The Community Service Team – Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (PkM-MBKM) from the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) 2025, supervised by Dr. Ardaning Nuriliani, S.Si., M.Kes., has successfully conducted a series of educational activities in Pajangan Hamlet, Wedomartani, Sleman. Under the theme “Improving Family Health through Cultivation and Processing of Herbal Plants”, the program aims to raise awareness and promote the use of herbal plants within the local community—supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being. The initiative involved five active undergraduate students of the Faculty of Biology, UGM grade 2022.

The activities began with the distribution of questionnaires and direct interviews with 50 residents to assess their perceptions and habits regarding herbal plant usage. The results revealed that most residents are familiar with and regularly use herbal plants in their daily lives. This provided a strong foundation for the team to continue with further educational outreach, particularly on the types and benefits of herbal plants—supporting SDG 4: Quality Education at the hamlet level. The enthusiasm of the community confirmed that this grassroots approach is effective in unlocking local potential for health improvement.

The next phase of the program included an educational seminar and herbal plant distribution, held at Masjid Jami’ Darussalam on Sunday, May 24, 2025. The session was presented by Chelsy Ammara Septiani and Nimas Ayu Pramesthi, covering the introduction to herbal plants, their benefits, and their role in preventing degenerative diseases. A lively and interactive Q&A session followed, with participants showing interest in innovative uses of herbal plants such as modern herbal beverages and aromatherapy candles. This response reflects a growing community awareness of responsible consumption and production, in line with SDG 12.

The event concluded with the distribution of herbal plants—including pandan, cat’s whiskers/Java tea, bilimbi, and bay leaf—to encourage continued cultivation and conservation of these plants within the community, thus contributing to SDG 15: Life on Land. The program will continue in the Odd Semester of the 2025/2026 academic year, focusing on both physical and mental health. It is hoped that the PkM-MBKM program will continue to bring tangible benefits to the residents of Pajangan Hamlet and serve as a model of collaborative service between academia and society through partnerships to achieve the goals (SDG 17).

The Community Service Team – Independent Campus Learning Program (PKM-MBKM) of Faculty of Biology UGM 2025 led by three lecturers, namely Novita Yustinadiar, M.Si, Woro Anindito Sri Tunjung, Ph.D., and Wahyu Aristyaning Putri, Ph.D., together with 11 students have carried out the third activity in a series of PkM-MBKM programs in partnership with the GEMI Sharia Cooperative (Gerakan Ekonomi Kaum Ibu). The third activity was carried out in Panggungharjo Village, Sewon District, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region. This team involved three students, namely Anisah Qurrotu’Ainii (Chairperson), Hafifah Nur Ainiyah (Secretary), Alma Puska Falasyifa (Treasurer) and the help of 8 other students with a theme entitled “Application of Zero Waste System in an Effort to Realize a Clean, Healthy and Green Environment in Members of the Economic Movement of the Mothers (GEMI) Yogyakarta”. This PkM-MBKM program supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGS 3 (Good health and well-being), 12 (Responsible consumption and production), 15 (Maintaining Land Ecosystems). This program is planned to take place for two semesters with a total of 6x direct counseling to GEMI partners.

Socialization and practice activities were carried out on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at 09.00–12.00 WIB at the home of one of the GEMI members. This activity was attended by GEMI members and waste bank members. Before the practice, there was a pre-test to map the participants’ understanding before participating in the material presentation, followed by a material presentation related to organic waste and exposure related to compost fertilizer with the Berkeley method in a compost bag, then continued with demonstrative practices by a team of students and accompanying lecturers related to making compost bags.

The event continued with a question and answer session and quizzes related to the material that had been delivered. The women participants seemed very enthusiastic about asking and also answering the questions asked. There was a two-way discussion between the organizers and the participants who participated in the activity. As a form of appreciation, active participants were given gifts in the form of tumblers and bags as a form of circular economy and zero waste to reduce the use of plastic bags and bottles. The event was then closed and continued with a joint documentation session.

Yogyakarta, March 20, 2025 – The Entomology Laboratory of the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), conducted a training session on the Identification and Rearing of Wood and Bamboo Pest Insects. The training was attended by students, Entomology Laboratory lecturers (Drs. Hari Purwanto, M.P., Ph.D., Dr. Eng. Atikah Fitria Muharromah, S.Si., M.Eng., Aryo Seto Pandu W., S.Si., M.Sc.), and laboratory staff (Rio Tri Rahmawati, S.Si.) as part of the implementation of the KDM and Lit-MBKM Research Grant 2025.

This event featured Drs. Agus Ismanto, a researcher in wood and bamboo pests from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), as the main speaker. The session was officially opened by the Head of the Entomology Laboratory and continued with a presentation by Drs. Agus Ismanto. He delivered an in-depth training on rearing techniques and the identification of pest insects that commonly attack wood and bamboo, two crucial commodities in Indonesia’s handicraft industry.

According to Drs. Agus Ismanto, identifying pest insects is a crucial first step in effective pest management. During the training, participants learned various identification techniques using microscopes and other tools such as loops. They were also trained to recognize the physical characteristics of different pest species commonly found in wood and bamboo, including Dynoderus sp., Lyctus sp., and Mynthea sp.. Additionally, the session covered various solutions to combat pest infestations that could degrade the quality of wood and bamboo. These solutions included environmentally friendly methods such as soaking and boiling the wood or bamboo in water.

This training also aimed to strengthen collaboration between academics, researchers, and students in an effort to enhance understanding of the importance of protecting wood and bamboo from pest infestations, which could impact both economic and ecological sectors.

The event is expected to bring significant benefits to all participants while expanding knowledge about the role of insects as pests and the importance of entomological research in improving the quality of wood and bamboo craft commodities in Indonesia.

This training not only provided academic benefits but also contributed to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including: SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 15: Life on Land.

Starting from Monday, January 27, until Friday, February 21, 2025, a faculty member from the Faculty of Biology UGM, Prof. Dr. Yekti Asih Purwestri, had the opportunity to participate in the training program “Gene Editing for Indica Rice and Excellence Through Stewardship” at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, the Philippines. This program is a significant milestone of the KONEKSI partnership program between Australia and Indonesia, titled “Building a Sustainable Future: Developing Nutritious and Climate-Resilient Crop Varieties” in collaboration with IRRI Philippines and BRIN Indonesia. Aimed at enhancing capacity building, this funding also provided an opportunity for a young lecturer, Dr. Siti Nurbaiti, to take part in the program, as she is also conducting research on rice.

During the four-week training at IRRI, all activities were supervised by Dr. Inez Slamet-Loedin, an Indonesian diaspora who also serves as Principal Scientist and Head of the Genetic Design and Validation Unit at IRRI, Philippines. Before actively engaging in laboratory activities, Prof. Yekti and Dr. Baiti had to complete an online course on Good and Safe Laboratory Practices, studied about Stewardship, Biosafety, and Regulations regarding plant products derived from the use of Plant Breeding Innovations (PBIs) in the Philippines. In general, these genome editing activities in the Rice Breeding Innovation unit involved two laboratories: Gene Editing and Transformation Lab (GETL) led by Dr. Inez Slamet-Loedin, and Gene Identification and Validation Lab (GIV) led by Dr. Sung Ryul Kim.

The introduction to Genome Editing (GEd), Escherichia coli plasmid vector design and guide RNA construction, oligonucleotide duplex synthesis, ligation, Agrobacterium transformation, confirmation and validation, and glycerol stock preparation were conducted in the GIV Lab. The developed constructs were then transferred to the GETL Lab, where they were introduced into plants through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of immature embryos via tissue culture. The resulting plants were grown in regulated greenhouse and screenhouse facilities, followed by mutation screening using molecular genotyping analysis from DNA and phenotyping analysis based on growth and development parameters such as tillering capacity, leaf number, leaf greenness, and stress responses. Additionally, Prof. Yekti and Dr. Baiti also studied seed processing, covering harvesting, storage techniques, and maintaining seed viability for both daily use and long-term preservation. Some GEd projects conducted include the development of rice varieties with enhanced Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) and the improvement of Zinc (Zn) and Iron (Fe) content in rice.

In addition to laboratory activities, Prof. Yekti and Dr. Baiti had the opportunity to visit the IRRI Genebank, which houses a vast collection of cultivated rice varieties from various countries, including wild rice species. They also explored the Speed Breeding Facilities, which enable studies on rice growth and development under various controlled environmental conditions. Meetings and discussions with experts from various fields were also conducted, including Dr. R. Mauleon and Dr. Dmytro Chebotarov, experts in bioinformatics, who introduced the SNP-Seek platform, which was developed by IRRI (https://snp-seek.irri.org/); Dr. Amelia Henry, an expert in root system research; and Rice breeders from Korea. The program concluded with a final presentation summarizing all the knowledge and experiences gained, held on Friday, February 21, 2025. During the training, Dr. Baiti also had the opportunity to meet with a collaborator from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alona C. Linatoc, who has been actively involved in the Summer Course program organized by the Faculty of Biology UGM.

This program also supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Looking ahead, it is hoped that more collaborations and opportunities will be created to continuously enhance the capacity of faculty members at the Faculty of Biology, UGM, further contributing to the advancement of education in Indonesia.

Two lecturers from Faculty of Biology Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM); Dr. Luthfi Nurhidayat and Dr. Tri Rini Nuringtyas showcased Indonesia’s growing contributions to biomedical research at The 2025 Asian Conference on Fish Models for Diseases, held from February 17–19 in Bangkok, Thailand. This conference was joined by leading scientists from across Asia and beyond in sharing advancements in the use of fish as model organisms for disease research.

Dr. Luthfi Nurhidayat delivered an oral presentation titled “Indonesia’s Native Fish: From Aquaculture Towards Biomedical Research,” highlighting the untapped potential of the native Rasbora lateristriata (commonly known as wader pari) as an alternative model organism. Initially studied for aquaculture, R. lateristriata shows promise in biomedical applications due to its fast embryonic development, resilience to warm temperatures, and its suitability for natural compound testing—an area in which Indonesia holds vast potential.

In a flash poster session, Dr. Tri Rini Nuringtyas presented her study titled “Antidiabetic Potential of Gyrinops versteegii Agarwood Leaf Extract in Zebrafish Models.” Her research demonstrates the efficacy of agarwood leaf extract as a potential antidiabetic agent, successfully tested using zebrafish.

This international engagement is part of UGM’s efforts to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being. Participation in the conference strengthens Indonesia’s presence in fish-based biomedical research and opens doors for international collaboration in health-related model development.

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – November 30, 2024 – In support of national food security initiatives, the ‘GAMA AYAM’ team held a community empowerment program in collaboration with the Srikandi Women Farmers Group (KWT Srikandi) from Mrican, focusing on the application of incubation and farming technology for local laying hens, known as “Mahar.” The event took place in Sawit Sari, Caturtunggal, Yogyakarta, and was supported by the Pertamina Foundation.

The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), through its flagship Gama Ayam research program, has launched a collaborative initiative to promote egg self-sufficiency in Indonesia. In partnership with KAGAMA East Kalimantan and local poultry farmers, the team is cultivating the MAHAR village chicken in Balikpapan, one of the buffer zones of the future capital city, IKN Nusantara.

This initiative is a direct application of UGM’s research innovation. The MAHAR chicken strain originally developed at UGM’s Sawitsari Research Station has been the subject of continued research and refinement under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc., Head of the Gama Ayam Research Team. The cultivation activities include egg collection, hatching, brooding, selection, and breeding to develop a robust and productive indigenous laying chicken strain.

Drs. Lalu Fauzul Idhi, representing KAGAMA East Kalimantan, has played a key role in facilitating regional collaboration. Local farmers, including Mr. Sultan and his team, have already shown promising results, successfully raising the MAHAR chickens to the hundreds in a short period.

To assess progress, the Gama Ayam team visited the Balikpapan site on February 12, 2025, represented by Prananda Imammuddin Dzaki, Yusuf Febrianta, and Prof. Budi. The visit focused on genetic monitoring, performance evaluation, and knowledge sharing related to hatching success and reproductive development.

This program support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs No.8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, by promoting village-based poultry farming; SDGs No.11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities, through local food production initiatives;and SDGs No 17 on Partnerships for the Goals, via committed collaboration between academia, alumni, and the farming community.

The MAHAR chicken is projected to become Indonesia’s leading egg-laying village chicken strain, contributing significantly to Indonesia’s food resilience and rural economic empowerment.

Jakarta, January 30, 2025 – Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., a researcher and lecturer from the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has successfully secured a research grant from the Indonesia Toray Science Foundation (ITSF) under the Science and Technology Research Grant (STRG) category for 2025. This grant is awarded in recognition of his innovative research proposal focusing on yeast biotechnology development for sustainable lipid-based energy production from Rhodotorula glutinis.

Ganies is one of the 18 national recipients of the STRG-ITSF grant in 2025 with his research titled “Yeast Bioengineering for Sustainable Lipid-Based Energy Production from Rhodotorula glutinis“. This research aims to optimize the utilization of microorganisms for bioenergy production as an alternative renewable energy source. Through genetic engineering approaches, this project is expected to provide innovative solutions in reducing dependency on fossil fuels and support the transition towards a sustainable green economy.

This grant is part of ITSF’s commitment to supporting scientific and technological advancements in Indonesia, which has been ongoing for 31 years since its establishment by Toray Industries, Inc., Japan. “I feel deeply honored and grateful to receive this research grant. The support from ITSF will greatly aid the development of my research, particularly in promoting the utilization of microorganisms as a more environmentally friendly renewable energy source,” said Ganies Riza Aristya.

The 31st ITSF awards ceremony was held at Hotel Mulia Senayan, Jakarta, on January 30, 2025. The event was attended by prominent figures, including ITSF Chairman Dr. Laksana Tri Handoko, Toray Industries, Inc. Chairman Akihiro Nikkaku, as well as representatives from the Indonesian government and leading academics.

This achievement further strengthens the role of UGM’s Faculty of Biology in driving research-based innovation to address global challenges, particularly in the fields of renewable energy and industrial biotechnology. The research contributes directly to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, by developing more sustainable and environmentally friendly bioenergy;
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, through biotechnological approaches for efficient utilization of biological resources;
• SDG 13: Climate Action, by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions.

Monday, January 23, 2025 – The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held a workshop titled “Master Plan for Research and Community Service of the Faculty of Biology 2024-2028”. The event took place from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM WIB at the Auditorium Biologi Tropika, Faculty of Biology UGM.

The Faculty of Biology of Gadjah Mada University student team consisting of Feny Nur Nucfera (Biology 2021), Allya Heni Pramesti (Biology 2021), and Cindy Adisty Rudi Ananda Putri (Biology 2021) achieved 3rd Runner Up in the essay competition at the International Biology Competition (MIBC) 2024. International Biology Competition (MIBC) 2024 is a global scientific competition organized by the biology master program of UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang from October 8 to December 1, 2024. This global scientific competition was attended by more than 100 teams of both undergraduate (S1) and master (S2) students nationally and internationally. The competition with the theme “Innovative Scientific Solutions for Sustainable Development” aims to foster the interest of the younger generation in the field of research and scientific writing. The competition encourages students to develop skills in research, analysis, and scientific writing by utilizing technological advances to support sustainable development in accordance with the goals of Indonesia Emas 2045.

With a background in biology, the UGM Biology Student Team used a Biotechnology approach in their scientific paper entitled “GenPlast Solver: Genetic Engineering for PETase Gene Insertion in Lactobacillus sp. as a Smart Solution to the Plastic Waste Problem”. The background of this work is the increasing global plastic waste problem with global plastic production reaching 400 million tons per year and Indonesia being the second largest contributor to plastic waste in the world. Only 9% of plastic waste is successfully recycled. Current plastic waste management methods such as incineration and recycling have constraints, namely technology and public awareness. Plastic waste has a negative impact on human health and ecosystems. Therefore, it is necessary to develop environmentally friendly biotechnology-based innovations to address the global plastic waste problem.

One of the innovations raised by the team is the GenPlast Solver culture starter based on genetic engineering to tackle plastic waste efficiently. This idea explores the potential of genetic engineering techniques by inserting the PETase gene from Ideonella sakainensis into gram-positive bacteria Lactobacillus sp. as a solution to degrade plastic waste. The PETase enzyme derived from Ideonella sakaiensis showed much higher activity in degrading PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic compared to other enzymes. This makes it a promising candidate for bioremediation efforts. However, the growth of Ideonella sakaiensis has a negative impact on the environment. Lactobacillus compared to Ideonella sakainensis has the advantages of resistance to high salinity and adaptability to environmental pH, making it more suitable for direct application in ecosystems. The engineering process includes isolation of PETase gene, cloning into expression vector, transformation into Lactobacillus sp. and optimization of gene expression. The final product is a genetically modified Lactobacillus sp. starter culture that can be applied in the treatment of plastic waste in industries and landfills. This innovation offers a sustainable green technology approach (SDGs 3, 4 & 12), supports the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (SDGs 13), and creates new economic opportunities through the production of GenPlast Solver-based starter cultures (SDGs 8). [Author: Feny Nur Nucfera]