The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Yeow Teck Ann, Asst. Prof. Dr. Tan Jian Ping, Asst. Prof. Dr. Ngan Cheng Loong, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tan Swee Tiam from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Dr. Erik Hui Yew Woh, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Norazira Abdu Rahman from the China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences (CAMS), XMUM, for publishing in Industrial Crops and Products.
Industrial Crops and Products is a leading international journal devoted to publishing high-quality research articles primarily on cultivated plants (crops) of industrial interest (non-food, non-feed). It is an SCI Q1 journal with an impact factor of 5.6.
This journal manuscript, titled “Upcycling lignocellulosic palm biomass via Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) composting incorporated with ex-situ fermentation by Bacillus subtilis,” highlighted oil palm frond (OPF), an abundant palm biomass waste in Malaysia, as a potential substrate for BSFL composting. To provide some context, OPF is being generated at an alarming rate — three times more than the production of palm oil itself. Due to its high moisture content, OPF has seen limited applications other than being mulched as a soil conditioner, which is inefficient and has been shown to release greenhouse gases. While BSFL is known for its ability to degrade a wide range of organic waste, the poor nutritional profile of OPF is highly recalcitrant and unpalatable for BSFL. Hence, in this study, delignification via bacterial ex-situ fermentation and nutrient enhancement via blending were proposed as pre-treatments before BSFL feeding.
This study aims to shed light on the possibility of utilising delignified OPF as a substrate for BSFL composting, allowing subsequent bioconversion into insect proteins, lipids, as well as fertile compost for crops.
This research was conducted in collaboration with Kelip-kelip! Center of Excellence for Light Enabling Technologies and Malaysia Government-Linked Company Sime Darby Plantation Research (SDPR), which provided necessary laboratory space for BSFL cultivation and materials.
The research was primarily supported by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) via the Palm Oil Processing Special Interest Group (POPSIG) Research Bursary 2022 and 2023, sponsored by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), Desmet Malaysia Sdn Bhd, and KL-Kepong Industrial Holdings Sdn Bhd. This research is also supported by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia through the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2024/WAS04/XMU/02/1), and Xiamen University Research Fund (XMUMRF/2024-C14/IENG/0075 & XMUMRF/2020-C5/ILAB/0004).
This article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2024.119764
Yeow Teck Ann is a recent graduate in Chemical Engineering from XMUM and a recipient of the POPSIG Student Research Bursary for both 2022 and 2023. He currently works as an imaging geophysicist at Viridien.
Yuana Elly Agustin is pursuing her PhD in Chemical Engineering programme under the supervision of Dr. Tan Jian Ping, with a specialization in bioprocess engineering and sustainable processes. She obtained her master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and currently serves as a junior lecturer at the University of Surabaya.
Lee Xin You is a master’s student from the China-ASEAN College of Marine Science. She has actively participated in various national and international academic conferences and symposiums.
Graduated from Xiamen University Malaysia earlier this year, Amer Aref Said Ismail is a Chemical Engineer with hands-on experience in chemical plant design. He holds an ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems certification from the Jordan Engineers Association.
Dr. Hui Yew Woh received his PhD from Monash University and is currently a Senior Lab Executive cum Research Fellow at the XMUM Lab Center. He has multiple private industry collaborations in the fields of microbiology and molecular biology. His other achievements include being a co-recipient of FRGS and MOSTI grants, as well as membership in the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Dr. Norazira Abdu Rahman is an Assistant Professor in Marine Biotechnology at the CHINA-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences (CAMS). She specializes in algal biotechnology, natural products, and aquafeed. Currently, she leads and collaborates on several innovative projects aimed at advancing sustainable solutions and addressing critical challenges in the field.
Dr. Tan Swee Tiam joined Xiamen University Malaysia as an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Research & Industrial Collaboration at the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering. He is also the Founding Director of Kelip-kelip! Center of Excellence for Light Enabling Technologies. His current research focuses on emerging spectrum-engineered light sources and their applications in agriculture, health, and the environment.
Dr. Ngan Cheng Loong is an Assistant Professor at School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia. His research focuses on pharmaceutical nanotechnology and green chemistry, especially in drug delivery systems, sustainable bioprocessing and environmental remediation, with an emphasis on applying machine-learning techniques in process optimization.
Dr. Tan Jian Ping is an Assistant Professor and the Industrial Training Coordinator for Chemical Engineering Programme, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering. He is among the founding members of Bio-Alliance, consortium led by National Institute of Biotechnology Malaysia, initiated by MOSTI to spearhead national bio-based technologies development in agriculture, animal feed and biotechnology.