Establishing Research at AIMST

The Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) University is located upon a sprawling campus in the northern state of Kedah. At the foothills of the picturesque Gunung Jerai in Semeling, the 230-acre campus does not belie the fact that it is a relatively new institution of 9 years. Established by the Maju institute of Education Development (MIED), the educational arm of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), the university is the brainchild of YB Dato’ Seri S. Samy Vellu, former Minister of Works and President of the MIC. AIMST’s aspirations lie in being a premier institution modeled after the University of Bristol, UK and to be that of a premier academic institution in the country.

Dr. Subhash J. Bhore, a botanist and molecular biologist, who has recently joined AIMST is extremely positive of the steps taken by the fledging university of late to develop itself into its full potential. Joining AIMST from a career in R&D at Melaka Biotech Corporation, Dr. Subhash is among the many eminent scientists and academicians who have joined the ranks of AIMST in their drive for research and academic excellence.

Graduating with a BSc and MSc in Botany from the University of Pune, and having spent a stint at the prestigious National Chemical Laboratory of India working on microbial production of plant growth regulators (PGRs), and plant tissue culture, Dr. Subhash then completed his PhD at university Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) before being recruited to a career at Melaka Biotech Corp. Being well-versed in R&D and commercialization from his experiences as principal investigator and Head of the R&D division at Melaka Institute of Biotechnology, Melaka, it is admirable that Dr. Subhash would return to the academic life with much enthusiasm, bringing his experience from the industry and combining it with academia and research.

Dr Subhash J. Bhore

"The transition from Melaka (Biotech Corp), which is a state government linked institution to a private institution like AIMST was not difficult," said Dr. Subhash. "It took me a short time to adopt and to fit into my current role, which I find challenging." In fact, to encourage development in scientific research, Dr. Subhash divulged that AIMST has recently spent more than RM6 million to equip the laboratories for R&D in various areas of specialization. Recently, Dr. Subhash is fascinated by endophytes and their potential benefits.

An endophyte is an endosymbiont, often a bacterium or fungus that lives within a plant for at least part of its life without causing apparent disease. Endophytes are ubiquitous and have been found in most of the species of plants studied to date; however, most of these endophyte/plant relationships are not well understood. The wide range of compounds produced by endophytes has been shown to combat pathogens and even cancers in animals including humans. Endophytes are also being investigated for roles in agriculture and biofuels production. Inoculating crop plants with certain endophytes may provide increased disease or parasite resistance.

Current research that Dr. Subhash is looking into is the isolation of endophytes from various plants and their screening for cytokinin-like compounds. Cytokinin is an important plant growth regulator which delays senescence and improves the shelf-life of agricultural products such as leafy vegetables, cut flowers and fruits. By screening for potential candidates, it would then be possible to improve on the quality of crops, vegetables, fruits and flowers, giving local agriculture a boost in crop quality.

Looking at the potential of the biotech industry in Malaysia, Dr. Subhash feels very positive in the direction the government is heading. "Malaysia has great potential to be the hub of biotechnology in the region," he commented. "With the natural treasures it is gifted with, there are many resources that Malaysia can bank upon to improve itself." However, he cautioned that "we have to work much more on developing human capital for the local industry, as with growth comes the great need for talent, and that Malaysia is lacking in skilled and well-trained people with most graduates opting for better opportunities overseas."

He also opined that with funding from the government for postgraduate studies at private universities and institutions, just like PTPTN for public universities, more interest could be generated for graduates to pursue their postgraduate studies, including at AIMST. He believes that despite this, Malaysian graduates are very lucky in comparison to the situation in India and China where graduates are facing strong competition for employment.

Peering into the future, Dr. Subhash is not shy of making large strides. He is currently working with Prof. Farida Shah of UTAR to establish a National Consortium on Beans. This consortium (National Consortium on Beans) will be a part of the International Consortium on Beans and can confer benefits by developing lines that will be better than the existing ones. Similarly, he is working in collaboration with Prof Dr Jean-Frederick Weber Abdullah of UiTM in screening endophytes for bioactive compunds.

"The infrastructure (at AIMST) is ready, and we are looking at more research being done," he said. He highlighten that AIMST University is now elegible for the research funding by the US-based National Institute of Health. Currently, AIMST University is working with MOHE and MOSTI to tap into their research fundings. Hopefully, with that in place, AIMST would be poised to take the helm as the leading university Malaysia.

For more information, please contact Dr. Subhash J. Bhore

By K. C. Liew for MABIC