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AgBiotech & Environment
With a hot tropical climate, Malaysia has not been registered in most people’s minds as a suitable place to cultivate grapes, as they are more at home in the cooler climates of Europe. However, the first Malaysian grapes will soon greet the market as the Sendayan Valley Farm set up by A-Winn GMS Sdn Bhd begins its capacity to produce 120 tonnes of grapes a year. The marketing of the first locally-produced grapes is expected to begin by the middle of next year.
  
 
Pineapples are the focus of the month, as 7,400 hectares has been set aside for a project to help Malaysia regain its dominance as one of the top three pineapple producers. Under the East Coast Economic Region, Permatang Bedon (2,000 hectares) in Pekan, Kampung Jemari (5,000 hectares) and Kampung Tebu Hitam (400 hectares) in Rompin have been identified to be allocated under the Pekan-Rompin pineapple integrated development project. On a different note, enhancements in biotechnology will be able to offer farmers better quality pineapples and increased production.
 

Rubber seeds seem to be an unlikely solution to our biodiesel CPO woes, but according to chemical engineering lecturer Mohammad Tazli Azizan, anything is possible. He has developed an extraction and production process which allows the extraction of biodiesel from rubber seeds. His innovation won the gold medal at the prestigious Innova Eureka Exhibition held in Brussels in November 2007.
 
 
Omega-3 fatty acids are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids which have been shown to reduce inflammation and help prevent certain chronic diseases like heart disease and arthritis. Recently, a breakthrough has allowed Kumpulan Siswazah Pertanian Sdn Bhd (KSP), set up by a group of fisheries graduates from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) to introduce Omega-3 catfish to the Malaysian market. Catfish has only 0.05 per cent Omega-3 but after taking the special food pellets produced by the company, the content increased to 2.3 to 2.5 per cent.
Industry & Investment
Industry trends look optimistic as more companies begin to forge their way into foreign markets. Among them, biotechnology-based Bioteam Sdn Bhd looks set to enter the US market as negotiations are underway with Florida-based EBM. Bioteam has the technology for use in molecular biology laboratories, forensic units, hospitals and research institutions, and will be the technology provider while EBM provides the venture capital for the project. Plans are also in place to build a one stop biotechnology building in Putrajaya in early 2009 to host international biotech activity.
 
A RM100 million plant, which also serves as a glycerine purification refinery has been launched as the first biodiesel plant in Pahang by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the Kuantan Port Industrial Area. The opening of the plant would serve as a catalyst for the country's biodiesel industry. The plant's primary feedstock is crude palm oil, and has an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes, also produces by-products in the form of 4,000 tonnes of palm fatty acid distillate and 12,000 tonnes of pharmaceutical grade glycerine.
  
             
Medical & Policy
Malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world and an enormous public health problem. Each year, it causes disease in approximately 515 million people and kills between one and three million people. Recently, calls have been made to increase research on malarial parasites, as recent studies have shown that the parasites are being transmitted to humans from wild monkeys. Professor Dr Balbir Singh of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, has conducted initial research and field study, linking a species of green anopheles mosquito to the transmission between species.
 
According to Malaysian Palm Oil Council regional director of West Asia, Ahmad Zafri Zawawi, palm oil provides the best option for a natural and healthy substitute for trans fats worldwide. A surge in consumption of the commodity in the American food industry, brought up the demand to 60,000kg a month. Speaking at a forum held in conjunction with the World Halal Expo, Zafri said that the blend of palm oil, soybean oil and canola oil was also marketed in the US and Malaysia under the Smart Balance brand.
Much optimism has been placed on the biotech industry as it seems to be poised for more growth in the coming year. Availability of seed and R&D funding by BiotechCorp will be one of the main driving forces behind the growth, while more foreign participation is being expected as they begin to set up their operations in Malaysia. Based on current data, 42 companies were awarded BioNexus status in 2007, with 2 foreign companies and 10 foreign joint ventures among them.