**Jakarta, July 1-5, 2024** – Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono, a lecturer from the Biology Department of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), has been invited to serve as a judge at the National Science Olympiad for Elementary and Middle School Levels (OSN-P). The event, organized by the Indonesian Talent Development Center, National Achievement Center, Secretariat General, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, took place from July 1 to July 5, 2024.

The National Science Olympiad at the provincial level (OSN-P) for elementary (SD/MI) and middle school (SMP/MTs) students was conducted using the Computer-Based National Assessment (ANBK) application. This innovative approach ensures a fair and efficient evaluation process, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of promoting quality basic education and fostering development.

Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono was among the 50 judges from various universities and institutions across Indonesia. His expertise in biology and commitment to educational development made him a valuable addition to the judging panel. The judges were tasked with evaluating the performances of 2,061 participants, a challenging yet rewarding responsibility.

The OSN-P aims to identify and nurture young talents in science, providing them with opportunities to excel and contribute to the nation’s development. By involving experts like Dr. Priyono, the event ensures that the assessment process is rigorous and credible, promoting a culture of excellence in basic education.

Throughout the five-day event, participants demonstrated their knowledge and skills in various scientific disciplines. The use of the ANBK application facilitated a smooth and transparent evaluation process, allowing judges to focus on the participants’ performance without technical hindrances.

Dr. Priyono expressed his enthusiasm for being part of the OSN-P, highlighting the importance of such events in inspiring young minds. “It’s an honor to contribute to the development of our future scientists. These young talents are the backbone of our nation’s progress,” he said.

The involvement of university lecturers and professionals in the judging process underscores the commitment to maintaining high standards in educational assessments. This collaboration between educational institutions and the government is crucial for achieving the SDGs related to quality education and sustainable development.

The OSN-P not only provides a platform for students to showcase their abilities but also encourages them to pursue careers in science and technology. This aligns with the broader goal of fostering innovation and development in Indonesia.

As the event concluded, the organizers expressed their gratitude to all judges, participants, and supporting institutions. The success of the OSN-P is a testament to the collective effort in promoting quality education and nurturing the next generation of scientists.

On July 6, 2024, the Biotechnology Laboratory, together with the Biology Orchid Study Club (BiOSC) at the Faculty of Biology, UGM, received a visit from two guests from DPD PAI BABEL: Ir. Dian Rossana Anggraini, Vice Chairman/Executive Chairman of DPD PAI BABEL and winner of the Kalpataru Award in 2015, and Yuli Tulistianto, S.E., Secretary of DPD PAI BABEL. The visit was warmly welcomed by Prof. Dr. Endang Semiarti, M.S., M.Sc., Head of the Biotechnology Laboratory, Chairman of DPD PAI DIY, and the lecturer advisor for the BiOSC student study group.

During the visit, DPD PAI BABEL handed over four excellent and healthy orchid species plants of Bangka Belitung: Grammatophyllum speciosum and Phalaenopsis sumatrana, which are threatened in their natural habitats, to be cultivated at the Faculty of Biology, UGM, and orchid nurseries in DIY. They also handed ripe Grammatophyllum fruit to be cultured. Ir. Dian explained the natural conditions of these orchids in Bangka Belitung and how to cultivate them in the Greenhouse of the Faculty of Biology, UGM, ensuring the preservation of these Indonesian orchids. Additionally, a discussion was held about the diversity of orchid species in Bangka Belitung and their distribution based on habitat.

The next activity was planting the orchids in the Karanggayam Greenhouse, guided by Mr. Nanang, the greenhouse manager. This activity supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No.12 on responsible consumption and production and SDGs No. 17 on partnership for the goals. It is hoped that the conservation of Indonesian orchids will continue sustainably through collaboration between universities, PAI, and the community. (Ramadhan-BiOSC)

On Friday (5/7), the Health Promoting University (HPU) team and Faculty Counselors Faculty of Biology UGM Counselors organized a training session for Buddy Counselors to prepare their skills for assisting new students in 2024. This year’s Buddy Counselor team is the second cohort following the establishment of the peer counselor team, called Buddy Counselors, by the HPU team and Faculty of Biology Counselors last year.

The Buddy Counselor 2024 team consists of 28 active students who received training and inaugurated on May 20, 2024. The training session was guided by Yudhistira Adi Perdana, M.Psi., a psychologist from the Faculty of Biology UGM . This activity is part of the HPU Faculty of Biology’s work program, chaired by Titin Fauziah, SE., MBA. The Buddy Counselors supported by the Faculty Psychologist and assisted by Faculty Counselors, including Dwi Umi Siswanti, S.Si., M.Sc., Dr. rer. nat. Abdul Rachman Siregar, M.Biotech., and Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono, S.Si., M.Si.

The Buddy Counselors received training in active listening skills, life goal mapping, and practical sessions in active listening. This team will work alongside the PPSMB Faculty of Biology guides in assisting the 2024 new student cohort. The Buddy Counselor program is the first of its kind in the Faculty of Biology, aimed at helping new students adapt to their new environment, academic life, and all its intricacies. The team provides academic orientation and tracking the mental health of new students to minimize risks throughout their studies at the Faculty of Biology UGM.

“Active listening begins with our willingness to listen to the counselee’s story, paraphrasing, summarizing, clarifying, and providing support. We should focus on the counsellee,” explained Yudhis. “We hope that this new student assistance program becomes a tradition in our faculty, helping new students smoothly transition from high school to university life,” expressed Titin in her remarks. This assistance also facilitates the Faculty Counselors’ efforts in identifying mental health issues early and preparing measures to prevent self-harm and suicide.

[PkM – MBKM] Yogyakarta, June 25, 2024, the Community Service Team of the independent learning independent campus Program (PkM-MBKM) of the Faculty of Biology, guided by Dr. Aprilia Sufi Subiastuti, S.Si., along with three students, Nindya ‘Aisyah Cahyaningrum, Mohammad Farrel Rayyan Pratama, and Daffa Patria Putra Dewanto conducted their first series of PkM-MBKM activities in the Punthuk Kepuh Tourism Village. The event theme was “Optimization of Fruit Plant Cultivation Practices through the Application of Garden Landscape Architecture in the Yard Areas of Katongan Village’’, aimed to provide information and knowledge to the community on how to care for fruit plants in the Punthuk Kepuh tourism village and introduce simple home-scale hydroponic techniques. The event was held at Punthuk Kepuh Tourism Village Hall, began at 4:00 PM and ended at 6:30 PM’. Twenty residents attended the event, including the neighborhood leaders, the village tourism manager (Mr Riski), and the village head.

The activity involved socialization on fruit planting and home-scale hydroponic farming techniques by invited speakers, Mr. Yusuf Sulaiman and Mr Ahmad Muhlisin from PT Indigen Karya Unggul. The event commenced with a welcome speech by Mr Riski, the village tourism manager, followed by speeches from the neighborhood leaders and the village head. The event continued with presentations from invited speakers. The first presentation was delivered by Mr Yusuf Sulaiman. He shared his expertise on fruit planting, including suitable fruits to grow, watering and fertilizing techniques, and pest control measures post-fruiting. Mr. Ahmad Muhlisin led the second session on hydroponic farming, covering the essential tools and materials, the nutrients needed for hydroponic plants, and the types of plants best suited for hydroponic systems. Participants also learned about hydroponic planting and care for beginners. Mr Muhlisin also demonstrated how to grow plants hydroponically using a simple home hydroponic kit.

After the socialization, participants asked to complete a post-test and attendance check. The event concluded with a group photo. It hoped that this socialization will provide the local community with knowledge about fruit planting and care, and develop modern hydroponic farming systems to optimize the home yard areas.

Yogyakarta, 3 July 2024 – The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada received a visit from the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) of the Republic of Indonesia consisting of the BAPPENAS Forestry Directorate Team. The discussions and field visits related to research and development of genetic resources for biodiversity in Indonesia. The visit was received in the KPTU Meeting Room, Faculty of Biology UGM, also attended by Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. as Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.Sc. as Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration and Alumni Affairs, lecturers from various laboratories at the Faculty of Biology, as well as Head of the Agrotechnology Innovation Center UGM, Alan Soffan, S.P., M.Sc., Ph.D.

Prof. Budi as Dean of the Faculty of Biology welcomed the field visit from BAPPENAS, especially as support for the curation of genetic resources for biodiversity is very necessary for ecosystem sustainability. He, accompanied by Dr. Eko delivered a profile of the Faculty of Biology. He underlined the concern in the world of biology regarding biological curation through the establishment of a new study program at the Faculty of Biology, the Profession Program for Biodiversity Curator (PKKH).

Alan as Head of the Center for Agrotechnology Innovation UGM (PIAT) also welcomed BAPPENAS’ visit. He said that PIAT would also support efforts to manage Indonesia’s biodiversity in the future. BAPPENAS colleagues also plan to visit the PIAT UGM area in Berbah, Sleman, Yogyakarta.

Farida Yulistianingrum, S.Si., ME, MPP, from BAPPENAS, revealed that BAPPENAS is aware of the potential of Indonesia’s biodiversity and genetic resources. The BAPPENAS visit aims to explore data, information and views of experts/academics and agencies regarding gaps in the development of the genetic resource axis. These development efforts will then be continued with mapping and analysis of biodiversity in each region. Farida is also aware of the challenges related to research at the tertiary level, including regulations that are considered not support the implementation of research.

“Resource management is not yet connected, each is mostly kept at the level of individual university researchers,” said Prof. Budi. He also expressed the concerns that prompted the formation of the Indonesia Biodiversity Index (IBI) in 2019. IBI collaborates with the Indonesian Conservation Communication Forum (FKKI) and various Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in Indonesia to collect and share biodiversity data. Prof. Budi emphasized that there is a lot of data produced by Indonesian researchers, but it is spread in the form of thesis, books, and so on. This data curation effort has been ongoing for four years, and by 2024 alone they have produced no less than 11,000 pieces of information on species status and trend data.

Dr. Miftahul Ilmi, who is under the Microbiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Biology, further added that the culture collection of various microbial genomes in Indonesia is still limited. The largest collection is currently managed by the Indonesian Culture Collection Laboratory (InaCC) of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), while other collections are managed by researchers at various universities in Indonesia. This culture is only 0.4% of the total culture collection in the world.

Dr. Eko, with his microalgae research focus under the Biotechnology Laboratory, also conveyed the urgency in curating these cultures, including the expensive costs of maintaining cultures including human resources who can manage cultures, as well as the absence of databases, especially bioprospection databases. According to him, this database is crucial for the country’s progress, especially the contribution to various industries such as pharmaceuticals, and so on.

BAPPENAS also recognizes the limitations of policies/regulations from central to regional which still focus on economic value. Proposals regarding incentive regulations for conservation efforts or biodiversity credits in the regions still need to be evaluated as support for biodiversity conservation. Unfortunately, the model for biodiversity credit focuses more on terrestrial areas and is limited to marine areas.

The next discussion continued on concerns regarding the management of biodiversity databases in various scientific fields; entomology, wildlife and various plants are the focus of research at the Faculty of Biology UGM. Efforts to manage genetic resources are considered to be an emergency concern so that efforts are needed to manage the Indonesian database index sustainably, including the proposed biodiversity index which is a regional performance achievement.

The field visit was followed by a visit to the Genetics and Breeding Laboratory of the Faculty of Biology UGM, as well as the Agrotechnology Innovation Center (PIAT) UGM.It is hoped that the discussion between BAPPENAS and the Faculty of Biology UGM will contribute to observation, development of biodiversity governance and related regulations, so that Indonesia can become more independent in managing its biodiversity.

The PkM-MBKM 2024 Team from the Faculty of Biology consisting of Cinta Louisa, Rr. Liliane Gemma and Hasna Zuhaida collaborated with the MBKM 2024 Research Team from the Faculty of Biology consisting of Muna Sa’adah and Vincencio Valdy Putra Sasangka, under the guidance of Drs. Ign. Sudaryadi, M.Kes., has begun the MBKM 2024 program with the partner PKBM Ibnu Hajar Kebon Pasinaon in Sirahan, Salam, Magelang, Central Java. The themes of this activity include [1] Coordination of Planning and Strengthening, [2] Literacy Program Activities at the Community Learning Park (TBM) as a community empowerment activity center Kebon Pasinaon for monoculture and polyculture stingless Klanceng bee cultivation to strengthen the village economy and introduce environmental sustainability (monoculture and polyculture) to support the cultivation and products of Meliponiculture (Honey, Bee-pollen, Propolis).

The first activity was held online via Zoom on Tuesday, January 26, 2024, with Drs. Ign. Sudaryadi, M.Kes. as the speaker. This session discussed the outputs of MBKM Research and community service, the types of bees under study (Klanceng bees), and their products. The second activity, held on Friday, February 12, 2024, focused on Klanceng bee cultivation, including Klanceng bee products introduction, sources of Klanceng bee seeds, colony transfer techniques, and the introduction of Klanceng bee cultivation sites. On Saturday, March 9, 2024, the team visited Kebon Pasinaon at PKBM Ibnu Hajar, Sirahan, Magelang, for an introductory meeting. The team was warmly welcomed by representatives of PKBM Ibnu Hajar, and discussions related to program plans followed. Further, the team explored existing potentials at PKMB Ibnu Hajar.

On Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the Sawitsari Research Station, a field learning was conducted with materials: 1. Splitting Klanceng bee colonies, 2. Harvesting and collecting the bee products (honey, raw propolis, and Klanceng bee pollen). Colony splitting aimed to enhance Klanceng bee cultivation processes, increasing the number of colonies and ultimately producing more products. Raw propolis is a resin bee product used as a base material for hive construction. Meanwhile, bee pollen is the pollen from flowers stored in pollen pockets by worker bees as food reserves for the bee colony. The harvesting of raw propolis and pollen is done by taking the pockets located at the base of the nest. Pollen is distinguishable by its lighter color and denser texture. Propolis is obtained by squeezing Klanceng honey and taking the remaining nest materials. This propolis, still mixed with pollen, honey, and other debris, is called raw propolis. Once the propolis, pollen, and honey collected in the necessary amounts, they are stored for future activities during partner village visits, with the agenda of Klanceng bee cultivation workshops and product harvest demos (honey and propolis) in collaboration with PKBM Ibnu Hajar Kebon Pasinaon in Sirahan Village, Salam – MGL.

The Beekeeping and Product Harvest Demo Workshop was held on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at the Joglo Hall Kebon Pasinaon PKBM Ibnu Hajar, with an additional agenda on Maggot Cultivation following the initial discussion during the first visit, with additional support from final-year students, Rahmadhandhi, and one staff from the Entomology Laboratory, Rio Tri Rahmawati.

Yogyakarta, July 1, 2024 – Two lecturers from the Faculty of Biology Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) participated in advanced training on the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platform organized by Genomic Solidaritas Indonesia (GSI). This three-day training covered theoretical and practical aspects of using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) platform. Participating in this training is a part of the commitment to advancing bioinformatics research in Indonesia. The implementation of High-Performance Computing (HPC) to process large biological datasets aligns with UGM’s research goals, and this training equips researchers with the necessary skills to effectively utilize these advanced tools.

The first day of the training consisted of theory and practical sessions. The theory session introduced participants to the ONT platform, the latest NGS technology that uses electrical current through nanopore proteins. There was also a demonstration of using the minKNOW software for ONT and EPI2ME LABs for post-NGS data processing. The practical session introduced basic bioinformatics programming using bash, including file systems, post-NGS data reading, file management, software management using Mamba, and de novo alignment techniques.

The second day continued with the theory session on the advantages of ONT over other platforms, particularly the Adaptive Sampling concept, which makes ONT flow cells more efficient and the data obtained more specific. The practical session included assembly, variant calling, annotation, and an introduction to Biopython, a Python package for bioinformatics data processing. The second day training concluded with a lab visit to observe the sequencing infrastructure at GSI Lab.

The final day focused on practical sessions and the final project. Participants learned about 16s Metagenomic Analysis using EPI2ME Labs through the Command Line Interface (CLI). The training concluded with a final project, where participants processed ONT fastq (.fastq) files into bam (.bam) files for further analysis using R Studio or Python.

Advancements in NGS tools have significantly enhanced research in life sciences, allowing for more specific and in-depth studies. Understanding the genetic material of organisms is crucial for comprehending their activities and life processes. This is evident in the rapid progress of precision medicine, which reveals individual uniqueness through genetic analysis.

In the PUAPT research program, the Faculty of Biology UGM has mandated biosecurity in land and water management within the Food Security working group. These tools are invaluable for studying the rhizosphere microbiome community, microbe-plant interactions, the impact of microbiomes on fertilizer and pesticide usage, and gene expression differences in food crops under specific land and water management treatments. NGS analysis plays a crucial role in supporting these efforts to achieve sustainable food security, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs No.2 of zero hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and SDGs No.13 related to combating climate change to support sustainable agriculture.

In order to strengthen collaboration and the sustainability of community service programs with partner villages, the PkM-MBKM team, led by Prof. Dr. Diah Rachmawati, S.Si., M.Si., along with Hanif Fauzan Saputra, Salma Nur Majidah, Maharani Pratiwi S.A., M. Reza Hendriansah, Rima Vegi Santika, Eka Nur Oktavia, Adzkiya Aqmaliza R., and Agra Daffa Putra, conducted a socialization activity for the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka program in Kepuh Wetan, Wirokerten Village, Banguntapan Subdistrict, Bantul Regency, DIY on Thursday, 20th of June 2024, from 16:00 to 17:30. This activity was attended by members of the Amanda Women’s Farmer Group (KWT) and aimed to provide in-depth understanding and practical skills directly to the community, particularly KWT Amanda, in managing and decomposing organic waste using maggots integrated with an aquaponic system for sustainable environments.

The event was hosted by Agra Daffa as the MC, starting with an opening and followed by a speech from Prof. Dr. Diah Rachmawati, S.Si., M.Si. The subsequent activity was a general presentation on the necessary tools and materials, as well as the technical aspects of maggot waste decomposition integrated with the aquaponic system, including system installation and maintenance by M. Reza Hendriansah and Salma Nur Majidah.

The hands-on learning session was conducted in the greenhouse, beginning with the installation of the maggot waste decomposition system using used mineral water gallons that had been perforated and then planted in the ground. The gallons were first filled with organic waste and then given an adequate number of maggots before being sealed to prevent the maggots from escaping. Meanwhile, the aquaponic system used a large bucket that had been perforated and filled with water and catfish fry. These perforations were then filled with spinach and pak choy seeds that had been germinated in cups. This direct learning session attracted enthusiasm from the participants who were keen to learn more about waste management using maggots integrated with the aquaponic system. Maharani Pratiwi S.A. explained that the maintenance of maggot waste decomposition involves adding organic waste when the previous waste has been fully decomposed, and selecting waste types that are not too large and hard to avoid overwhelming the maggots. Additionally, the maintenance of the aquaponic system involves feeding the fish twice a day and changing the water every two weeks or when the water starts to smell bad.

To support the sustainability and success of this activity, weekly monitoring will be conducted. Mrs. Marwati from KWT Amanda expressed her hope for continued guidance and direction from Prof. Dr. Diah Rachmawati, S.Si., M.Si., and the students in maintaining and sustaining the program. It is hoped that this will support the empowerment of KWT Amanda in entrepreneurship and contribute to the improvement of the community’s economy, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 4 and 8). This activity also served as a means to build rapport between the community Kepuh Wetan and the PkM-MBKM team from the Faculty of Biology UGM, strengthening relationships and collaboration for a more sustainable future (SDG 17).

Saturday, 1 June 2024, would be the beginning of the journey of one of the Faculty of Biology UGM lecturers, as well as the head of the Research Centre for Biotechnology, Dr. Yekti Asih Purwestri participated in training activities and workshops at the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Adelaide (UoA), Australia. This program is part of the KONEKSI Grant which is a partnership program between Australia and Indonesia. With the title “Building a Sustainable Future: Developing Nutritious and Climate-Resilient Crop Varieties”, this collaboration also involves BRIN Indonesia and IRRI Philippines. Through this funding, Dr. Yekti had the opportunity to include young lecturers from the Faculty of Biology, namely Dr. Siti Nurbaiti. Both were warmly welcomed by members of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Future Crops Development on Monday 3 June 2024, which also coincided with their regular meeting held every first week of every month.

During two weeks at ANU, Dr. Yekti and Dr. Baiti was accompanied by Dr. Hendry Susila who is an Innovation Fellow at the Training Centre and Chief Investigator of this team’s KONEKSI grant. Dr. Hendry is also an alumnus of Faculty of Biology UGM, class of 2007, who at that time was supervised by Dr. Yekti for the final thesis assignment. Apart from carrying out laboratory activities related to molecular work, Dr. Yekti and Dr. Baiti also visited the Australian Plant Phenomic Network (APPN) which provides facilities with a machine learning system used for automatic analysis of plant characteristics. One of them is through high-throughput multispectral imaging which can capture three-dimensional (3D) views of plants with a wide range of light wavelengths. Besides, there are many controlled growth chambers and capsule chambers for plant growth and development, especially related to ecophysiology.

In another moment, coinciding with the visit of the Australian Award awardee, who mostly came from the coconut and spice industry in Indonesia, Dr Yekti and Dr Baiti also joined in the activities held at the Agrifood Innovation Institute. Dr Hendry also introduced the Training Centre and the KONEKSI grant. On the final day at ANU, Dr. Yekti had the opportunity to take part in seminar activities regularly held by the Research School of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences (PS Seminar Series) which can be accessed offline and online. Dr. Yekti presented some research that had been carried out by the pigmented rice research group. Still at ANU, Dr. Yekti and Dr. Baiti also met with students from the IUP program of the Faculty of Biology UGM who are currently taking part in a double degree program at the School of Biology, College of Science, ANU (Vanessa Jesslyn Wijaya and Sabut Kharisona). As well as one of the alumni of Faculty of Biology UGM, Imam Fathoni, who is currently attending Ph.D. program.

The activities continued in Adelaide, a workshop attended by all members of the Training Centre for Future Crops Development from ANU and UoA, including industry partners. The KONEKSI team was also present completely: Dr. Tri Rini Nuringtyas, Dr. Yustina C.F.S., Gloria Fransisca K.L., and a team of research assistants from UGM; Dr. Aris Hairmansis, Dr. Yudhistira Nugraha, and Trias Sitaresmi, M.Sc. from BRIN; and Prof. Inez Slamet-Loedin from IRRI. This activity, which took place from 18-21 June 2024, not only contained an overview of the vision, programs, research areas and achievements of the Training Centre but also opportunities for future collaboration and sharing from partners about career diversity and work experience in research and industry. Poster sessions from doctoral and postdoctoral students also stimulate communication between participants and build new connections. Discussions related to the concept of Responsible Research and Inclusive Innovation (RRII) also enriched the interaction by dividing participants into small groups.

The workshop activities were continued with a meeting of the KONEKSI consortium to convey research progress from both science and social science research. Together with Prof. Barry Pogson (Centre Director) and Prof. Joan Leach (Director of the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science), discussions regarding the achievements, challenges and sustainability of collaboration in the future were the main discussion points with the hope that this collaboration would be maintained and become stronger.

Yogyakarta, June 21, 2024, The MBKM Research, two biology students from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Syafa Erista Hidayah and Fanny Najmi Faza, have initiated a promising study on screening plants with bioinsecticide potential, supervised by Woro Anindito Sri Tunjung, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. a lecturer from the Faculty of Biology UGM, and Didik Huswo Utomo, Ph.D., from INBIO. The study focuses on the utilization of 10 Citrus species, including Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix), Key lime (Citrus auratifolia), Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata), Siam orange (Citrus nobilis), Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), Pomelo (Citrus maxima), Limon (Citrus limon), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Citron (Citrus medica), and Calamondin (Citrus microcarpa). These species are recognized for having volatile compounds that can interfere with the olfactory system of mosquitoes and may even be lethal to them. These compounds can develop into bioinsecticide agents. Bioinsecticides, or natural insecticides, are substances derived from natural materials that are toxic to insects, including mosquitos. Bioinsecticides effectively reduce mosquito populations that serve as vectors for diseases such as dengue fever, are biodegradable, and do not leave residues or pollute the environment.

The research was conducted over two semesters: the even semester of 2023/2024 until the odd semester of 2024/2025. During the even semester of 2023/2024, various programs were used to screen the potential compounds, including visualization analysis of the integration between species based on the similarity of volatile compound content and interactions with odor receptors in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Subsequently, in the odd semester of 2024/2025, molecular docking involves visualizing the interactions between compounds and odor receptors in these mosquitoes. This research supported by weekly meetings, aimed to ensure intensive collaboration and discussion on the research progress. The study is expected to yield significant findings that can foster the development of environmentally friendly bioinsecticide products that can be applied by the community, thereby reducing the use of conventional insecticides that can cause pollution. Furthermore, this activity facilitated students to apply the theory learned in class to practical research, enhancing their competence in conducting technology-based scientific research and improving their writing skills to produce distinct, structured, and scientifically reliable research reports in the form of journals.