Bogor, May 31, 2023 – The Indonesian Biology Consortium (KOBI) has successfully organized the National Working Meeting with the theme “The Strategic Role of KOBI in Implementing Mainstreaming of Sustainable Biodiversity”. The event took place at the IPB International Convention Center (IICC), Bogor, on Tuesday, May 31, 2023. KOBI, led by the Dean of the Faculty of Biology at Gadjah Mada University, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc., hosted this event.

The National Working Meeting (Rakernas) of KOBI was attended by 77 members, consisting of biology faculties and study programs from 44 universities across Indonesia. The Rakernas aimed to determine rational and systematic strategies in national biodiversity management, as well as provide a strong collaboration platform for biology experts in Indonesia.

In this event, in addition to the presence of the Dean of the Faculty of Biology at UGM as the KOBI chairman, representatives from the Faculty of Biology at UGM also attended, including the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, M.Sc., Sukirno, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. (Head of Undergraduate Program), Dr. rer. nat. Andhika Puspito Nugroho, S.Si., M.Si. (Head of Master’s Program), Dr. Endah Retnaningrum, M.Eng. (Head of Doctoral Program), Prof. Dr. Suwarno Hadisusanto, S.U. (Chairman of KOBI Advisory Board), and Lisna Hidayati, S.Si., M.Biotech. (Treasurer of KOBI).

The topics covered in this Rakernas included the Progress of IBI-KOBI and KOBI’s Commitment to Support Sustainable Biodiversity Sampling in Permanent Plots, as explained by the Chairman of KOBI. In addition, there was a presentation on the Academic Manuscript of the Undergraduate Program and the Strategy for Improving the Accreditation Level of Biology Study Programs.

One of the crucial sessions of this event featured Dr. Nova Hariani, M.Si, and Prof. Dr. Laurentius Hartanto Nugroho, M.Agr., as the main speakers to present the Academic Manuscript of the Undergraduate Program and the Strategy for Improving the Accreditation Level of Biology Study Programs. The presentation discussed efforts that can be undertaken as important strategies to enhance the quality of undergraduate education in Biology in Indonesia from various aspects.

Furthermore, in the third session, the Progress of the Indonesian Biodiversity Index (IBI) in Supporting Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Sustainable Development in Indonesia was presented. This progress served as evidence that concrete steps have been taken to protect biodiversity in Indonesia, as it is essential and requires the collective awareness of all stakeholders. The material was delivered by the Chairman of KOBI, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc.

The National Working Meeting of KOBI is expected to provide strategic directions for the development of sustainable policies and work programs to support biodiversity conservation in Indonesia. Through close collaboration among members and relevant parties, KOBI is committed to preserving Indonesia’s biodiversity and promoting the implementation of sustainable biodiversity mainstreaming.

The Indonesian Biology Consortium (KOBI) is a collaborative platform that brings together biology faculties and study programs from various universities in Indonesia. KOBI aims to strengthen cooperation, knowledge exchange, and joint development in the field of biology, particularly in relation to biodiversity conservation and the application of biological sciences for environmental sustainability.

Yogyakarta, June 2, 2023. The Community Engagement Team of the Faculty of Biology at UGM (Gadjah Mada University) visited the Learning Center (PKBM) Ibnu Hajar with Professor Dr. Endang Semiarti, M.S., M.Sc. as the coordinator. The purpose of the visit was to gain new knowledge from experienced practitioners in various orchid nurseries and cultivation centers in Yogyakarta and Magelang, such as Galeri Anggrekku, P4S V&M Biotechnology, and Pondok Tani. The field visit took place on June 2, 2023, and was attended by 8 undergraduate biology students from UGM who participated in the Community Service Learning Program (MBKM) under the guidance of Prof. Endang and were members of the Biology Orchid Study Club.

First, the group visited Galeri Anggrekku located in Ngluwar, Magelang. During the visit, they were accompanied by the owner of Galeri Anggrekku, Mr. Boby Purnomo, S.Kom, and his wife, Yeni. They were shown various collections of orchids, including species and hybrids, with unique and distinctive flowers. Mr. Boby’s collection of orchids has received prestigious awards and recently won several trophies, including The Best of Show for Dendrobium Orchids at the Orchid Contest organized by the Indonesian Orchid Lovers (PAI) DIY and Kagama Orchids at the UC UGM Hotel on May 21, 2023. Mr. Boby also shared techniques for orchid care and pest management. He invited the MBKM participants to visit Galeri Anggrekku for further sharing and discussions if they were interested in learning more.

The second visit was to P4S V&M Biotechnology located in Muntilan, Magelang. During the visit, the group was accompanied by the owner of P4S V&M Biotechnology, Mr. Ir. Pranowo Singgihsandjojo, and his assistant, who developed various plants using tissue culture techniques from the Yogyakarta-Magelang Agricultural Development Polytechnic. They shared insights and experiences regarding the potential of tissue culture development and discussed Mr. Pranowo’s experiences during his time in Namibia, Africa. He also suggested that as students, they should explore and innovate as much as possible in the field of tissue culture. Mr. Pranowo also shared his experiences in exploring and innovating tissue culture techniques for horticultural and ornamental plants.

The third visit was to Pondok Tani located in Salaman, Magelang. During the visit, the group was accompanied by the owner of Pondok Tani, Mr. Muh Khairul Saleh, Mr. Joko Sudibyo, and the main team responsible for plant cultivation at Pondok Tani. They were shown various seedling products produced by Pondok Tani. Mr. Khairul shared insights on product utilization, post-harvest treatment, and processing. He and the Pondok Tani team also taught the technique of grafting to expedite plant cultivation. Mr. Joko and the Pondok Tani team invited the group, including Prof. Endang, to visit one of the greenhouses for the cultivation of vanilla plants (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) under the guidance of the Pondok Tani team. Pondok Tani is committed to developing the potential of vanilla plants to achieve high production and rapid multiplication. They aim to collaborate with the Faculty of Biology at UGM to multiply vanilla plants using tissue culture and genetic engineering techniques, with the goal of accelerating plant propagation and flowering. Upon returning, the MBKM team received three vanilla plants and grafted sapodilla plants from Pondok Tani, as well as several Dendrobium orchid plants from Galeri Anggrekku and bottle-grown orchid plants and Vanda orchid plants from P4S V&M Biotechnology. All of these plants were planted by the MBKM students in the Karanggayam greenhouse at the Faculty of Biology, UGM.

Through this visit, it is expected that the participating students from the MBKM Orchid Program at the Faculty of Biology, UGM, will be inspired to explore and innovate to the fullest after gaining additional knowledge and experiences from the visited practitioners. This will greatly support the MBKM program in equipping students with insights and expertise in orchid cultivation. [LAU- MBKM Orchid Team, Ibnu Hajar, Faculty of Biology, UGM].

Bioinformatics is one of the compulsory elective courses offered by the Faculty of Biology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). From the beginning, the course has a program that invites guest lecturers from outside the Faculty of Biology to become part of the “Tim Teaching”. This year, as part of the Academic Internationalization Program, Dr. Neil H. Tan Gana from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine was invited to teach “Bioinformatics for NGS Data Analysis” in two sessions. The lectures were attended by approximately 130 students from the Bioinformatics class and 20 participants from outside the class. The classes were held in a hybrid format, with the first meeting taking place in Room X and the second in Room IV, combined with a Zoom Meeting.

The first session, held on April 26, 2023, covered the basic theory of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and various applications or software used in NGS analysis. This was followed by the second session on May 3, 2023. Each session was conducted interactively, with Dr. Neil always starting his presentations with basic questions related to NGS. Students were able to answer these questions through the chat column or directly during the session. In addition, students were also given the freedom to interrupt the lecture if they had any questions during the presentation.

During the second session, students had the opportunity to practice NGS data analysis directly. Dr. Neil provided a case for the students to solve, and also gave tips and tricks for conducting data analysis and manipulation. Several commonly used software, such as “usegalaxy” and “kbase”, were also practiced during the session. Students expressed satisfaction with Dr. Neil’s explanations, as he explained the steps slowly and clearly. Ulfah, one of the Bioinformatics students, added, “I was very interested in attending Dr. Neil’s class. Not only did I gain new knowledge related to NGS, but I also had the opportunity to follow and solve problems given by Dr. Neil. NGS is currently very important for Biology students to understand, in line with the current developments in the field.”