, research cooperation, double degree programs, and other forms of collaboration. The Faculty of Biology delegation toured the advanced research facilities at JBNU, gaining a deep understanding of the potential for collaboration in research.

Dr. Bambang Retnoaji stated, “We are very enthusiastic about the collaboration opportunities that can be found through this visit. Jeonbuk National University has a strong reputation in biological research, and we believe that this collaboration can bring significant benefits to both institutions.”

Dr. Slamet Widiyanto added, “This step is a very important beginning in strengthening the relationship between the Faculty of Biology at UGM and Jeonbuk National University. We hope to develop joint initiatives that can enhance the quality of education and research at both.

This collaboration is expected to open new opportunities for students and researchers at both universities, expanding their knowledge through the exchange of information and experiences. With this initial step, the Faculty of Biology at UGM and Jeonbuk National University are committed to building a sustainable and mutually beneficial collaboration.

Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) is one of the leading higher education institutions in South Korea, internationally recognized for its research and innovation. The Division of Life Sciences at JBNU has successfully carried out various research projects that have had a significant impact on the development of biological sciences.

This collaboration between the Faculty of Biology and Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) shows the Faculty of Biology’s commitment to international recognition in accordance with its support for the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs 17, namely partnerships in achieving sustainable goals. Apart from that, this collaboration is also in line with the Faculty of Biology’s commitment to improving the quality of inclusive and quality education (SDGs 4) and competing with the world’s best institutions.

The Entomology Study Group (KSE) organized an Entrepreneurship Seminar with the theme “Business Potential of Klanceng Bees in the Digital Era: A Case Study of Local Breeders” on Saturday, November 11, 2023. The Entrepreneurship Seminar took place from 3:00 to 5:00 PM WIB at Wisma Merbabu, Kaliurang, in conjunction with the KSE XXV Hatching Training and Entotalk #2 activities. The event aimed to provide knowledge and skills related to entrepreneurship and identify potential business opportunities in the field of Entomology. The activity was attended by KSE members and guided by Novia Noor (KSE XXII) and Adzkiya Aqmaliza (KSE XXIII).

The Entrepreneurship Seminar featured Mr. Setyo Adi Winarno, S.Si. as a successful breeder and entrepreneur of Klanceng bees with extensive connections as the speaker. The topics covered an introduction to Klanceng bees, explanations of derivative products such as beeswax and propolis, the search for Klanceng bee seeds and breeding, the benefits of Klanceng bee honey, tips and tricks for entrepreneurs, and more. Participants enthusiastically paid attention to the presentation of these topics and posed interesting questions. After the Q&A session, the event concluded with the distribution of souvenirs and group documentation. [Author: KSE]

Entomology Study Group (KSE) organized a series of activities as part of their Open Recruitment initiative, namely the Hatching Training and welcoming party. The Hatching Training aimed to solidify the knowledge of KSE ‘Eggs’ (new members) about entomology through presentations of mini-research projects they had conducted, serving as a requirement to advance to the ‘Larva’ stage. Following the Hatching Training, a welcoming party was held to welcome the ‘Hatched’ Eggs who had progressed to the Larva stage and to strengthen the sense of camaraderie among active KSE members and the newly initiated ones. Both events took place at Wisma Merbabu, Kaliurang, Sleman, Yogyakarta. The series of activities began on the first day, Saturday, November 11, starting at 09:45 AM and concluded on the second day, November 12, with the welcoming party until 11:00 AM. The entire series of activities was attended by the Eggs and active KSE members.

On the first day, Saturday, November 11, 2023, the events were led by Sheva Rimma Dhanty (KSE XXIII) and commenced with mini-research presentations by the Eggs at 09:45 AM. During this session, each group of Eggs presented the results of their previously conducted mini-research. Subsequently, the activities continued with an Entotalk seminar and an Entrepreneurship Seminar focusing on entomology and its practical applications. In the evening, there were art performances by each group of Eggs and lively games. The following day began with a morning exercise session, followed by a promotion ceremony overseen by the BPMK (Quality Assurance Board) of KSE. The Eggs ‘hatched’ into Larvae, Larvae progressed to Pupae, and finally, Pupae transformed into Imagos according to their respective fields of interest.

Following the promotion ceremony, the activities continued with the Welcoming Party, aiming to welcome the new KSE members who had completed the Open Recruitment series of events. All KSE members enthusiastically shared their messages and impressions about the conducted events. Additionally, awards were presented to selected nominees and game winners. The entire series of events concluded at 11:00 AM, and after packing up, the group returned to the Faculty of Biology, UGM. [Author: KSE]”

[MBKM] The Independent Learning Independent Campus (MBKM) Research Team of the Faculty of Biology, UGM led by Prof. Dra. Rarastoeti Pratiwi, accompanied by Dr. Syahputra Wibowo, and supported by collaborator Dra. Agnes Heratri, M.P. from CV Pradipta Paramita along with six student members: Cintya Angelina, Diani Nur Dzakiyah, Lutfi Maulana, Mutiara Tri Wulandari, Melvira Alifianti Putri Sopyan, and Pratama Atha Nafi conducted the MBKM Research activity for the Odd Semester 2023-2024 (September – November 2023). The research focused on the development of Telang-based beverage products. This topic aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, aiming to promote a healthy and prosperous life.

Through the proposal titled “Development of Telang Plants as Health Beverages and Plant Pesticides in CV Pradipta Paramita,” the MBKM Research activity for the Odd Semester involved creating social media accounts and designing packaging for the most favored variant of Telang-based beverages. During the Even Semester of 2022-2023, organoleptic tests were conducted on six Telang beverage variants, identifying “Lemon-Collagen” as the most favored flavor. Hence, the team proposed an eco-friendly packaging design aligned with the “Lemon-Collagen” flavor.

Additionally, the team initiated the creation of a social media account on TikTok (@tuangtelang). The @tuangtelang TikTok account comprises various content types, including ‘a day in my life’ showcasing the team’s daily activities from harvesting Telang flowers to laboratory processing. There are tutorials on creating refreshing Telang-based drinks and explanations regarding myths or facts related to Telang plants’ health benefits. Through this social media platform, the aim is to capture the attention of the general public, especially the younger generation, regarding the utilization of Telang plants.

Universitas Gadjah Mada organized one of its annual events commemorating its 74th anniversary, the UGM Outstanding Individuals Awards Night 2023. The event took place on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at Grha Sabha Pramana UGM. Dr. Andi Sandi Antonius Tabusassa Tonralipu, S.H., LL.M, the Secretary of UGM, reported that 72 individuals were honored at the UGM Outstanding Individuals Awards Night 2023. The categories of recognition included outstanding alumni, exemplary faculty and researchers, best publications, community service, Outstanding Lecturer UGM-Level, knowledge dissemination through documentary videos, innovative learning via MOOC, MBKM (Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka) program coordinators, Outstanding staff, and Outstanding students.The Rector of UGM Prof. dr. Ova Emilia, M.Med.Ed., Sp.OG(K)., Ph.D., expressed that the purpose of these awards was to motivate and appreciate UGM’s alumni, community, and all units at the university that have demonstrated outstanding contributions and performance, benefiting UGM and impacting the wider society.

The Faculty of Biology at UGM had a moment of pride as one of its lecturers, Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si, M.Sc., Ph.D., was among the recipients. She received the award for Outstanding International Lecturer in the Field of Community Service. This recognition was earned through the “Smart Integrated Education System of Agrotourism Community Services” project, previously awarded as an Outstanding Flagship Project in the RCE (Regional Centre of Expertise) Awards for Innovative Projects on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 2023. The program highlighted agricultural potential in Sendangsari and Sidomulyo villages in Pengasih, Kulon Progo, involving UGM’s Community Service Program (KKN) team to build agriculture-based sustainable tourism villages. The contribution and participation of stakeholders and residents from both villages were key factors in the success of the program. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si, M.Sc., Ph.D expressed that the UGM Outstanding Individuals Award was an acknowledgment of the team’s efforts, particularly the KKN UGM student team, showcasing strategic issues, dedication, and synergy with the community. Furthermore, she hoped for continuous innovation, growth, and collaborative problem-solving in UGM’s community service activities, aiming to produce solutions collectively for societal challenges.

Thursday, 16 November 2023, the museum of biology received a student visit from the biology education study program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta.The visit consisted of 38 attendees, including 30 students (practicum participants), 6 assistants, and 2 professors, marking the first visit after the COVID-19 pandemic. The visit was part of practicum activities for the Animal Structure, Development, and Function course. The visit was warmly welcomed by the museum’s collection caretaker, FX. Sugiyo Pranoto, who oversees the vertebrate animal collection. The visit involved observing and discussing the preserved vertebrate animal collection on display in the museum’s exhibition area.

Assistant Christo Ray Arta expressed that the visit to the Museum of Biology aimed to observe the characteristics of vertebrate animals, study taxidermy and skeletons, and enhance their knowledge gained from prior literature studies, providing valuable insights for their upcoming practical work involving specimen preservation. The student was divided into 8 teams, and as part of the practical visit, each group was tasked with creating an educational video. “It’s great to see biological specimens like preserved wet and dry vertebrates, and it’s amazing to witness the variety of species on Earth in real life.” expressed Handri, one of the students.

The Museum of Biology offers a comprehensive collection that serves as a valuable learning resource for students, as highlighted by accompanying lecturer Yoanni Maria Lauda Feroniasanti, M.Si (Nia), who is also an alumnus of the UGM Faculty of Biology. She mentioned, “We scheduled a visit to the Museum of Biology to see specimens that are rarely or challenging to find, such as structures, morphology, bones, taxidermy, and wet specimens, as our facilities for preservation are limited.” The next practical session will involve creating skeletal specimens, hence the preliminary visit to the Museum to enhance their understanding by examining examples of skeletal structures and preservation methods like taxidermy models. The output from this activity is educational videos. This is to encourage students, as future educators, to create educational content that can be uploaded to social media. However, these videos will undergo review and evaluation by lecturers to ensure accuracy and avoid misinformation before being uploaded. Approved videos related to such external activities will be uploaded to the study program’s website. The visits to the museum of Biology will be scheduled annually, Nia, was impressed with the comprehensive collection and the well-maintained and neatly arranged preservation, despite a few areas needing cleaning. The hope is to incorporate digital technology elements (IT) into each room to make it more engaging, such as simulation displays or self-searching facilities. It’s expected that the available collection information will not only include specimen names, types, curators, but also tell the stories behind these collections, including their discovery locations, unique characteristics, and other relevant details.

The Museum of Biology, despite its limitations, continuously strives to improve and attract visitors by enhancing its facilities and infrastructure, creating thematic spaces, enriching information, conducting collection research, planning public programs, and considering innovations to accommodate visitors with special needs. The aim is for every visitor to leave with a memorable experience and renewed enthusiasm for learning, as expressed by the Museum’s managers, Ida Suryani and Murdianto.

Entomology Study Group (KSE) held The Entotalk with the theme “Opportunities in Employment, Research and Advanced Study in Entomology” , this activity is conducted with the aim of enhancing the knowledge of KSE members and honing their skills in entomology. Featuring R. Hanindyo Adi, S.Si., M.Si. As the speaker, this event took place at Wisma Merbabu, Kaliurang, as part of the hatchery training series. The session, commencing at 12:45 PM WIB, was moderated by Sheva Rimma Dhanty (KSE XXIII). Throughout the activity, all attending members actively listened and comprehended the material presented by the speaker.

The Entotalk series commenced at 12:45 with an opening by the moderator. Following the introduction, an interactive session covered various topics including job opportunities for entomologists, research ideas in entomology, and more comprehensive studies in the field. After the discussion session, several attendees actively posed questions to the speaker during the Q&A segment. The Entotalk agenda concluded at 14:15, concluding remarks were made by the moderator along with the presentation of tokens of appreciation to the speaker. [Author: KSE]

The Merck Young Scientist Award (MYSA) 2023 has announced the top 12 semifinalists on October 25, 2023. The MYSA program aims to engage young scientists in discussions, idea sharing, scientific research development, and collaboration to create new breakthroughs, while also recognizing the dedication of scientists in developing sustainable solutions to meet the healthcare needs of Indonesia’s society. Additionally, MYSA seeks to inspire and encourage young scientists to innovate in life sciences and provide solutions to various health challenges. This program, in its fifth year running since 2018, collaborates with the Research Organization for Life Sciences and the Environment, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and Universitas Gadjah Mada, who act as the judging panel to provide optimal assessments of the participants.

The 12 semifinalists of the Merck Young Scientist Award (MYSA) 2023 come from various institutions including Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Sumbawa University of Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia International Institute for Life Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), IMERI FKUI, and PT Bio Farma. Participants were selected by a judging panel led by Prof. Dr. apt. Edy Meiyanto M.Si from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada, including Iman Hidayat., Ph.D, Prof. Dr. Nurul Taufiqu Rochman., M.Eng., Ph.D from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Ilma Equilibrina., Ph.D from Merck, and Dr. Riza Arief Putranto., D.E.A from The Indonesian Society for Bioinformatics & Biodiversity.

Through rigorous evaluation, Sigit Dwi Maryanto., S.Si., M.Sc from the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada emerged as one of the top 12 semifinalists. His research focuses on the efficiency of nutrient absorption in palm oil. In general, Sigit Dwi Maryanto., S.Si., M.Sc explained that his research will yield short-term downstream products related to molecular markers for nutrient efficiency in palm oil, while the long-term target is nutrient-efficient palm oil progenies. This research significantly contributes to palm oil production.

The culminating event will take place on November 23, 2023, in Jakarta. During this final event, the 12 finalists will present their research, and the winners will be announced. Therefore, Sigit Dwi Maryanto., S.Si., M.Sc hopes to deliver the best performance during the presentation and bring home victory, thereby enhancing the reputation of the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada. (Vita Meylani, PhD Program Student, First Semester 2023, Faculty of Biology).

Biology student at Faculty Biology UGM made another achievement by winning gold medal for Research Project for College Student and Runner Up-1 for Grand Award Research Project for College Student in 2nd International Conference of Biology for Students (ICOBIOS) x Open Bioproject Competition (OBC) 2023 at Brawijaya University on 12-14 November 2023. This achievement was achieved by a team from Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, comprised of Azizah Tyas Nugrahanty (Biologi 2020), Bagas Alfian Dwiaryanda (Biologi 2020), dan Lucia Arum Sekar Meysari (Biologi 2020) under guidance Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D in collaboration with Raden Afif Pranaya Jati, S.P., M.Sc from Indonesia Bioinformatic Institute (INBIO-Indonesia).

The 2nd International Conference of Biology for Students (ICOBIOS) x Open Bioproject Competition (OBC) 2023 has the theme ”Inovative Approach in Investigating Biological Problem through Multidisciplinary Research and Startup” aimed to accelerate collaboration and enhance understanding of various biological aspect for young researchers. The competition was held from July to November 2023 and had several stages, including abstract submission, abstract announcement, proposal submission, presentation and ceremonial event.

The Poly-hydroxy butyrate (PHB) team is examining the issue of biodegradable plastic due to the fact that the development of plastic nowadays is inseparable from modern human life and will grow continuously every year. In addition, various efforts have been undertaken and are being made, one of which is to find alternatives for conventional plastics that are more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Based on these challenges, Azizah, Bagas, and Lucia focus on developing organisms as effective and efficient producers of PHB by utilizing genetic transformation technology. Until now, the PHB team has successfully combined synthetic genes constructed into plasmids into bacterial cells as candidates for naturally producing PHB microbes. This solution is expected to become an alternative to conventional plastics. Furthermore, the team and supervisors also hope that this research will evolve continuously every year to create a comfortable environment without conventional plastics. [Authors: Azizah Tyas Nugrahanty, Bagas Alfian Dwiaryanda, and Lucia Arum Sekar Meysari]

The Museum of Biology is a museum managed by the Faculty of Biology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, since 1956. Originating from the ideas of Prof. drg. RG Indrayana and Prof. Ir. Moeso Soeryowinoto, the establishment of this museum began with the merging of the Zoologicum Museum managed by Prof. drg. RG Indrayana and the herbarium collection managed by Prof. Ir. Moeso Soeryowinoto. In 1969, under the initiative of the Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Ir. Suryo Adisewoyo, and coinciding with the Dies Natalis of the Faculty of Biology UGM, the Biology Museum was inaugurated at Jl. Sultan Agung No.22, Mergangsan Subdistrict, Yogyakarta.

The museum, with a concept of biological education, research, and community service, houses collections such as skeletons, animal fossils, plant specimens, wet herbarium, and dry herbarium. In the dry herbarium storage, there are more than 3000 plant specimens, both indigenous and foreign. According to Fahmi, one of the Museum of Biology’s curators, a comprehensive specimen data collection is currently underway for digitalization purposes. “Every day, students come for data collection purposes and assist in the maintenance of dry specimens by replacing paper in the aging herbarium,” said Fahmi. He also mentioned a special box containing voucher specimens from the USA and Russia. Additionally, there are about 1000 wet herbarium specimens in the form of preserved fruits and flowers. In addition to plant specimens, there are also fossils and preserved animals, each with information on display.

The Museum of Biology is open to students and the general public every day during museum hours. Monday to Thursday, it is open from 08:00 AM to 04:00 PM WIB, Friday from 08:00 AM to 03:00 PM WIB, and Saturday-Sunday from 08:00 AM to 02:00 PM WIB. In addition to being used as an educational attraction, this place is also utilized for the research of several students and professors. The Appreciation Award for the Sustainability and Maintenance of Cultural Heritage Buildings and Cultural Heritage in 2023 from the Yogyakarta City Culture Office is proof that the management of this museum is well-regarded. The well-maintained museum supports educational facilities for various groups.”