Team:ITB Indonesia/Metionin
METIONIN (Seminar and Talkshow on Synthetic Biology in Indonesia: Challenges and Prospects)
This year, iGEM ITB has the opportunity to held Indonesia iGEM Meet Up. The Meet Up was held in ITB Campus Ganesha, attended by numerous participant ranging from undergraduate students, graduates, practioners and fellow synthetic biology enthusiast.
Figure 1 iGEM Indonesia Meet Up in ITB Campus Ganesha
This year Meet Up topic was, Synthetic Biology in Indonesia : Future and Challenge. The topic were chosen to raise the awareness of the development of synthetic biology in Indonesia. Many may argued that as a developing country, the main focus of research in Indonesia has yet to touch the very broad range of synthetic biology and for those reason iGEM ITB try to brought out the topic to public.
But is it?
To answer that the Meet Up brought several speakers that represent government, industry and startup enthusiast. The speakers were, Professor Ocky Radjasa who represented government currently served as the General Director of Research and Community Service of Indonesia Ministry of Education. Dr. Neni Nurainy represented the industry currently served as Project Integration of BioFarma (Indonesia vaccine industry). Last but not least was Immanuel Sanka, M,Sc who represented startup enthusiast (ex-COO JalaTech, IoT based startup for shrimp farm) also as a fellow iGEM alumni
The Meet Up was opened by Dr. Azzania Fibriani, the advisor of ITB iGEM Team. Dr. Azzania did not just opened the event but also gave a short course on what is synthetic biology, the good and bad of it, also the current issues that been revolving on synthetic biology, such as laboratory safety, ethical issues and how far it could go and Indonesia’s synthetic biology current state.
Figure 2 Dr. Azzania Fibriani opened the Meet Up and giving short course on synthetic biology
Following the course were the discussion session or talkshow. The talkshow were led by Farhan Maulana B.Sc (iGEM ITB team instructor) as the moderator for the session. The session was opened by Immanuel explanation regarding iGEM activity and how it affects his personal up bringing through his post graduate term. Beside explaining about iGEM, Immanuel also told the story about he and fellow friends brought up the citizen-scientist action few years ago back in Yogyakarta.
The session were then followed by Dr. Neni presentation. Dr. Neni whom represented BioFarma as a vaccine industry explained that, although Indonesia’s synthetic biology were in its early development, but its main concept has been long used in vaccine industry, especially in designing and purifying vaccine. Apart from that, BioFarma itself has a several project that utilized the concept of synthetic biology those are development of therapeutic based vaccine for hepatitis B and HPV also epitope based vaccine for dengue and hepatitis C and cell line based vaccine for influenza. BioFarma also utilized genom editing and by then edited H. Polimorpha as their chasis for producing protein recombinant.
Last but not least was Professor Ocky Radjasa gave the perspective of Indonesia Government. Prof. Ocky explaining about National Research Priority from the perspective of synthetic biology. National Research Priority itself was a government program that accomodates the government funding for research in Indonesia. The program has nine main focus and five of it were intersected with the concept of synthetic biology they are Food, Health, Engineering, Maritime Affairs and Multi-disciplinary.
Beside from the synthetic biology part, Prof. Ocky also gave an explanation about how Indonesian Professor so lack in research publication despite having the biggest number in students and professors compared to other South-East Asia country such Malaysia and Singapore. Prof. Ocky also persuade the Meet Up participant to start conduct their own research based on the daily problem or act as the citizen-scientist.
The discussion were closed with a conclusion statement that the development of synthetic biology in Indonesia is currently going in positive direction in which the concept is actually implemented and utilized in solving the problem, although its range of utilization not as broad as other country but with correct integration to public and support by several stake holder such government, industry and universit, Indonesia’s synthetic biology could go far in solving the country problems.
Figure 3 Discussion session with speakers (left to right : Professor Ocky Radjasa, Dr. Neni Nurainy, Immanuel Sanka M.Sc, Farhan Maulana B.Sc)
Well, the session has greatly answered the question that was brought by the team before.
The next session was the real part of the Meet Up of iGEM Indonesia Team.
The Meet Up was attended by several iGEM alumni who attended iGEM from Indonesian team and also foreign university team such as Imperial College, Uppsala University, Lund University, also Edinburgh University. The Meet Up also attended by UI iGEM team, but unfortunately Unsri iGEM team did not managed to attended the meeting due to our long distance location.
The Meet Up then continued by every team presenting their project and current progress. The presentation then followed by advice by iGEM alumni regarding the content of presentation, Giant Jamboree related things and other advices that hopefully would be useful in the upcoming Giant Jamboree presentation session.
Figure 4 Meeting of Indonesia iGEM Team and iGEM Alumni
Figure 5 Sharing session with alumni and iGEM Indonesia team
To conclude :
The iGEM Indonesia Meet Up has been designed to increase the awareness of current condition of Indonesia’s synthetic biology and its future and upcoming challenge that stands for it to be utilized and implemented. It also designed so that the the Meet Up brought us to met with several field that acts as a stake holder in conducting research in Indonesia, such as Government, Industry, Startup and Research Enthusiast.
The Meet Up also managed to brought fellow alumni from Indonesia iGEM Team and foreign university alumni and resulted in gaining advice that hopefully can be used in the upcoming Giant Jamboree also in managing an iGEM Team.
Figure 6 Indonesia iGEM Team with iGEM Alumni
Figure 7 iGEM Indonesia Meet Up Committee (iGEM ITB Team)
Acknowledgement :
This event is fully supported by KK GBM SITH ITB, PT KAI and iGEM HQ. Also we would like to thank Nurul Izzati as iGEM ambassador for Indonesia who offered us the chance to held this event.
