Mataram, Universitas Mataram – Universitas Mataram (Unram) collaborated with the National Institute of Genetics (NIG) and the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) to host a sponsored public lecture by NIG on October 10, 2023. The lecture was opened by the Director of the Innovation Department at NIG, Prof. Mutsuaki Suzuki.

Dr. Eka S. Prasedya from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at Unram was invited to TUMSAT to present the research results of the Center of Excellence in Biosciences and Biotechnology (PUBB) as the initial step in a research collaboration between Unram and TUMSAT with the topic of “Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Marine Algae.”

The public lecture was attended by several experts in the field of marine biosciences and biotechnology, such as Prof. Mitsunobu Kamiya and Prof. Takeshi Terahara. Additionally, there were participants from TUMSAT’s Master’s and Doctoral programs.

Unram’s achievements didn’t stop there, as they received an award from NIG Japan for their research on genetic biodiversity and the discovery of new seaweed species in Indonesian waters. The award was presented by NIG Director, Prof. Emeritus Fumio Hanaoka, to Dr. Eka S. Prasedya (FMIPA Unram) on October 11, 2023.

Furthermore, Unram was invited to present their research at the largest academic and industry partnering conference in Asia, BioJapan 2023 in Yokohama (https://jcd-expo.jp/en/).

In his presentation, Dr. Eka highlighted the significant genetic diversity of seaweed in Indonesia. However, he also pointed out technological limitations that hinder effective downstream processing.

“The hope is that through these activities, Unram can establish international industrial partners to drive the industrialization of Lombok seaweed through bioscience and biotechnology approaches,” expressed Dr. Eka.