An awesome trip to Institut Biosains UPM (IBS) !

Welcome to IBS!

Friday, 25th March 2016.  Dr Wan, Dr Fairol and all of us agreed to saved this date for the trip to Institute of Bioscience Universiti Putra Malaysia which located just inside the UPM. We have to take a bus from faculty to the IBS since it is quite far from our faculty. So we leave the faculty at 3.00pm and arrived 5 minutes later. Sadly, neither Dr Wan or Dr Fairol can accompany us to the IBS. So Dr Amalia which the Group 1 lecturer come with us to the IBS.  

I am so excited for this trip because this is my first time visiting the IBS. Before this I have no chance to visit IBS. So thanks to Dr Wan and Dr Fairol for this beautiful opportunity to finally let me visit IBS. 

So here are some information on the background of IBS;

The Institute of Bioscience (IBS), Universiti Putra Malaysia was established on 1st of August 1996 and was the first research institute founded in UPM. IBS was established to boost Research and Development (R&D) and postgraduate training in various fields of biological sciences. The emphasis on research was given to strengthen the scientific and technological capabilities of the country as well as to develop relevant human capital to support the Industrial and Agricultural Master Plan. Since its inception, IBS’ areas of research have grown and it is gradually developing into a leading research centre in UPM. 
 
Institute of Bioscience is recognized as a Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE). It was announced by YAB Dato' Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Malaysia Prime Minister during the launching of the National Professors Association (NPA) and the Higher Education Centre of Excellence (HICoE) on 1st April 2010 at Putrajaya International Convention Center (PICC).  

On 9 February, 1995, the Senate, supported the idea of establishing Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Research Institute with the aim that it will organise research and development programmes in line with the corporate plan of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. The proposed Institute was conceived as a central research centre in UPM for researchers from various faculties and centres to conduct strategic and multidisciplinary research in a conducive and world class research environment.

The proposal on the establishment of the Institute was presented to the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Board of Directors on 1 April, 1995 which agreed in principle to the proposal and requested a detailed proposal paper. The name Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Research Institute was revised and the new name, Institute of Bioscience (IBS), was accepted by the Senate. In its 120 th Meeting on 9 September, 1995, the Board of Directors agreed to the formation of the Institute.

The Committee on Education Planning under the Ministry of Education Malaysia in its 131 st Meeting held on 27 April, 1996, approved the proposal for the establishment of Institute of Bioscience, UPM.

Following that, the then Vice Chancellor of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Y. Bhg. Prof. Tan Sri Dr. Syed Jalaluddin Syed Salim announced the establishment of the Institute of Bioscience and appointed the Director and Deputy Director to head and develop the Institute. Prof. Dr. Abdul Rani Bahaman had been appointed as the first Director of IBS and Prof. Dr. Ho Yin Wan as the Deputy Director.

Over the past 17 years, the Institute of Bioscience has rearranged and developed the existing units into 5 laboratories to ensure the smoothness and effectiveness of administration as well as resource and facilities management. Each laboratory has 2 main functions, i.e. doing researches and provides the Service and Facility Unit. These 5 laboratories are:

• Laboratory of Natural Products
• Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics
• Laboratory of Molecular Biomedicine
• Laboratory of Biotechnology Marine
• Laboratory of Cancer Research UPM-MAKNA

Each research project is headed by Associate Researcher invited as integrated Institute researchers and are assisted by Science Officers, Research Officer, Laboratory Assistants and other supporting staffs. Research programs conducted at the Institute of Bioscience are potentially competitive to generate knowledge in biology science by focusing on integrated and multidiscipline research involving the faculties in UPM.

Human resource development in IBS continued to expand in line with the development of its infrastructure and facilities to accommodate the needs of its staff when conducting research. Presently, IBS has 119 permanent and contract staff consisting of 50 Officers from the Professional and Management Group and 69 supporting staff under its administration.

As a result of its goal to become a Centre for Excellence in Research and Development and Innovation, IBS has produced 81 graduates with a Master of Science or a Doctor of Philosophy. The institute is proud to produce quality graduates, some of whom are now serving in renowned research institutions both locally and abroad.

My first impression when I entered IBS was I am so impressed with the big building of IBS. I guess there must be vast technologies and researching have been done in the IBS. 

Upon reaching the IBS building, we enter the building and directed into a space of laboratories. Through the way inside IBS, we can see a lot of microscope on our right and left side. I am so excited to see Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). They were so big and complex. The price is also too expensive.  

We were divided into 2 groups. My groups we ordered to sit first and listened to an explanation on how to prepare a sample to be observed under TEM or SEM. TEM is used to analyse internal structures while SEM is used to analyse surface structure.  From the explanation written on the board;

I simplify what is written on the board;

 This is such a good opportunity for to see TEM and SEM at a closer look.
We were brought to several rooms inside the IBS buildings to see different room carried out different activities. There is one room called " ULTRAMICROTOME". This room basically a place where the cut sample using diamond knife or glass knife before observing them under TEM or SEM.

Ultramicrotome room

Diamond knife

I am impressed by the diamond knife because it is just a small tool to cut microbes, but it actually powerful enough to cut small microbes.

After a walking around the IBS for a few times, our trip ends two hour after that. I am satisfied with this trip and I hope I can come to Institut Biosains UPM once again. I would love to explore more on this massive building. And I also can't wait to work here. I hope I would have the opportunity to do so. Thus, we end our trip with a big smile on our face :)