Lately there has been much interest in native medicinal plants in Malaysia. It has been speculated by scientists that the bioactive organic compounds produced by these plants may have many beneficial biochemical qualities and may be incorporated into various novel applications, such as medical treatments, pest control etc. Hence, it is no surprise that much R&D has been done to isolate and produce commercially viable methods in the production of these compounds.

Cell cultures are a method in which growing cells from various sources are included into an artificial environment, typically sterile culture media fortified with required nutrients and hormones to induce growth. Theoretically, this method can be applied to both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and its success depends on the ability of the researcher to mimic the natural environment of the cells in the laboratory.

Associate Professor of University Science Malaysia (USM), Dr. Chan Lai Keng has been pioneering the research of cell culture in Malaysia with its novel application in obtaining isolated bioactive compounds from Malaysian herbs. Among the successes, she has been able to formulate novel methods in extracting Tongkat Ali and Misai Kuching, herbs which are touted to have great medicinal value.

Her research has also brought her to the weed Cyperus aromaticus, which is believed to produce juvenile hormone III, commonly found in insects. The hormone stalls the growing process of juvenile insects halting them at the nymph stage and preventing the metamorphosis cycle from occurring. The compound was found to be effective against insect pests and she is currently pursuing the possibility of adapting such treatments against mosquitoes.

So has there been bumps and rough patches along the way? With a laugh, Dr. Chan acknowledges that there has been, but she has been able to work around them fairly well. For example, her laboratory has not been able to afford a bioreactor which may have been much convenient for her research. But as the lack of funding subsisted, she had been able to design her own culture vessels which later won medals at various science and innovation fairs.

She maintains that there is still much to be done for Malaysia. Linkages that may allow exchange of information among institutes, universities and the industry in general has been seriously lacking. Taking the example of the Japanese, industry and researchers work hand-in-hand to induce growth in the field. However, as commercial companies are not involved in the R&D of such innovations, and as the development of commercially-viable production process requires lots of financial support, it is hard for researchers to find funds required to bridge this gap.

However, there has been much change in the winds with the recent push by the Government for the biotechnology industry. There has been much hopes expressed for more government support and the intervention of the industry in R&D.