DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Ruben Amirthalingam( Award Conferred 7 September 2025)
Title of Thesis:‘ Biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles from kaffir lime leaves and its bioactivities.’
This thesis profiled the potential of kaffir lime leaves in producing metal nanoparticles, both as a single metal and a combination of two metals. In light of antimicrobial resistance, the development of these metal nanoparticles are found to be effective antimicrobial agents as an alternative to traditional antibiotics. As the synthesis of these metal nanoparticles are plant-mediated, the approach in this study is both environmentally conducive and sustainable.
Supervisor: Professor Adeline Su Yien Ting Associate Supervisor: Dr Yin Yin Thoo
Christine Shing Wei Law( Award Conferred 9 July 2025)
Title of Thesis:‘ Design and Development of Choline Acetyltransferase Fluorescence Imaging Probes.’
This thesis explores a novel approach for early detection of Alzheimer ' s disease( AD), which is an important strategy in combating the incurable disease. The auto-fluorescent lead compound identified in this study, N1-DMA, has demonstrated high binding affinity and selectivity for the target protein choline acetyltransferase( ChAT), while exerting no significant toxicity against SH-SY5Y cells. Overall, this thesis identifies a selective ChAT ligand with potential to be used as a fluorescence imaging probe for early AD detection.
Supervisor: Dr Yeong Keng Yoon Associate Supervisor: Dr Nafees Ahemad Yunus Associate Supervisor: Professor Sek Chuen Chow
Yit Kheng Goh( Award Conferred 30 April 2025)
Title of Thesis:‘ Investigating biotic and abiotic components in Blenheim soil series( Typic Quartzipsamment) responsible for suppressing Basal Stem Rot( BSR) incidence in oil palm.’
Disease-suppressive Blenheim soil( DS-BhS) records lower incidences of Ganoderma basal stem rot( BSR) compared to disease-conducive Bernam soil( DC-BeS). The potential of DS-BhS in suppressing Ganoderma BSR incidence is of great interest. DS-BhS exhibits higher prokaryotic and eukaryotic diversity, soil pH, calcium content, actinomycete counts, disease-suppressive microbial taxa, and metabolically diverse bacterial taxa compared to DC-BeS. The naturally occurring microbiota in the DS-BhS aids in disease suppression. Introducing biocontrol agents isolated from DS-BhS to sterilized DS-BhS does not restore its suppressiveness, highlighting the importance of intact soil microbial biomass and activity for effective Ganoderma control.
Mary Hui Yee Ling( Award Conferred 19 Mar 2025)
Title of Thesis:‘ Development of novel biodegradable membrane from oil palm biomass for daily used materials.’
This project focuses on developing a biodegradable film for packaging by utilizing oil palm empty fruit bunch( OPEFB) to synthesize furan dicarboxylic acid( FDCA), a key monomer for sustainable polymers. FDCA was used to create a polyamide, which was then blended with polycaprolactone( PCL), glycerol, and glutaraldehyde to form a polymer composite. The resulting blend showed mechanical and thermal properties comparable to fossil-based PVOH and demonstrated strong biodegradability. This project offers a valuable eco-friendly alternative for single-use plastics, contributing to the reduction of environmental waste through sustainable packaging materials.
Supervisor: Associate Professor Pushpamalar Janarthanan Associate Supervisor: Associate Professor Tan Ban Lee Joash
Supervisor: Professor Adeline Su Yien Ting Associate Supervisor: Professor Qasim Ayub
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