Kotimah, an undergraduate student from the 2022 cohort of the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), secured a remarkable achievement by winning first place in the Essay Competition held during Cendekia Days 2024, organized by UGM’s Cendekia Teknika. Khotimah collaborated with Rahayu Murti Ayuningtyas from the 2022 cohort of the Faculty of Engineering in the ”Biochem” team.

The Cendekia Days Essay Competition is an annual event aiming to promote critical thinking and innovation among students. The 2024 competition carried the theme: “Digital Native, Green Activists: Synergy for a Better Planet.” Participants could choose from sub-themes including energy and the environment, food security, technology and digitalization, creative industries, education, and sustainable development. The event seeks to broaden students’ knowledge in science and technology, foster innovative attitudes, and cultivate their roles as agents of change in advancing green technology for a sustainable future.

The competition, including registration and essay submission, took place from September 21 to October 12, 2024. The finalists were announced on October 26, 2024, with the top eight teams advancing to the final presentation stage on November 10, 2024, followed by the awarding ceremony on November 16, 2024. Among 152 submissions, Team Biochem achieved the highest score during the initial essay evaluation. Team Biochem successfully maintained its leading position and was ultimately awarded First Place.

The Biochem team’s essay focused on the energy and environment sub-theme, presenting their innovative concept of a Sustainable Electric Nanogenerator (SENG). SENG is a groundbreaking green energy solution designed to convert wasted mechanical energy into electricity. The innovation addresses critical environmental challenges, particularly those arising from the hydrodesulfurization process in petroleum refining, which poses significant risks of releasing hazardous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into ecosystems. These substances are associated with severe health risks, including cancer, immune system damage, and miscarriages.

The SENG innovation is polymer-based and sulfur-rich, offering three key advantages: economic feasibility, sustainability, and environmentally friendly performance. This breakthrough demonstrates the potential for transformative contributions in renewable energy technologies, aligning with global efforts to address pressing environmental issues.

Yogyakarta – Kotimah, an undergraduate student from the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has once again achieved a remarkable achievement by securing Second Place in the Biology Scientific Writing Competition. The event was themed “Enhancing the Role of Students in Building a Golden Indonesia 2045 through the Synergy of Culture, Innovative Education, and Ethics to Shape a Quality and Integrity-Driven Young Generation.” with sub-themes that aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The competition, including registration and essay submission, took place from August 12 to September 25, 2024. The finalists were announced on October 10, 2024, with the top 3 essays advancing to the final presentation stage and awards ceremony on October 17, 2024, at Universitas Siliwangi in Tasikmalaya.

Kotimah’s essays address the global issue of plastic waste, particularly non-biodegradable polyethylene, which constitutes 35% of annual plastic production. With approximately half of all plastic products being single-use items, polyethylene waste contributes significantly to environmental degradation. Its natural decomposition can take over 500 years, during which microplastics form, disrupting ecosystems and accumulating in organisms. Current disposal methods, such as incineration and chemical degradation, often release toxic substances and require costly catalysts, further complicating the issue.

To tackle this challenge, Kotimah developed a novel approach utilizing lipase enzymes from microorganisms to biodegrade polyethylene. These lipase enzymes, sourced from the anaerobic bacterium Pelosinus fermentans, demonstrated the capability to initiate polyethylene biodegradation.

This environmentally friendly solution presents numerous benefits, such as the ability to be mass-produced using renewable resources while remaining non-toxic, effective, and sustainable. By utilizing biological methods, Kotimah’s innovation provides a viable alternative for addressing the environmental challenges posed by plastic waste.

Copenhagen, 13 December 2024 – The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has again taken strategic steps in strengthening academic and research networks in the international arena. This time, through a visit to the University of Copenhagen (KU), one of the best universities in Denmark and Europe. KU is ranked 100th in the QS World University Ranking and 40th in the fields of life sciences and medicine.

In an effort to initiate work, the The Faculty of Biology UGM team consisting of Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. (Dean), Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. (Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration and Alumni Affairs), and Dr.rer.nat. Abdul Rahman Siregar, M.Biotech., visited the Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, the Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen on Friday (13/12).

On this occasion, the team met with Prof. Thomas Sicheritz-Ponten who is the director of the Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics (CEH). This study center studies the relationship between the host genome and the microbes that live with it. Microbes are no longer considered passive components, but play an active role in influencing the properties of the host organism. This comprehensive approach is referred to as the hologenomic approach, where the study of the genomes of host organisms and microbes is combined to understand their interactions, the role of these relationships in ecology and evolution, their influence on the development of life on earth, and also how to exploit these relationships for the benefit of humans. CEH uses advanced technology and computational methods to answer these questions through theoretical and experimental research.

Apart from that, the team also discussed with Assoc. Prof. Bent Petersen, who is part of the Computation Biodiscovery research group. Bent introduced one of their research projects, namely “Omics of the Rainforests”. In this research, Bent and his team integrated “omics” data with machine learning algorithms to explore the medical potential and biotechnological applications of biodiversity in the Amazon and Malaysian rainforests. It was on this occasion that the team discussed and explored opportunities to start collaborative research initiatives in Indonesia, through the Faculty of Biology UGM network and also the Indonesian Biology Consortium (KOBI). Dean of the Faculty of Biology UGM, Prof. Budi invited Thomas and Bent to attend the International Conference for Biological Sciences (ICBS) which will be held in October next year. This invitation also provided an opportunity for Thomas and Bent to provide a workshop related to the computational natural drug discovery project.

The Faculty of Biology team also had the opportunity to discuss with Maria Bollerup from Nixie Expedition regarding research collaborations and joint expeditions with the University of Copenhagen. Maria and Nixie Expedition have previously been involved in many collaborative research projects in Indonesia, one of which is the Buteng Expedition together with ROLEX. It is hoped that this will be an opportunity for the Biology Faculty to expand its research collaboration with world partners.

This visit is an important milestone in the Faculty of Biology’s efforts to continue to improve the quality of education and research through collaboration with international partners, especially the University of Copenhagen. This collaboration also reflects the UGM Faculty of Biology’s commitment to supporting sustainable development goals, especially inclusive quality education (SDGs 4) as well as increasing recognition of global partnerships (SDGs 17).

Copenhagen, 13 December 2024 – The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has again taken strategic steps in strengthening academic and research networks in the international level. This time, through a visit to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), one of the best technical universities in Denmark and Europe. DTU is ranked 109th in the QS World University Ranking and 5th in the field of Biotechnology based on the Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking).

DTU Biosustain, a flagship research center under the Novo Nordisk Foundation, was one of the focuses of this visit. This department plays a major role in creating sustainable solutions through the development of microbial cell factories. Since its founding in 2011, this department has given birth to more than 30 start-up companies in the field of biotechnology. This visit was made possible through a connection from one of the Faculty of Biology UGM teaching staff, Matin Nuhamunada, who has just completed his doctoral studies at DTU Biosustain.

In an effort to initiate further collaboration, the Faculty of Biology UGM team consisting of Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. (Dean), Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. (Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration and Alumni Affairs), and Dr.rer.nat. Abdul Rahman Siregar, M.Biotech., visited DTU Biosustain on Friday (13/12).

The visit began with a discussion with two group leaders from DTU Biosustain, namely Dr. Pablo Cruz Morales and Dr. Sheila Ingemann Jensen. Dr. Pablo leads research in the field of Yeast Natural Products, with a focus on the exploration and modification of chemicals produced by fungi to develop new molecules such as medicines, sustainable fuels and polymers, in an effort to create a new era of environmentally friendly biochemical industries. Meanwhile, Dr. Sheila leads the Sustainable Microbial Applications group, which focuses on developing molecular tools for bacterial engineering to create efficient microbial cell factories for the production of chemicals from renewable resources such as lignocellulosic waste and CO₂ derivatives. This discussion discusses the potential for research collaboration, especially to accelerate bioprospecting of biological resources in Indonesia in a sustainable manner. This discussion also opened up opportunities for lecturers and students at the Faculty of Biology UGM to carry out research visits at DTU Biosustain.

Apart from that, the Faculty of Biology UGM team also met with Dr. Kai Blin, co-principal investigator from the Natural Products Genome Mining research group led by Prof. Tilmann Weber. On this occasion, the team gained insight into the importance of information technology (IT) infrastructure to support the development of bioinformatics research. For example, the antiSMASH analysis service, an antibiotic search software developed by this group, is supported by computing facilities in the form of 8 servers at DTU with a capacity of 784 CPUs and 3 TB RAM. AntiSMASH itself has been used more than 1 million times by various researchers from all over the world and has more than 6,500 scientific citations.

This visit is an important milestone in the Faculty of Biology’s efforts to continue to improve the quality of education and research through collaboration with international partners, especially the Technical University of Denmark. This collaboration also reflects the UGM Faculty of Biology’s commitment to supporting sustainable development goals, especially inclusive quality education (SDGs 4) as well as increasing recognition of global partnerships (SDGs 17).

Yogyakarta, December 13, 2024 – Faculty of Biology Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held a farewell event for Student Exchange Program students on Friday, December 13, 2024, at Bong O Bong Grill, Gejayan. The event was attended by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, M.Sc., Head of Undergraduate Study Program Sukirno, M.Sc., Ph.D., Head of International Undergraduate Program, Nur Indah Septriani, M.Sc., Ph.D., Manager of Office of International Affairs, Tyas Ikhsan Hikmawan, M.S., Ph.D., several representatives of lecturers, namely Mrs. Rina Sri Kasiamdari, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., Dr. Miftahul Ilmi, M.Sc., and Mukhlish Jamal Musa Holle M.Env.Sc, D.Phil., and some academic staff.

The event was opened by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, M.Sc., who in his speech expressed his high appreciation to the students who had participated in this exchange program. He emphasized the importance of international experience as a strategic step for academic and personal development, as well as broadening students’ global horizons.

The Head of the Undergraduate Study Program Sukirno, M.Sc., Ph.D., on this occasion hoped that this student exchange program could continue to be implemented in the future, providing greater benefits for students and strengthening academic relations between universities in various countries.

The event took place in a warm and lively atmosphere, where one of the representatives of the exchange students, Nur Asma’ binti Mohd Asri, expressed her gratitude in Javanese for the opportunity given through this program.

This year, the Faculty of Biology UGM accepted 11 exchange students from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, and Toyo University. This program is a real proof of the efforts of the Faculty of Biology UGM in strengthening international networks and opening wider learning opportunities for students. The Faculty of Biology UGM hopes that cooperation with international universities will continue and grow, providing benefits for all parties involved. [Aulia]

On Friday, December 13, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM WIB, the Year-End Evaluation and Member Deliberation of Formasigen were held at the Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, UGM. The activity was attended by Mrs. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., the Formasigen supervisor, the 2024 Formasigen team, and prospective members of the 2025 Formasigen team. This event served as a platform to review the Formasigen Bylaws and Articles of Association (AD/ART), evaluate the performance over the past year, and conduct a member deliberation to elect the 2025 Formasigen Chair. The objectives included updating the AD/ART based on recent agreements, monitoring the work programs carried out by the GenomCity Cabinet, identifying challenges encountered throughout the management period, providing constructive feedback and recommendations for program improvement, enhancing the quality of future work programs, and determining the next Formasigen Chair.

The event began with an opening by the MC, Enjang Sekaryati Prasetyaningrum, who served as the Head of the Public Relations and Networking Division of the 2024 GenomCity Cabinet. This was followed by a review of the AD/ART led by the first presidium, Muhammad Sena Budiman, and the second presidium, Ihsanti Tsania Fajriati. During this session, articles in the AD/ART were reviewed and updated to align with current conditions and ensure relevance for future management periods. After this session, there was a break for prayer, lunch, and rest.

The activity continued with the Year-End Evaluation and Member Deliberation. Before starting this session, remarks were delivered by Mrs. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., who expressed gratitude to the 2024 Formasigen management team for fulfilling their responsibilities well. She also emphasized that the evaluations presented during this session should serve as valuable lessons for the next management team. Furthermore, she extended her encouragement and congratulations to the candidates for the 2025 Formasigen Chair and management team. Following the remarks, presentations were conducted by the heads of each division to report on the work programs implemented throughout the year, along with evaluations and suggestions for improvement. The presentation began with the Chair, followed by the Secretary and Treasurer, and continued with the heads of the PSDM (Human Resources Development), Scientific, Household, Public Relations and Networking, and Media and Information Divisions.

The event then proceeded with the 2024 Member Deliberation. This session included the introduction and presentation of visions and missions by the candidates for the 2025 Formasigen Chair, Denianto Agung Wicaksono, Muhammad Meshal Ramdhayesa, and Muhammad Rafi Fairuza. A question-and-answer session was held with the 2024 Formasigen team and the prospective 2025 team. Subsequently, a deliberation was conducted to elect the chair. The announcement of the elected 2025 Formasigen Chair, Denianto Agung Wicaksono, followed, along with the handover of responsibilities from the 2024 Chair to the 2025 Chair. The event concluded with a documentation session and a closing. [Author: Formasigen]

Leipzig, 10 December 2024 – The UGM Faculty of Biology team consisting of Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. as Dean, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. as Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration and Alumni Affairs, and Dr.rer.nat. Abdul Rahman Siregar, M. Biotech. carried out a visit to Leipzig University, Germany last Tuesday (10/12). The visit was an effort to strengthen the recognition and collaboration of the Faculty of Biology UGM with various of the world’s best universities.

Leipzig University is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second oldest in Germany. Founded in 1409, this university has successfully produced tens of thousands of alumni spread throughout the world. The Faculty of Biology UGM has collaborated, especially in research, with the Institute for Animal Hygiene and Public Veterinary, Leipzig University. Collaboration with Prof. Uwe Truyen and Dr. Ahmed Abd El Wahed’s research activities and visiting professor at the Faculty of Biology have been implemented since 2023. This collaboration emphasizes the One Health approach which involves the integration of human, animal and environmental health to answer global challenges such as zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance.

The visit was welcomed by Prof. Uwe Truyen and Dr. Ahmed Abd El Wahed and colleagues from Leipzig University. The results of the discussion focused on double degree, international exposure and post-doctoral opportunities. Leipzig opens up double degree opportunities with various faculties for doctoral level, as well as joint research and publications. Another collaboration is international exposure through the International Workshop on One Health Leipzig University in August 2025 and at Badr University, Egypt in November 2025 which is open to undergraduate to doctoral students.

The visit was a step by the Faculty of Biology to improve the quality of education by collaborating with partners at the international level, especially Leipzig University, Germany. This collaboration is also a commitment of the Faculty of Biology UGM to support sustainable development and in accordance with sustainable development targets (SDGs), namely inclusive quality education (SDGs 4) and increased recognition of global partnerships (SDGs 17).

Vienna, 9 December 2024 – UGM’s Faculty of Biology continues to expand its network in the international arena in order to increase recognition and collaboration with various world institutions, one of which is Boku University, The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. Boku University is one of the best universities in Austria and Europe, especially in the fields of agriculture and forestry, ranking 26th in the QS World University Ranking By Subject in 2024.

Universitas Gadjah Mada, especially the Faculty of Biology, has collaborated with a double degree doctorate and joint supervision with Boku University since 2023 for one of its teaching staff, Arief Muammar. As a follow-up to this collaboration, the Biology Faculty Team consisting of Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. as Dean, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. as Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration and Alumni Affairs, and Dr.rer.nat. Abdul Rahman Siregar, M. Biotech. carried out a visit to Boku University last Monday (9/12).

The visit was welcomed by colleagues from the Institute of Food Technology, Boku University including Prof. Dietmar Haltrich, Prof. Dr. Clemens Karl Peterbauer, and Dr. Philipp Fuhrmann and Arief Muammar, M.Sc and from International Relations, Boku University, Lisa Kargl, Dipl.-Ing. Mag. The discussion discussed dual degree collaboration for master’s and doctoral programs, joint research collaboration, joint supervision, and joint publication. Apart from that, post-doctoral collaboration for 4 to 9 months for young staff was also initiated which is expected to support research collaboration with various partners in the world. Collaboration for participation in the 2025 International Summer Course and International Conference (ICBS) of the Faculty of Biology which is held every year was also discussed, especially the participation of students from Boku and teaching staff who could contribute as resource persons.

The visit was a step by the Faculty of Biology to improve the quality of education by collaborating with partners at the international level, especially Boku University, Austria. This collaboration is also a commitment of the Faculty of Biology UGM to support sustainable development and in accordance with sustainable development targets (SDGs), namely inclusive quality education (SDGs 4) and increased recognition of global partnerships (SDGs 17).

Leeds, 4-5 December 2024 – Universitas Gadjah Mada participated in the University of Leeds International Partner Conference 2025. This conference is the University of Leeds’ annual agenda in order to increase collaboration with various partners throughout the world, one of which is Universitas Gadjah Mada. The University of Leeds is one of the best universities in England with a ranking of 82nd in the world according to QS WUR 2025. UL and UGM are recorded as having formally collaborated since 2016 through the signing of an MoU at the university level. Since then, various collaborations have been carried out, both at study program, faculty and university levels, ranging from student exchanges, joint research, to Double Degree (DD) programs.

UGM Delegation; Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. and Fina Itriyati, M.A., Ph.D., respectively as Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration and Alumni Affairs of the Faculty of Biology and Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, attended the conference which took place at the HELIX Learning Innovation Hub, University of Leeds on Wednesday (4/12) and Thursday (5/12). Both of them are involved in ongoing collaboration discussions, as well as potential collaboration with the two faculties and UGM in general.

The Faculty of Biology has collaborated with the University of Leeds, United Kingdom since 2022. This collaboration produces collaborative outcomes for the undergraduate double degree program. Until 2024, the UGM Faculty of Biology has sent 7 students to the DD program at the Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds.

Dr. Eko also visited the seven students together with the Pro-Dean of the International Faculty of Biological Sciences, Prof. Ian Wood. As a result of the meeting with the Pro Dean of Biological Sciences, it was agreed that the DD program for Masters and Doctorate would immediately be processed after the DD program for Bachelor’s degrees was deemed to be running smoothly and successfully. It is hoped that this collaboration will open up more opportunities for students in Indonesia to study at various of the world’s best universities.

This visit is a step by the Faculty of Biology to improve the quality of education by collaborating with partners at the international level, especially with the University of Leeds, which has been in place since 2022. This collaboration is also a commitment of the UGM Faculty of Biology to support sustainable development and in accordance with sustainable development targets (SDGs) namely inclusive quality education (SDGs 4) and increased recognition of global partnerships (SDGs 17).