The Research Center for Biotechnology Universitas Gadjah Mada had held a Public Lecture on “Biosphere and Socio-Ecological CoViability” held on the 3rd floor of the PAU-UGM building. The event, which took place on October 27, 2023, featured distinguished Keynote Speakers: DR. Oliver Barrier, an Environmental Jurist and Legal Anthropologist from the Institute for Research Development, France and Ioan Robin, a Doctorate Student in Legal Anthropology at the University of Limoges, France.

With the theme “Biosphere and Socio-Ecological CoViability”, the public lecture aimed to explore the intricate relationships between the biosphere and socio-ecological systems, emphasizing the concept of co-viability. The expertise of DR. Oliver Barrier and the fresh perspectives of Ioan Robin, a doctoral candidate in legal anthropology, provided a comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between legal frameworks, environmental sustainability, and human societies.

This public lecture received high enthusiasm from Biotechnology students, and is expected to provide new insights into the biosphere and socio-ecological systems. This public lecture is in line with improving the quality of education as stated in the 4th SDG. And it is hoped that it can have a positive impact on climate improvement in the future, in accordance with the 13th SDG.

The Research Center for Biotechnology Universitas Gadjah Mada had held The 9th National Seminar on Biotechnology on October 21 2023. This event is an annual agenda organized by the Biotechnology Study Program and The Research Center for Biotechnology Universitas Gadjah Mada. In this seminar, there were four talented speakers in each field, Marc Alfons M Peeters (Bambu Nusa Verde), Dr. Yekti Asih Purwestri, S.Si., M.Sc. (Universitas Gadjah Mada), Ts. Dr. Rabiatul Basria S. M. N. Mydin. (Universiti Sains Malaysia), and Dr. Dian Kesumapramudya, M.Sc., Ph.D., SpA. (Universitas Gadjah Mada)

With the theme “Biotechnology Approach for Green Transition”, this seminar aims to provide a discussion forum between universities, researchers, practitioners, industry and government regarding the latest issues and information related to biotechnology and its application in various fields. In this seminar, participants attend and can communicate in order to contribute to realizing a better quality of life.

The presence and active participation of all stakeholders in the 9th National Seminar on Biotechnology will make a positive contribution to the development of biotechnology science and its application in supporting the green transition which supports the implementation of SDGs 7, 11, 12 and 13.

August 30 – September 1, 2023, The Research Center for Biotechnology Universitas Gadjah Mada held a workshop with the theme ¨Protein Engineering in Drug Development¨ with main speakers Prof. Teruna J. Siahaan from the University of Kansas, Dr. Yekti Asih Purwestri (The Research Center for Biotechnology UGM), M. Saifur Rohman, Ph.D. (Faculty of Agriculture UGM), Dewi Kartikawati Paramita, Ph.D. (The Research Center for Biotechnology UGM), and Dr. Tri Rini Nuringtyas (The Research Center for Biotechnology UGM).

Receiving high enthusiasm, this activity was attended by 18 participants from various different institutions. During the three-day implementation of this activity, participants received training and also had the opportunity to directly practice in the laboratory.

The purpose of holding this workshop is to spark participants to develop protein-based therapeutic agents and disease diagnostics, this is done as a response to the concern of the Center for Biotechnology Studies over the high number of drug imports in Indonesia.

The workshop “Protein Engineering in Drug Development” became a real example of UGM’s commitment to encourage scientific excellence and address real-world challenges. When the event ended, it left a deep impression on the participants and provided valuable insights that will contribute to the advancement of biotechnology in Indonesia to the world, in line with the 4th SDG.

The iGEM UGM 2023 team, in collaboration with The Research Center for Biotechnology Universitas Gadjah mada, organized the iGEM 2023 Workshop on August 5-6 and 12-13, 2023, intended as training for high school students who will participate in the National Science Olympiad (OSN) 2023 scheduled for August 27.

The Workshop was divided into two parts: an in-person session on August 5-6 and an online session on August 12-13. The in-person activities included practical learning sessions as follows:

1. Biochemistry with a training topic on micropipette usage and protein concentration measurement using the Bradford reagent, presented by I Made Rhamandana Putra (Pharmacy 2019).
2. Molecular Biology with a topic on PCR and electrophoresis, presented by Melodia Rezadhini (Microbiology 2019).
3. Animal Anatomy and Physiology with topics covering vertebrate histology and anatomy of organisms such as crickets, earthworms, and fish, presented by Farrel Alfaza Marsetyo (Medicine 2021).
4. Plant Anatomy and Physiology with a focus on leaf and stem anatomy, also presented by Farrel Alfaza Marsetyo (Medicine 2021).

As for the online activities, they were divided into two fields:

1. Bioinformatics with an introduction to bioinformatics tools and their usage, presented by Sofyan Maulana (Biology 2020) and Kayla Queenazima Santoso (Biomedical Engineering 2020).
2. Biostatistics with topics covering descriptive and inferential statistics, also presented by Sofyan Maulana (Biology 2020) and Kayla Queenazima Santoso (Biomedical Engineering 2020).

This event was organized by the iGEM UGM team and facilitated by The Research Center for Biotechnology Universitas Gadjah Mada. The iGEM UGM team is a representative team from UGM that will participate in the international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition in Paris from November 2-5, 2023. The team consists of 16 undergraduate students from 7 different faculties.

The aim of this workshop is to provide participants with knowledge and experience that will enable them to achieve outstanding results in the OSN competition. This is in line with the 4th SDG, quality education.

The event commenced with an opening address from Dr. Dini Wahyu Kartika Sari, S.Pi., M.Si., who is the Head of the Master’s Program in Biotechnology. This was followed by a speech by Dr. Yekti Asih Purwestri, S.Si., M.Si. The career lecture event was attended by students from the Biotechnology Master’s Program at UGM. This career lecture is in line with the 3rd and 4th SDGs.