Biology undergraduate students at Gadjah Mada University made another achievement at the national level by winning 3rd place in the National Scientific Writing Competition. This achievement was achieved by students Susy Wijayanti and Umi Salamah from Biology Class of 2018 under the guidance of Dr. Ardaning Nuriliani, S. Si., M. Kes. This competition is a competition held by the University of North Sumatra with the theme “Gen Z Innovation and Strategy in the Environmentally Friendly Living Movement”. This activity aims to be a forum for channeling student creations & innovations for a healthy generation.

This final activity took place on November 25 2022 online at the University of North Sumatra which was attended by students from universities throughout Indonesia. This competition was carried out in four stages, which were abstract submission, assessment of scientific papers, announcement of the top 10, and the culmination of which was the presentation of the paper in front of the judges.

In this competition the team raised the title “Phytoremediation of Domestic, Industrial and Agricultural Liquid Waste by Photobioreactor-Based Microalgae”. According to the team, the idea was motivated by the high increase in global population, industrialization, and economic progress which had an impact on increasing waste and decreasing water quality. This prompted the team to conduct research to find an efficient method of managing this waste. One of the biological agents that can act as a natural bioremediator for managing waste is microalgae. Hence, the waste becomes safer for the environment.

Team preparation was carried out a week before the online presentation activities by preparing presentation materials and materials. The team regularly practices so that they are able to provide clear and firm explanations of the papers being presented. The team was able to convey ideas and answer all the jury’s questions straightforwardly. They said that this was none other than the result of the team’s hard work and the support of all parties.

With this competition, they really hope to be able to provide encouragement and support for students who are interested in the field of scientific work to convey their best ideas through their intelligence in thinking. In addition, the team also hopes that through this competition it can bring and make the Faculty of Biology and Gadjah Mada University proud in the future.