Suzuki (second left) exchanging collaboration documents with Morshidi, witnessed by (from left) Ota and Dr Yeo, Deputy State Secretary Datu Misnu Taha, as well as Sarawak Biodiversity Council members Lau Cheng Yuon who represented the state Agriculture Department director, Datu Laura Lee from State Financial Secretary’s Office and state Forest Department director Sapuan Ahmad.
KUCHING: Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) and Mitsubishi Corporation will move into the next phase of a strategic collaboration on microalgae research and industrial biotechnology, established in 2012.
The SBC-Mitsubishi partnership will continue for another two years in which research work will be undertaken at SBC laboratories.
It will leverage a diversity-based algae research platform to discover local species that could be developed for renewable fuels, as well as proteins and carotenoids for animal feed and nutritional supplements.
It also aims to identify new algae resources that will accelerate its commercialisation; therefore contributing to the state’s bio-economy.
In a press statement released yesterday, the target of the earlier collaboration had established a collection of unique microalgae strains from various locations including rivers and lakes, as well as brackish and coastal waters across Sarawak.
“The coverage extends from Kuching to Bako, Mukah, Loagan Bunut,Tanjung Dato, Similajau, Long Iman and Mulu.
“The rationale for the collection in different environment and ecology systems is important to obtain a high diversity of strains. Sarawak is an ideal place for microalgae to grow due to its ecological factors such as tropical climate and water resources that are rich in nutrients,” it said.
At present, SBC living library collection consists of 500 species.
“The library is important as it facilitates research as a centralised depository. More importantly, the library offers a gateway to biotechnology companies that are interested to embark on their research promptly without having to invest in initial search and collection,” the statement said.
Under the next phase of the MC-SBC collaboration, the target focus would be on four applications of microalgae – fuel, food, feed and functional material (Polyunsaturated fatty acids, or Pufa).
Following the preliminary research at SBC, several groups of microalgae that produce precursors for biofuel and Pufa have been identified and are being developed.
The signing of the MC-SBC partnership was held at the State Secretary’s Office here yesterday, involving Mitsubishi Corp general manager of new business development Korin Suzuki on behalf of MC and State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, who is also Sarawak Biodiversity Council chairman.
The inking of the documents was witnessed by Mitsubishi Malaysia chief executive Kenji Ota and his acting counterpart at SBC, Dr Yeo Tiong Chia.