By Dr. Marisa Khoo KG, CEPS, INTI International College Penang
On January 17, Dr Marisa Khoo led a group of 38 CAL Semester 3 Biology students on a study trip to the Centre for Chemical Biology (CCB) University Sains Malaysia (USM). The students had the opportunity to visit the facility and to have the first-hand glimpse into the research conducted in the facility related to biotechnological developments such as microbial study, proteomics and genome study which are in accordance to the learning outcome of the Biology 3 syllabus.
The visit began with a warm welcome from Dr Lau Nyok Sean, a postdoctoral researcher at CCB, who led the group to the CCB-Microbial Biodiversity Library. This archive is the systematic storage for all bacteria studied. The group then went ahead to the molecular lab, whereby DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, PCR and genome studies were carried out. Dr Go Furusawa, another postdoctoral researcher, gave a briefing on the lab’s recent projects.
The last stop was the Protein X-Ray Crystallography lab, where Dr Teh Aik Hong, a postdoctoral researcher, explained the principles and applications of protein X-ray crystallography. This lab determines the atomic and molecular structure of a crystallized protein.
The visit was a fruitful experience for the students as they had the opportunity to see and experience the practical application of biotechnology first-hand. Dr Lau invited the students to apply for internships with the lab once they completed their studies to gain some real hands-on experience in the field of biotechnology. Overall, the visit was an excellent opportunity for the students to apply what they learned in class to a real research setting.