Wednesday (26/4/23) the Faculty of Biology UGM held the Syawalan 1444 H, which is one of the routine activities carried out by the Faculty of Biology UGM every Shawwal month, this time with the theme “Strengthening Gathering and Increasing Harmony in Reaching Achievements”. The recitation took place at the Tropical Biology Auditorium and was attended by all Lecturers, Education Staff, Association of Dharma Wanita Management, Retired Lecturers/Educational Staff, and Student representatives.

The event opened with the recitation of the Qoran, by Ustadz Tantan Qital Barozi and Ustadzah Neng Najmiah. The Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Prof. Dr. Budi S. Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. on that occasion expressed his gratitude for the presence of all invited guests. In his remarks Prof. Budi said that the Faculty of Biology continues to hold syawalan recitation events to strengthen friendship and achieve harmony among the Biology Faculty’s family. Prof. Budi also apologized for all mistakes while carrying out his serving duties. “On behalf of the Faculty of Biology I wish you a happy Eid Al-Fitr 1444 H, and ask for sincerity to be forgiven for all mistakes and mistakes.”

Next, the Syawalan Pledge was delivered which was guided by Abdul Razaq Chasani, M.Sc., Ph.D. and followed by the main event of the Syawalan. The speaker was Prof. Dr. Chairil Anwar who is a Lecturer at FMIPA UGM. “We were created as nations so that we can stay in touch with one another.” As noble as we are, people who are pious, that is, people who are in an emergency or spend too much of their fortune for the benefit of many people, and people who can control their anger. “Through this syawalan, we hope that we will return to our nature, return to our identity as human beings, namely clean human beings”

The Syawalan was closed with a prayer led by Prof. Dr. Chairil Anwar and continued shaking hands as a sign of mutual apologies.

As part of the Asean University Network (AUN), which is a network of universities in the ASEAN Region, the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, also continues its participation in one of the activities held by AUN, namely the AUN-EEC (Ecological Education and Culture) General Assembly, as a continuation of AUN -EEC First Round Meeting which was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Biology UGM, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc., in 2019 in the Philippines. AUN-EEC is one of the AUN agendas designed in the form of education and culture aimed at educating the younger generation of ASEAN to have a sustainable mindset towards biodiversity and the environment.

At the AUN-EEC General Assembly 2023 which was held virtually hosted by Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines on April 26 2023, 22 representatives from 30 member universities attended, including 2 (two) lecturers as representatives of the UGM Faculty of Biology namely Sari Darmasiwi, S.Si., M. Biotech., Ph.D. and Nurindah Septriani, S.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.

The meeting began with a presentation by the AUN EEC Secretariat, Emmanuel Delocado, who delivered several teasers on the main AUN-EEC 2023 agenda including the AUN-EEC Conference “Communing and Reconciling with Nature” which is planned to be held on August 16, 2023, followed by AUN-EEC Workshop “Individual Commitments for Ecosystem Restoration and Reconciliation” on October 11, 2023. The target participants for the two events were lecturers, students, and researchers from member universities.

The event then continued with discussion and information exchange regarding the agenda of each member institution related to education in biodiversity and the environment for 2023 which can be supported by AUN-EEC. In this case, the UGM Faculty of Biology is socializing the International Summer Course on Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development which is planned to be held in July 2023.

This event was closed by the Executive Director of AUN-EEC, Maria A.C. Cuyegkeng who invites and develops a network of universities affiliated with AUN so that they can work together to realize the mission of educating the younger generation to preserve the environment and contribute to the community.

Every year the Christian Student Society (PMK) of the Faculty of Biology celebrates the Easter service with the aim of providing a place for Christian students and lecturers to celebrate Easter. This activity is also useful in developing Christian students’ spiritual relationships through joint fellowship. At this Easter celebration, PMK Biology carries the theme “Philadelfia” with the main verse on Hebrews 13:1-3. Through this theme, it is hoped that the brotherly love and friendship that God has given through humans can be channeled in the form of love for others, not only for those we know but for everyone according to the love of Jesus Christ.

This activity was held on Saturday, April 15 2023 at 17.00 – 19.00 WIB in Room 1-2 Building B, Faculty of Biology UGM. This activity was attended by Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, M.Sc. as Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Faculty of Biology UGM, Prof. Dr. Kumala Dewi, M.Sc.St. as PMK Biology supervisor lecturer, member of PMK Biology batch 2018 to 2022, representatives of PMK and KMKK UGM, and representatives from the Inter-University Fellowship – Yogyakarta Christian Student Society (PERKANTAS-PMKY).

This activity began with remarks by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and was followed by a celebration session and a prayer session. The celebration session was carried out in the form of Bible-themed games to bring each student closer and create an atmosphere of brotherhood, and was followed by praise through songs. During the worship session, the sermon was delivered by Ev. Fillia A. Laua from GII Hok Im Tong Cornerstone Jogja with the title “Maintain Brotherly Love”. The word that was brought about the extraordinary love of Jesus Christ became the basis for us to love others. Our love can be shown in the form of kindness, empathy, loyalty, and happiness. By carrying out this activity, it is hoped that we can increase brotherly love for everyone around us.

On Saturday, April 29 2023, the BiOSC 2023 Family Gathering was held. This activity was part of the celebration of the 17th BiOSC Anniversary. This time the Family Gathering carries the theme IOS (Bonding BiOSC) with the jargon “Empower One Another”. This activity was attended by Prof. Dr. Endang Semiarti, M. S., M. Sc., as the BiOSC supervisor. In addition, this activity was also attended by 64 BiOSC members. In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Endang Semiarti, M.S., M.Sc. giving hope to BiOSC on this 17th Anniversary so that in the future it will be even more solid. Apart from that, he also hopes that BiOSC will be more responsive to the condition of orchids at UGM, especially at the Faculty of Biology.

To enliven the Family Gathering activities, each field with representatives from AD XVII made different performances. In addition to performances, in this Family Gathering activities various group games were also held. The BiOSC 2023 Family Gathering is very exciting and fun. Everything went smoothly. By holding the 2023 Family Gathering, it is hoped that it will strengthen the sense of kinship so as to create a harmonious relationship between BiOSC members

On Saturday, May 6 2023 the UGM Faculty of Biology Community Service Team made their first visit to the Kampung Satwa located in Kedung Banteng, Sumberagung, Moyudan, Sleman, Yogyakarta. This visit was aimed at introducing oneself as well as coordinating with partners in the context of implementing a program entitled “Strengthening Food Security in Kampung Satwa to Improve Family Nutrition and Anticipate Wasting and Stunting Incidents”. This program is one of fourteen proposals that have passed to be funded in the 2023 Community Service-Free Learning Campus (PkM-MBKM) Grant for the Faculty of Biology UGM.

As for some of the activities that will be carried out in Period I (Even Semester Academic Year 2022/2023) include: (1) Counseling on the use of ecoenzymes for households, agriculture, health and the environment, (2) Cultivating microgreens as an alternative to vegetable nutritional needs, (3 ) Dissemination of the Nutrition Awareness Family Program (Kadarzi) and monitoring of the growth and development of children and toddlers, and (4) Utilization of residents’ yards as Nutrition Gardens.

The stunting and wasting prevention program has become a directive from the PKK of Kedung Banteng. With the collaboration between the Swanting Team and the Kampung Satwa, it is hoped that good synergy will be created in the context of preventing and accelerating the reduction of stunting and wasting in the Kampung Satwa and its surroundings through programs to improve community nutrition, especially for children and toddlers. This program is in line with the Republic of Indonesia’s national program for the 2020-2024 period as stipulated in the Republic of Indonesia Presidential Regulation No. 72 of 2021 and the Republic of Indonesia Minister of Health Regulation No. 13 of 2022.

In its journey to prepare new Study Program, namely Biodiversity Curator Education Study Program, Faculty of Biology UGM held a Competency Assessment of Biodiversity Curator in the field of Plants for several prospective lecturers of UGM. On May, 11^th 2023 in Ruang Sidang KPTU, The Competency Assessment of Biodiversity Curator was carried out based on the Portofolio/Recognition of Past Learning scheme.

The assessment was attended by 5 UGM lecturers as participants, namely Prof. Dr. Purnomo, M.S. (Fakultas Biologi UGM), Prof. Dr. Ratna Susandarini, M.Sc. (Faculty of Biology), Rina Sri Kasiamdari, S.Si., Ph.D. (Faculty of Biology), Abdul Razaq Chasani, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. (Faculty of Biology) dan Ir. Atus Syahbudin, S.Hut., M.Agr., Ph.D. (Faculty of Forestry).

Assessor in this professional certification test was Prof. Dr. Paul J.A. Kessler, Director Hortus botanicus Leiden, Universiteit Leiden, who was accompanied by Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, M.Sc. as Deputy Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and Sukirno, S.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. as Head of Undergraduate Biology Study Program, Faculty of Biology UGM.

After all the assessment process was done, it was stated that the five participants had passed and received professional certificate as Curator of Biodeversity. During the certificates handover, Dean of Faculty of Biology, Prof. Dr. Budi S. Daryono, M.Agr.Sc., accompanied by the vice deans, Dr. Slamet Widiyanto, S.Si., M.Sc. (Deputy Dean for Finance, Assets and Human Resources) and Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, S.Si., M.App.Sc. (Deputy Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation and Alumni), expressed his pride in the process of this certification assessment and hoped that this result would support the establishment of Biodiversity Curator Education Study Program, Faculty of Biology UGM.

Prof. Dr. Budi S. Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. also stated that, in the future, a professional certification assessment for biodiversity in the field of animals and microbes would be carried out so that the new study program to be established was truly ready with competent and internationally certified lecturers.

Before the assessment was closed, Prof. Dr. Paul J.A. Kessler and all of Faculty Directors had a discussion about strategic steps and plans that will very useful in preparing for the establishment of new study program. The certification assessment process ended with a group photo between all of participants, Faculty Directors and Prof. Dr. Paul Kessler.

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.”

On Saturday, April 1 2023, PKPA Labskill X for Orchid Cultivation Techniques was held at the Biotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Biology UGM. This activity is a collaboration of the Research Division with the Cultivation Division of BiOSC. This activity was attended by Prof. Dr. Endang Semiarti, M.S., M.Sc. as BiOSC Supervisor Lecturer. Focusing on training and introducing basic material regarding in vitro orchid propagation techniques, this activity is intended to develop student abilities, especially in BiOSC membership. PKPA Labskill X Orchid Cultivation Techniques was successfully attended by 23 members from Diksar XV, XVI, and XVII BiOSC batches. This series of activities begins with a pretest for participants followed by guidance and direction regarding the basic material for in vitro culture of orchid seeds.

Next, participants were invited to practice sowing orchid seeds directly in Laminar Air Flow (LAF). The orchid seeds that were sown this time came from the Spathoglottis genus which came from the Karanggayan and Arundina Greenhouses which were obtained from the exploration results of BiOSC members. In this activity, participants will be taught the steps that must be taken, such as sterilizing tools and materials, preparing orchids for sowing, and how to properly plant seeds in a medium bottle using Vacin and Went medium. The steps in this method need to be considered carefully because it will determine the success of growing orchid seeds into new individuals. In this Orchid Cultivation Technique, participants are expected to have an overview and understand the basic techniques that need to be considered so that the cultivation of orchids from seeds can be successful.

Biology students at Universitas Gadjah Mada (S1) made another achievement by winning the Bronze Medal and Favorite Poster at the national level El Bajo Essay Competition. This achievement was achieved by a team chaired by Amelia Rifki Alifiah (Biology 2019) and its member Fatika Soraya Taufik (Biology 2019) under the guidance of Sukirno, S.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. This competition carries the theme “Idea, Innovation and Creativity to Realize the MDGs” and is carried out in two stages. The first stage included online essay selection by the jury with a total of 265 works from State and Private Universities in Indonesia, so that 28 finalist teams were obtained. The second stage was held on 18-19 March 2023 with an offline final presentation at the Office of the West Manggarai Regent, Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara. The organizers also held field trips for the finalists with the intended destinations including Pink Beach, Komodo Island and Padar Island.

In this competition, Amelia and Fatika brought the title “BOBESTEA: Diabetes-Friendly Boba Milk Tea with α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Mango Kernel Starch (Mangifera indica L.) and Natural Sweetener Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni as an Alternative to Low-Sugar Contemporary Drinks ”. In this essay, Amelia and Fatika discuss that the boba drink trend, which has experienced rapid growth in recent years, has actually contributed to the increase in diabetes cases in Indonesia. The sugar content in one serving of boba drink itself can reach 73.44%, thus exceeding the daily sugar consumption limit. Based on these problems, Amelia and Fatika initiated the BOBESTEA innovation with boba pearls from mango kernel starch containing α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase enzyme inhibitors, as well as milk tea derived from a combination of unsweetened almond milk, black tea, and zero-calorie Stevia natural sweetener. . This innovation is expected to be an alternative solution to current drinks that are much healthier, have a lower risk of diabetes, and can be accepted by consumers, especially millennials and generation Z as the main consumers of boba drinks.

Science continues to develop rapidly, one of which is related to anatomical characteristics as important parameters in botanical studies, including systematics, evolution, to ecophysiology related to plant adaptation. The diversity of plants in Indonesia is directly proportional to the characteristics of its internal structure. For the analysis of plant anatomical characters, special knowledge is needed related to the technique of making microscopic preparations. Therefore, training in the technique of making anatomical preparations is very important, as well as being a place for friendship and information sharing.

In order to carry out community service and establish collaboration with other parties, the Laboratory of Plant Structure and Development, Faculty of Biology UGM accepted two students from the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Jambi (UNJA). Students from the University of Jambi namely Dita Rahmayanti and Suci Sri Mulya to carry out plant microtechnical training which was carried out for 12 days, on 20 February – 7 March 2023.

The opening of the training as well as the welcoming of students from UNJA was carried out at the Plant Structure and Development Laboratory which was welcomed and opened directly by Dr. Maryani, M.Sc. as Head of Plant Structure and Development Laboratory. The training consisted of lectures/discussions on plant microtechnics (especially embedding and non-embedding methods, micrometry, and optilab) and the anatomical structure of roots and leaves. Participants were also given the opportunity to independently practice making plant preparations (practicum (hands on), and their analysis. The material was conducted by Dr. Maryani, M.Sc. and Utaminingsih, S.Si., M.Sc., while the practicum was conducted with Utaminingsih , S.Sc., M.Sc.. Independent work was carried out for 3 days accompanied by a laboratory assistant (Mrs. Prapti).

The official closing of the activity was carried out by Dr. Maryani, M.Sc. on Tuesday, March 7 2023. In his remarks, he said that by participating in this training it was hoped that the knowledge gained by the two students would be useful and could be developed in their institutions later. Hopefully this training activity can be a starting point for research collaboration and collaboration in the future.