Write up about the Conference
The APBB 2014 conference aimed to provide a platform for biochemists, biotechnologist, nutritionist, food technologists, authorized bodies and industrialists to interact and discuss new research findings in various fields of plant biochemistry and biotechnology. The conference highlighted topics pertaining to promote people living in urban areas to be interested in producing food for home consumption. Urban agriculture could generate income, promotes human interaction, improves environmental quality and provides an avenue for recycling waste towards sustainable community
The Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University Putra Malaysia (UPM) together with National Institute of Biotechnology Malaysia (NIBM) is organized the International Conference on Advance in Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology 2014 (APBB 2014) on 9-10 December. The theme of this conference was “Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology: Empowering Urban Agriculture’ is timely chosen due to the increasing interest un urban farming.
Feedback on paper presented
As the theme of the conference was empowering urban agriculture, the potential for commercialization of the endophytes presented as biocontrol agents was well-received. Prof. Zeul of Malaysia who was developed organic fertilizers from endophytes was very much interested in the results of the study.
Future directions of research presented
The endophytes presented in this conference will be further tested for bioactivity
Potential foreign collaborators
- Prof. Zeul, Universiti Putra Malaysia
- Dr. Iteu Hidayat, Indonesia
- Dr. Madhumati, India
Short write-up of one’s participation (to be used to feature/publicize the grantee’s participation in the conference)
Dr. Annabelle U. Novero, UP Scientist 1, presented her work on ‘Endophytes Associated with Sago Palm in Tissue Culture’. This work is funded under Sago Biotech Program of PCIEERD and UP Mindanao. This work reported on three promising bacteria.
Endophytic bacteria are novel sources of beneficial compounds such as plant growth regulators and antibiotics. Nine bacterial isolates were obtained from sago palm tissue culture. Amplification of 16s rDNA sequences using the universal primers 16F27 and 16R1542 identified the isolates as Enterobacter ludwigii (SEBs 001, 003, and 006), Pantoea dispersa (SEBs 002 and 004), and Klebsiella variicola (SEBs 005, 007, and 008). Morphological and biochemical properties of the test isolates, as well as phylogenetic analysis, support the deducted identities.
