The Gadjah Mada University Thalassemia Research Group, which is a collaboration between the Faculty of Biology, the Faculty of Public Health Medicine and Nursing, the Faculty of Psychology, and the UGM Integrated Research and Testing Laboratory, is holding blood drives, educational seminars and thalassemia screening, which is a joint activity with PT. Astra Daihatsu through CSR programs. Blood Donation and Thalassemia Education Seminar is the first agenda of a series of activities.This activity was held on Saturday 17 December 2022 at the Tropical Biology Auditorium, Faculty of Biology UGM with resource persons dr. Alexandra W.S Pangarso M.Sc., Sp.A. from the Dept. Pediatric Health Sciences FKKMK UGM/ Dr. Sardjito Hospital and Moderator dr. Nur Imma Fatimah Harahap, Ph.D. from the Dept. Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine FK-KMK UGM. Blood donation was held with the help of facilities from Red Cross Indonesia Sleman Regency. The Coordinator who is also Chair of the UGM Thalassemia Research Group, Dr. Niken Satuti Nur Handayani, M.Sc. stated that UGM students, lecturers and staff, Astra Daihatsu employees and the general public, even students from other universities, such as UNY; UIN Sunan Kalijaga, STPN Yogyakarta participated in the blood donation.

The Regional Head of the Astra Daihatsu Central Java Area, Mr. Ferry, in his remarks said that Daihatsu Astra has committed to supporting programs that benefit the community in five areas which are health, education, environment, entrepreneurship and technology, and has provided support to the thalassemia program over 11 years. This remarks received a response from the Dean of the Faculty of Biology UGM, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr Sc. In his remarks the Dean provided support and appreciation to Astra Daihatsu which has a Thalassemia Care Program. He hopes that the synergy of companies such as Astra Daihatsu with educational institutions, such as UGM, will continue to be improved to provide wider benefits to society.

One series of activities in this program is the thalassemia screening which will be held at the Clinical Pathology Laboratory of FKKMK UGM on 19-21 December 2022. Screening participants consisted of UGM lecturers, staff and students, high school students, prospective brides and grooms, employees of Astra Daihatsu Yogyakarta and the general public. Screening activities need to be carried out because it is the main strategy in preventing the increase in the number of people with diseases caused by genetic disorders. Screening aims to find out whether the subject is a carrier or not, hence if the subject is detected as a carrier, education can be given regarding the risks of marrying to another carrier. Thalassemia is one of the monogenic diseases with the highest prevalence in Indonesia and is the fifth largest BPJS expense after heart disease, cancer, stroke and kidney failure. The latest data in 2021 showed that there were 10,973 thalassemia patients in Indonesia.

Therefore, in 2022 through the UGM Chancellor’s Decree No. 788/UN1.P.II/KPT/HUKOR/2022 has been officially established by the UGM Thalassemia Research Group. The Research Group is expected to become a center of excellence and become a national reference in thalassemia diagnostics. One of the goals of this research group is to try to build a national collaboration network, and also to initiate a collective movement between research institutions, regional governments, and also the central government in realizing the National Program for Compulsory Thalassemia Screening.

The Faculty of Biology UGM held Research Day 2022. Through this event, the results of collaborative research from lecturers, partners and students in the fields of research and community service are exhibited in the form of posters. A total of 43 research posters and 16 community service posters were exhibited in this activity. The research day lasts for two days, which was on Tuesday until Wednesday (20-21 December 2022). This activity was carried out in Lecture Rooms 1 and 2 Building B, Faculty of Biology UGM.

On the first day the activity starts at 09.00 WIB. This activity begins with the registration of participants. The activity continued with the opening of the event by Faya Nur Annisa Damantya, A.Md. sec. and Asrindon, S.Kom as the MC. The opening of Research Day 2022 was conducted by Ignatius Susatyo Wijoyo, M.M. as UGM Deputy Chancellor for Research, Business Development, and Cooperation. In his remarks he said that good research is research that can be published and applied to society. Through the dissemination, it was hoped that these activities will become a stimulus to be able to conduct even better research in the coming year. In this activity, Biotimbre and traditional dance performances were also enlivened by students of the Faculty of Biology UGM. This activity continued with a tour, research evaluation, and community service posters by lecturers, students and exhibition visitors until 15.00 WIB. The assessment is carried out based on the appearance of the poster and the completeness of the information on the poster including the name of the researcher, the activities that have been carried out and the names of the partners.

On the second day, exhibition activities started at 09.00-13.45 WIB. The activity was continued with remarks as well as closing by Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. as Deputy Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation and Alumni of the Faculty of Biology UGM. He explained that the Faculty of Biology had succeeded in increasing the amount of research and community service from year to year. This year, the ratio of lecturers who publish their publication is 1: 1.2, which means that each lecturer has produced more than 1 publication this year. The activity continued with the announcement of the best poster and awarding of prizes. Research poster category won by Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono, S.Si., M.Sc., Drs. Hari Purwanto, M.P, Ph.D., and Dr. Tri Rini Nuringtyas, S.Si., M.Sc. while the community service posters category won by Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono, S.Sc., M.Sc., Dr. Niken Satuti Nur Handayani, M.Sc., and Drs. Ign. Sudaryadi, M. Kes. This activity ended at 14.50 WIB. Through this event, it is hoped that it can provide new enthusiasm for lecturers and students in developing various research and applications in the field of biology, hence they can have a positive impact on the surrounding communities.

Students of the UGM Faculty of Biology Masters Study Program conducted a thesis research proposal seminar for Class 2021 Even students on Tuesday, December 27 2022. The activity was carried out in the Auditorium room of the Faculty of Biology as the opening ceremony and will be divided into four rooms when entering the main event. The research proposal seminar was attended by the Dean, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc., Head of the Master’s Study Program, Dr.rer.nat. Andhika Puspito Nugroho, M.Sc., and the thesis advisors. The series of events consisted of opening and core activities, namely the presentation of proposals by students. The event was opened at 08.00 by host sisters Fanny Sukma Sundari and Rizal Muhammad Rifa’i from the odd 2022 batch. Furthermore, the activity continued with remarks from the Head of the Biology Masters Study Program, Dr.rer.nat. Andhika Puspito Nugroho, M.Sc. This proposal seminar was taken by 47 students guided by 22 thesis supervisors. From this activity, students can get input from supervisors and other colleagues to support the research to be carried out. Furthermore, students are also expected to be able to take comprehensive exams and thesis trials immediately.

The official opening was carried out by the Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. Writing a research proposal is one of the crucial stages during the master’s education process. The proposal seminar activity is a follow-up to the proposal writing. The Dean advised students to follow up on the seminar proposal activities immediately by carrying out a comprehensive exam in semester 3. All students are expected to be able to take a comprehensive exam from January to March, provided that they have met the specified requirements, namely TPA and TOEFL. The implementation of the proposal seminar is expected to improve the quality of master’s education at the Faculty of Biology UGM, with input that enhances the research plan and the output provided can be in the form of a publication LoA.

Next, students presented their proposals divided into four rooms, namely in the Tropical Biology Auditorium with Dr. Wiko Arif Wibowo, S.Si as moderator, upper courtroom with Dr. Fajar Sofyantoro, S.Si., M.Sc., lecture hall 6 with Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono, S.Si., M.Sc, as moderator and lecture room 7 with Akbar Reza, S.Si., M.Sc as moderator. In general, the purpose of the proposal seminar is to find out how much students understand the research that will be carried out. In addition, inputs and improvements are expected to be received and added to the composition of the proposals that have been written. Each student delivered their presentation for 10 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session. The audience was allowed to ask questions at the end of the discussion. Finally, each supervisor gave conclusions on the urgency of the research and clarified the results of the query and answer session. Activities ended at 12.00 in each room. [Khusnul Qonita Maghfiroh]

The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada participated in the International Collaboration Forum 6.0 activity organized by the Division of Community and International Networking of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) on November 11 2022, online via zoom meeting at 14.30-17.00 (MYT). The event collaborated with several universities including De La Salle University, Philippines, Nanhua University, Taiwan, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, Vtrox Academy, Malaysia.

In the class A parallel session with the theme Environmental in Innovating Higher Education, the UGM Faculty of Biology was represented by the Dean of the UGM Faculty of Biology, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr., Sc., who is also the Chair of the Indonesian Biology Consortium (KOBI). In addition, also represented by Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, M.Sc. as head of the Doctoral Program Study Program, Faculty of Biology UGM.

Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, M.Sc. delivered the theme Domestication of Indonesian Native Fish an Integrative of Natural Resources Management and Innovation in Higher Education. On this occasion he said that wader populations in nature had begun to decline due to invasive species, and the development of water body management that paid little attention to the balance of the ecosystem. This problem is solved by developing technology for wader cultivation, supplying larvae, collaborating with local farmers for mass cultivation, developing post-harvest products, collaborating with the local government and also the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and making quality feed formulations. In terms of innovation in Higher Education, native fish research and database establishment, research and development of fish farming technology, problem-based learning for teachers and students, innovation and implementation for commercial and economic (bio-entrepreneurship) and community education for conservation will continue to be carried out in higher education environment, especially by UGM.

In the event, Prof. Budi and Mr. Bambang invited participants of the International Collaboration Forum 6.0, especially the younger generation, to continue to collaborate in developing ideas related to environmental preservation. This event is very useful and interesting especially in order to reduce the ecological footprint which is the impact of human activities on the environment which is needed to meet human needs and lifestyle.

On Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at the KPTU Meeting Room, KPTU Building, Faculty of Biology, UGM, a briefing and release was held for students who will take part in Student Exchange activities at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). The briefing was attended by the Dean of the UGM Faculty of Biology, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc, Caretaker Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Rina Sri Kasiamdari, S.Si. Phd., Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation and Alumni, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc, Head of Undergraduate Program, Sukirno, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., IUP Manager, Zuliyati Rohmah, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D ., Eng., OIA Manager, Nur Indah Septriani, S.Si., M.Sc. Ph.D., as well as staff and eight students participating in the Student Exchange.

In the meeting, Prof. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr. Sc. as the Dean of the Faculty of Biology, UGM, explained to students that the cooperation between UGM and UTHM, Malaysia was not a collaboration that had only been going on for a while. The founders of UTHM were UGM alumni including alumni from the Faculty of Biology, UGM. Students should be grateful and proud because they were selected as Exchange participants at UTHM, one of Malaysia’s best universities. Furthermore, Mrs. Rina Sri Kasiamdari, S.Si. Ph.D. also added that students should support each other while at UTHM. Further, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. explained that the students were not only representatives of Universitas Gadjah Mada but also representatives of Indonesia. Therefore, students are expected to be able to maintain the good name of the country and institution while participating in the Exchange activities. Regarding academics, Mr. Sukirno, S.Si., M.Sc. Ph.D., as the Head of the Undergraduate Program at the Faculty of Biology, said he was ready to help convert marks ​​from UTHM to UGM which might delay.

Of the eight students who attended the briefing, there were six students who and were ready to leave, which are Ghina Alyaa Khairunnisa Purnomo, Divkha Amanda, Mayland Muhammad Hanbal, Tsabitah Putri Asmalda, Adiva Aphrodita, and Zidni Meirizka Utami. Meanwhile, Delvi Sari and Rajendra Regaputra, they are still waiting for the visa process to be completed.

The event was then closed with the hope that the Student Exchange activities could run smoothly according to plan. The students are scheduled to depart the next day on Thursday, November 03, 2022. The students arrived safely and were greeted by UTHM representatives.[aa]

Thariq Rahman Aly is Biology student from year 2019 and he’s willing to be an environment scientist in the future. This year, Thariq got the chance to joining IISMA (Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards).

“I felt grateful like never before. It made me contemplate and be grateful for all the things I’ve experienced throughout my life and all the people that supported and helped me. They made me the way I am now to be able to achieve this milestone,” he said, to express his gratefulness to be selected for joining this program.

In this opportunity, he managed to choose University of Queensland, Australia to be his host university as it offered courses that pursue his dream in contributing to maintain the global environment. At UQ, Thariq found courses that specifically would fulfil his ambitions and interest the most, there are Analysis of Scientific Data, Environment and Society, Design for A Better World, and Media and Society. The courses supported him in shaping his perspective, deepening his knowledge, and improving his skills. He believes that environmental issues under biological contexts are inseparable from anthropological dynamics. It is an ongoing discourse that requires the perspectives of a diverse community. For Thariq, these courses offer the opportunity for discussions, lectures, and intercultural exchange of perspectives needed to dive into that world.

At his first time arrived at UQ, he was quite surprised by how diverse the students are, because there is a melting pot of various cultures and ethnicity. It was harder for him to spot a native Australian than finding international students. Besides, UQ St Lucia Campus has beautiful views with its connection with the natural environment. Walkways are surrounded by trees and plants, seated with various colourful birds. The view is at its most beautiful during spring when the purple jacaranda trees start to bloom.

Thariq perceived that UQ is holding its academic integrity to the utmost importance. Throughout his study, Thariq received modules that educate students about academic integrity comprehensively and the consequences if they do not follow it. At first, it made him feel a little bit tense but it also gave him the positive learning experience that inspired and motivated him to study better.

Thariq spent his time at Brisbane, where he can enjoy the various awesome views and the connected natural environment within the city. He also participated on various events while living at Brisbane, such as student gatherings and festivals. Other than that, Thariq enjoyed casual walks and outings with his fellow IISMA awardees and new friends he made there. He also found quite remarkable diving spots just offshore Brisbane. He dived several times together with the UQ diving community and it was an irreplaceable experience to gain. He felt much livelier than ever.

IISMA is not just a program to further enrich skills and knowledge, but also utilize it to solve current global issues. Thariq hopes that after finishing this program, he can further contribute back to Indonesia for the advancement of society and consequently improve the living environment for the sake of future generations. “Though I am going to need to finish my thesis first,” he closed his statement. (TRA/AS)

In the National Scientific Writing Competition, undergraduate Biology students once again made achievement by taking home, not only one, but three awards, including first place, best presentation, and best poster. The team consists of Umi Salamah, Maria Bening Wohingati Yarlantri Tamidiyono, and Wulan Usfi Mafiroh from Biology 2018 under the supervision of Dr. Ardaning Nuriliani, S.Si., M.Kes. This competition was held by Himpunan Mahasiswa Kimia Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), with the theme “Finding Untapped Potential of Indonesia Natural Resources for a Better Quality Life With Chemistry”. This event aims to express students’ innovations, inventions, and ideas in order to improve their capacity for scientific thinking.

This event was held in October 15, 2022 via online at Institut Pertanian Bandung (IPB) and was attended by students from universities throughout Indonesia. This competition was divided into four stages: abstract submission, paper evaluation, announcement of the top ten, and presentation of the work in front of the judges.

The team brought a scientific paper entitled “Optimizing the Potential of Krokot (Portulaca oleracea) Leaf Callus Extract with the Addition of Elicitors as an Alternative to T47D Breast Anticancer Agent”. According to the team. the idea was inspired by the high prevalence of breast cancer cases both globally and in Indonesia. There are treatments to heal breast cancer. However, those treatments have many sides effect that reduce patient’s quality of life. The team therefore tried to explore natural sources that can be used to treat cancer. One of the natural sources that has anticancer potential is Krokot or Purslane (Portulaca oleracea).

The team prepared presentation materials a week before the online presentation. They practiced routinely so they are able to explain the papers clearly. The team was able to clearly deliver their ideas and respond to the jury’s inquiries. “This was clearly the result of our hard work and everyone’s support” they said.

From this competition, they really hope to provide enthusiasm and support other students who has interested in scientific skills. Other than that, they hope they can bring Faculty Biology’s name on the national scene. [US]

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.

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]

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.