| |
|||||||||
| FRIM: Bringing Forestry into Focus |
|||||||||
| | |||||||||
| The Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) has been one of the prime establishments for forestry and forest resources in Malaysia ever since its formation as the Forest Research Institute in 1929 and subsequently being absorbed under the wings of the Malaysian Government in 1985. Sustainable management and forest resource usage has always been part of FRIM’s range of activities and much R&D has been done to generate knowledge and applicable technology for the various resources of our heritage. In fact, it is such commitment to our nations natural resources that FRIM is well known in the field of tropical forestry. |
|||||||||
| Under the Biotechnology Division, the Forest Biotechnology Program embodies the commitment and drive of FRIM in this respect. The program is host to four main units, the Seed Technology Lab, the Proteomics Lab, the Genetics Lab and the Tissue Culture Lab and is headed by Dr. Marzalina binti Mansor as Program Director. “The main function of the forest biotechnology program to aid FRIM’s effort in conservation and work to maintain the balance between economy and biodiversity,” stresses Dr. Marzalina. “With our biotechnology tools like proteomics, cryopreservation and tissue culture, we can aid our forests and the environment in the long run.” |
|||||||||
 |
Citing the example of forestry forensics being developed by the Genetics Lab has strong potential in the enforcement of regulations against illegal logging, Dr. Marzalina expresses that the procedure developed allows the matching of DNA between two wood sources. The specificity of the DNA match allows it to be presented in court as evidence, and has great potential in the line of forestry enforcement. |
||||||||
According
to the head of the Genetics unit, Dr. Norwati binti Muhammad, this is
one of the pet projects of the unit, and it has already been utilized
in a court case where illegal loggers were charged with DNA evidence
from logs which were matched to the original tree stump. Prospects of
using such procedure are good as the Malaysian Bar Council and judiciary
are currently actively seeking to incorporate such a procedure as standard
court evidence. |
|||||||||
|
Similarly, the Seed Technology
unit has been working on producing a seed standard for tropical species.
Seed testing is an important procedure in which to maintain the quality
of seed sources which are crucial in forestry and agriculture. However,
as the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) are generally focused
on seeds of temperate species, and due to the biological and geographical
constraints of tropical species, FRIM aims to provide a regional testing
seed standard which may be more suitable in this respect. |
|||||||||
| Head of the seed technology unit, Ms. Nashatul Zaimah bt Noor Azman, maintains that much is still in the works, but much hope is being placed to establish a standard for tropical seeds as it has been discovered that ISTA standards are not easily applicable for tropical species. |
 |
||||||||
Bridging
the gap between commercialization and conservation is the Tissue Culture
unit, headed by Dr. Kodiswaran Kandasamy. The unit is not only a central
support lab which provides materials in the form of tissue culture plantlets
for many other divisions in FRIM, but it is also currently producing
planting stock for many commercial companies including timber, ornamental
plants and medicinal species. In fact, the popularity of FRIM tissue
culture products are evident as all orders for this year are filled
and there is a one year waiting list for more plantlets. |
|||||||||
“As
we are currently supporting R&D as well as commercial orders, we
are looking into the prospects of having a fully commercial laboratory
to support our orders and increase more revenue for FRIM, as in the
9th Malaysia Plan, the Government is aiming at pushing for a more self-supportive
environment,” according to Dr. Kandasamy.
Bioinformatics,
on the other hand, is the current buzzword for the Proteomics unit.
Emphasis is being placed on the identification of bioactive compounds
and its characterization on a biochemical level. By focusing on certain
tropical forest plants and microbes, the unit is on the verge of identifying
compounds with anti-microbial, anti-oncogenic and even anti-addiction
properties. Information generated from tests would then be computed
to maintain a database. In lieu of just animal and cell-based models,
the computational modeling will allow the profiling of the 3D structures
of proteins and compounds obtained in the assays. |
|||||||||
|
There is so much is in store for FRIM, but this is
just the tip of the iceberg. As eloquently put by Dr. Mohd Ilham, head
of proteomics, “It is as if we are sitting on a pile of “green
gold” which is our biodiversity. The forest has plenty to offer,
and we should be the ones to discover its value.”
There is much opportunities in the field of forest biotechnology, and with the mega-biodiversity of our lands, FRIM aims at being a major player and information hub in this field as it has always had. Dr. Marzalina cautioned the need for alertness in the current climate as many players are also vying for the same goals. However, with FRIM’s current stature there is not much to be worried about. However, with the implementation of the new Biotechnology Policy, there is a need for greater exploration into what is a vastly unmapped area of science. But as quoted by Dr. Marzalina, “It is a government responsibility to discover and disseminate such information, and FRIM would be the channel from which it would be disseminated from.” |
|||||||||
For more information |
By K. C. Liew for MABIC | ||||||||
| |
|||||||||
 
|
|||||||||