Bio-Bulletin Vol 1 2023

Cylas formicarius A Cunning Underground Tuber Excavator Fungi Botanist and Ectomycorrhizal Finger Limes Caviar-type Globes of Citrus Goodness MSPTM & SBS Writing Workshop Butterfly Pea A Leguminous Plant with Applications in Agriculture, Food and Medicine VCRU Activities WHO Training Workshop Bionite 2023 A Night to Remember! SBS Team Building Together as One Clan Meyer Lemon The Sweeter Lemon The School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia VOL 1 | July 2023 Postgraduate @SBS The SBS Biopostgraduate Society Biosociety @USM Empowering Excellence Building Bat Champions Raising and Spreading Awareness for Kids of Kedah One Health in the Tropics My experience presenting my postgraduate research at the RSTMH UNESCO Mini Expedition A Fish Species Checklist

TABLE OF CONTENTS ARTICLES EVENTS, PLACES AND PEOPLE Cylas formicarius: Cunning Underground Tuber Excavator Fungi Botanist and Ectomycorrhizal Revisiting the Sg. Kenarong UNESCO Mini Expedition A Fish Species Checklist Meyer Lemon The Sweeter Lemon SBS Team Building Together as One Clan Bionite 2023 A Night to Remember Biosociety @USM Empowering Excellence : Biosociety’s Journey towards Academic, Social, and Entrepreneurial Growth Building Bat Champions Raising and Spreading Awareness for Kids of Kedah VCRU Activities in 2022 WHO Training Workshop MSPTM & SBS Writing Workshop Finger Lime Caviar-type Globes of Citrus Goodness Butterfly Pea A Leguminous Plant with Applications in Agriculture, Food and Medicine Sound of the Biosphere Assessment of Biodiversity of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve using Bioacoustics Postgraduates @SBS The SBS Biopostgraduate Society Postgraduates @SBS Exploring Japan: Sakura Science Exchange Program 2022 One Health in the Tropics My experience presenting my postgraduate research at the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH), London in December 2022 Western Hoolock Gibbons The Singing and Swinging Small Ape of Bangladesh From the Dean A New Beginnings. From the Editor-in-Chief Welcome to the first volume of Bio-Bulletin 2023. Cylas formicarius A Cunning Underground Tuber Excavator Fungi Botanist and Ectomycorrhizal Finger Limes Caviar-type Globes of Citrus Goodness MSPTM & SBS Writing Workshop Butterfly Pea A Leguminous Plant with Applications in Agriculture, Food and Medicine VCRU Activities WHO Training Workshop Bionite 2023 A Night to Remember! SBS Team Building Together as One Clan Meyer Lemon The Sweeter Lemon The School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia VOL 1 | July 2023 Postgraduate @SBS The SBS Biopostgraduate Society Biosociety @USM Empowering Excellence Building Bat Champions Raising and Spreading Awareness for Kids of Kedah One Health in the Tropics My experience presenting my postgraduate research at the RSTMH UNESCO Mini Expedition A Fish Species Checklist iv v 1 4 7 10 27 32 51 56 36 39 13 17 21 43 46 59 24

EDITORIAL Editor-In Chief Dr. Nik Ahmad Irwan Izzauddin Nik Him Editors Associate Prof. Dr. Amir Shah Rudin Md Sah Associate Prof Dr. Darlina Md Naim Dr. Kamarul Zaman Zarkasi Dr. Farah Alia Nordin Dr. Shuhaida Shuib Dr. Noraini Philip Dr. Hafizi Rosli Language Editor Dr. Shaidatul Akma Adi Kasuma Cover Design Husni Che Ngah Graphics & Layout Husni Che Ngah Frequency 1/2 2023 Bio-Bulletin July 2023 i

Copyright © 2023 School of Biological Sciences, Universti Sains Malaysia. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution license. You may copy and distribute this publication as long as credit is given to the original authors/ and Bio-Bulletin, School of Biological Sciences as the original source. Address all correspondence to: Dr. Nik Ahmad Irwan Izzauddin Nik him (Editor-in-Chief, Bio-Bulletin) School of Biological Sciences Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 USM, Penang Fax: +604-656 5125 Tel: +604-653 3505 Email: [email protected] Published by: School of Biological Sciences Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 USM Penang Email: [email protected] Tel : +604-653 3181 TITLE: BIO-BULLETIN - [ONLINE] eISSN : 3009-0229 ii Bio-Bulletin July 2023

Coral Mushroom Gomphaceae - Ramaria sp. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 iii

From the Dean This is the first publication of Bio-Bulletin after the Covid-19 disaster that affected the world. To some extent, this disaster has disrupted the planned activities at the School of Biological Sciences. Indeed, many new things have been learned as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the country. The changes that have occurred are necessary to ensure that the School of Biological Sciences remains relevant and competitive. I would like to congratulate the new team of editors on the publication of Bio-Bulletin Vol 1 2023 after a long hiatus. It is hoped that with the existence of the Bio-Bulletin publication platform, lecturers and students can make maximum use of it to ensure the continuous excellence of the faculty. Bio-Bulletin Volume 1 2023 is the first publication by the new team of editors, led by Dr. Nik Ahmad Irwan Izzauddin as the Editor-In-Chief. I find that this publication has its uniqueness due to the diverse contributions from all parties in the School. This includes contributions from the management, lecturers, and student associations. I hope that those involved will not hesitate to continue contributing articles for future publications. This existing collaboration proves that the School of Biological Sciences greatly appreciates and values the contributions of all parties, and this is reflected through the diverse range of articles. Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for the contributions and concerns of all parties at the School in ensuring the continuous excellence of this institution in research and academic achievements. The culture of respect and mutual assistance must be continued to ensure that the School remains as an institution that is relevant and competitive. May the year 2023 bring more excellence to the School of Biological Sciences. Professor Dato’ Dr. Amirul Al-Ashraf Abdullah Dean. School of Biological Sciences iv Bio-Bulletin July 2023

From the Editor-in-Chief Welcome to the first volume of Bio-Bulletin 2023. We are back! Our bulletin is returning after being absent for two years due to constraints caused by the global outbreak of Covid-19. Indeed, the outbreak has opened our eyes and had a profound impact, especially in the field of academia and research. Many activities could not be carried out due to the restrictions implemented to contain this problem. The outbreak issue is not limited to Malaysia but has had a global impact. As the representative of the Bio-Bulletin Editor, I hope that the re-emergence of Bio-Bulletin, a source of pride for the School of Biological Sciences, can continue to have a continuous impact. I would like to express my gratitude to the previous Bio-Bulletin team, led by Associate Professor Dr. Nik Fadzly, for their efforts in ensuring the continuity of Bio-Bulletin publication. Accepting the position of Editor-In-Chief is a contribution that I feel aligns with the efforts of the School of Biological Sciences to remain relevant and competitive. For me, the effort to share knowledge derived from research is relevant to the challenging current conditions and a society that yearns for constantly evolving knowledge. For the publication of Volume 1, 2023, various articles have been contributed by lecturers and students to share the latest research findings. These include studies on the use of bioacoustics in bat research, research partnerships on apes in Bangladesh, fish studies, weevil of sweet potatoes, the latest research on butterfly pea, finger lime, and Meyer lemon. One of the differences in this publication is the contribution of articles from the management team regarding team-building activities, dinner events, and activities of the Vector Control Research Unit (VCRU). Additionally, Bio-Bulletin provides an opportunity for students and student associations to contribute articles on their conducted activities. The diversity of articles featured in this edition reflects the diversity that exists in the School of Biological Sciences. As Editor-in Chief, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our contributors to this issues of the Bio-Bulletin. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the dedicated team of editors who worked tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of this publication. Without their assistance and continuous commitment, I am certain that this publication would not have been successful. Congratulations to all. Dr. Nik Ahmad Irwan Izzauddin Nik Him Editor-in-Chief Bio-Bulletin July 2023 v

New Beginning In the realm where life finds its genesis, Where wonders dwell in nature’s caress, A poem unfolds, embracing the theme, Of new beginnings, like a vibrant dream. From microscopic realms, unseen, Life emerges, a mesmerizing scene, Cells divide, a symphony of creation, A dance of renewal, a cosmic elation. In the depths of oceans, vast and deep, Where ancient secrets are gently asleep, New species arise, with colors unknown, A tapestry of life, beautifully sewn. Through wooded groves, where sunlight streams, A forest rejuvenates, as if in dreams, Seeds take root, sprouting with might, Green canopies spreading, an awe-inspiring sight. In the avian realm, high above, Nests are built with tender love, Eggs crack open, revealing new life, Birds soar higher, conquering strife. Beneath the soil, where roots reside, A dormant seed awakens, no longer hide, Tender shoots break through the earth’s crust, Reaching for the sun, in faith and trust. In the hearts of creatures, great and small, A chance for growth, to rise and enthrall, Past failures fade, as hope takes hold, New beginnings shine, in stories untold. Let this page be adorned with verse, A celebration of life’s eternal traverse, A testament to resilience and grace, In new beginnings, we find our place. So, embrace the wonders that lie in store, Open your heart, and explore, For in every ending, a beginning thrives, A testament to life, where hope revives. May this poem inspire and ignite, A sense of wonder, a pure delight, For in the tapestry of life we find, New beginnings, endlessly intertwined. vi Bio-Bulletin July 2023

Ipomoea batatas or sweet potatoes are a tuber root vegetable that is high in carbohydrates, riboflavin, and folic acid. They come in several shapes, such as the fusiform, oval, or pointed oval, and have sweet-tasting flesh in various colours, including white, orange, purple, or purple red. Several types of sweet potatoes available in the local markets. Sweet potatoes are usually grown as annual plants, and their shoots and young leaves are edible raw, or cooked. The stems grow long, producing lobed or unlobed leaves, and the inflorescences are borne in clusters in the axils of the leaves, with pink or rose-purple-colored petals. The adventitious roots of the plant undergo secondary thickening, forming roots that grow as a storage organ of the tuber. Five different types of sweet potatoes are commonly grown worldwide, which are Hannah sweet potato, Japanese sweet potato, orange sweet potato, purple sweet potato, and Garnet sweet potato. In Malaysia, sweet potatoes are available in several cultivars such as VitAto, Kuala Bikam, 57 Tainung, Guan, Johor Blue, Banting, and Gendut, varying in shapes and sizes. Sweet potatoes are grown larger and become a staple food in many developing countries, especially in Cylas formicarius Cunning Underground Tuber Excavator Nur Amalyn Afandy & Suhaila Ab Hamid Bio-Bulletin July 2023 1

Asia. Sweet potatoes are processed into flour, noodles, desserts, and fermented alcoholic beverages like shochu in Japan and soju in Korea. Overall, sweet potato roots are a versatile and nutritious food source that has many uses beyond the taste. Sweet potatoes are an important global food crop, providing both food security and income generation for low-socioeconomic households. However, they are vulnerable to the sweet potato weevil, which is one of the most damaging insect pests of sweet potatoes worldwide. The sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Insecta: Coleoptera: Brentidae), is a snout beetle that resembles ants, and its gender can be distinguished by the shape of the distal antennal segment. The females have club-like antennae, while the males have cylindrical end antennae. There are several species of sweet potato weevils, such as the C. bromeus, C. puncticollis, and C. formicarius, with the latter being the primary pest of sweet potatoes. Female and male C. formicarius. Antenna shape of the distal antennal segment for female sweet potato weevils is club-like (left). The antennal end segment of male Cylas formicarius is cylindrical in shape during adult stage (right). Photograph by Nur Amalyn, USM. During infestations, the female sweet potato weevil will dig inside the root of the potato and lay eggs in the cavity. The larvae burrow into the host plant tissue, causing rapid tissue damage to sweet potatoes, resulting in the tubers being unmarketable. The feeding activity by C. formicarius induces a chemical reaction that affects the tuber by imparting a bitter taste and terpene odor. The excavated tunnels create an opening source of infection for soil-borne pathogens, leading to further infection on the tubers, rendering the sweet potato unfit for use. Other than that, the weevils can also spread from infected old trees to new plantations through gardening tools. Their populations are at a peak when the temperature is high at the beginning of the growing season. The high temperature leads to cracks on the surface of the soil, exposing tubers - providing easy access for the female weevils to begin the infestation. The females reproduce in stems and roots during the day while the males are active at night. In tropical climates, the sweet potato weevil species usually reproduce more than one generation per year. The adult weevils are active all year round and can travel in response to a pheromone source from a mating partner up to 1.6 km. Adult weevils can be found on leaves, tubers, and vines. At the beginning of the growing season, without the presence of tubers, adult weevils live on the stems and lay eggs on vines and leaves. The weevils feed on the stems or leaves before pupating inside the vine. As the potato plant matures and begins to produce tubers, weevils seek out eroded roots and find access to the tubers through cracks in the ground. Later, the weevil feeds on stored roots and lays its eggs close to the root surface. Wounds from feeding and laying eggs cause the formation of many holes in tubers, reducing both the quality and market value. The wounded tuber containing eggs will be the source of subsequent attacks when healthy tubers are stored together. Cavities and tunnels in infested tubers will cause the tubers to rot. The rotting begins from the top, resulting in an unpleasant odor and bitter taste, making the tubers unattractive. Plants release bitter toxins such as terpenoids in response to weevil feeding, therefore, even a moderate level 2 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

of infestations can affect tuber quality and yield significantly. Additionally, sweet potato leaves and store roots contain volatiles that attracts adult weevils. The female weevils are known to be attracted to three oxygenated monoterpenes produced by the tubers, which are nerol, Z-citral, and methyl geranate. Weevil attack is influenced by the physical characteristics of the sweet potato such as the shape, thickness, and length of the tuber, as well as skin color. Sweet potatoes that are round or oval are more severely attacked by weevils than those that are longer. The attack of weevils on sweet potatoes is influenced by the nutrient content of the sweet potatoes that attracts them to various sweet potato varieties. Other than physical characteristics, the chemical composition of sweet potato varieties also attracts the weevil. The orange flesh cultivars have more anthocyanins and carotene than the white flesh cultivars. Orange sweet potatoes have been identified as one of the highest natural pro-vitamin A and beta carotene sources. Therefore, it is not surprising that orange sweet potatoes are more likely to be infected by C. formicarius than white sweet potatoes. The damage from feeding, larval tunneling, and secondary rot on the vascular system could limit the size and quantity of yield. Weevils that feed on seedlings will damage the weak stem and cause the seedlings to die. Diagnosing the infestation and damage caused by sweet potato weevil involves pulling out the tubers off the ground to observe and identify the presence of tunnels. Essentially, infestations of C. formicarius can significantly reduce the productivity and quality of marketable sweet potatoes. In 2012, FAOStat reported substantial losses between 60% and 97% in both storage facilities and in the field due to such invasion. This consequently impacts farmers’ economic conditions as well as food security for communities that depend on sweet potatoes as a staple crop. Due to a lack of sweet potato varieties with significant resistance levels, progress in breeding sweet potatoes with weevil resistance is slow. Therefore, various methods and approaches should be applied to control this weevil and increase the sweet potato yield. Reference: FAOStat. (2012). Global production and consumption of root and tuber. In FAO corporate document repository. Report on the inter-center review of root and tuber crops research in the CGIAR. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suhaila Ab Hamid is a lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences. Dr. Suhaila specializes in insect diversity and biological indicators. Nur Amalyn Afandy is her former student who worked on the sweet potato weevil project. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 3

Fungi Botanist and Ectomycorrhizal Muhammad Ali Zulhazim Rosli & Rosnida Tajuddin Malaysia’s lowland forests have been recognised as one of the 12 mega-diverse countries in the world due to the species richness of flora and fauna. It is indeed an amazing experience to be able to work in these majestic worldly forests. Malaysia’s tropical rainforests pose the most abundance and diverse group of large trees in a single family, for example, the Dipterocarpaceae. Other than being the most plentiful among the upper stories of the lowland evergreen rainforests, the dipterocarps thrive on a unique, mysterious system. We were lucky to have been given an opportunity to study an ancient interaction that exists in the forest since at least 120 million years ago - Mycorrhiza, the interaction between two kingdoms: plants (dipterocarps) and fungus (ectomycorrhizae). Mycorrhiza derives from a Greek word, meaning fungus root, and stems from the symbiotic associations between plant roots and fungi. The mycorrhizae are mainly divided into six major types according to their morphological characteristics, such as arbuscular mycorrhizae and ectomycorrhizae. For my final year project, I worked on ectomycorrhizae, focusing on their distinctive characteristics, such as the mantle and Hartig net. Ectomycorrhizal fungus (Leccinum sp - Bolete group) found growing on the ground surrounded by Shorea curtisii (Meranti Seraya) trees. The trees talk! The ectomycorrhiza networks connect at least two plants by the fungal hyphae, which assists as a conduit for the interplant nutrient transfer. The plants even ‘talk’ to each other through this mycorrhizal network. Besides releasing volatile compounds via air to communicate with neighbouring trees, the plants also send information through the mycorrhizal network passing through the mycelia. The flux of the chemical compounds determines the behaviour of the interconnected plants. For example, stress signals are passed among the plants and the biochemical messages will trigger the plants to build their defence mechanisms in response. 4 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

Ectomycorrhizal root. This picture shows the Shorea curtisii (Meranti Seraya) roots colonised by the ectomycorrhizal fungus (whitish “threads”) forming ectomycorrhizal roots. The relationship between ectomycorrhizal fungi and plants is believed to be mutual, and the way plants allocate infection and carbon flux to ectomycorrhizae is remarkably interesting. As the host plants experience a high demand for carbohydrates from the ectomycorrhizae, they build their defence system to prevent fungal parasitism, avoiding the loss of so many carbons and becoming disadvantaged in the association. However, the way that plants do this remains unclear. Though we observe the dominance of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the association, we conclude that the plants are the king in the relationship. The plants can choose their preferred ectomycorrhizae, close business with the current one, and change to a new partner that offers more. Who is the real key player in the forest structure - trees or mycorrhizas? You may wonder why a botanist studies ectomycorrhizae. As mentioned, forests survive on their own via complex interactions. Scientists found that the ectomycorrhiza association is not just about aiding the plants to survive, but also playing a role in determining the structure of the forests. Have you ever wondered why the Guyana tropical rainforests stand as monodominant forests that contrast our species-rich tropical rainforests? Even though tropical rainforests are common in Malaysia and South America, they are not identical, with different forest structures, linked to the behaviour or characteristics of the ectomycorrhizae. Monodominant Guyana tropical rainforest The complexities of ectomycorrhizal community structure are still mysterious and only presently unravelling. The ectomycorrhizae have been observed to establish associations within the monodominant forests such as in Guyana tropical rainforest in South America. Dicymbe corymbosa Spruce ex. Benth. forms monostand trees in Guyana’s tropical rainforest. The ectomycorrhizal plants possess more competitive advantages through their ectomycorrhiza association, enabling them to dominate the forest. The ectomycorrhizal trees mediate edaphic specialisation as they are associated with the microbial mutualists. These associated microbes help to fix the soil for the plants’ benefit. The common ectomycorrhizal networks maintain the dominancy of ectomycorrhizal trees’ high density by improving the growth and survival of the ectomycorrhizal seedlings. The seedlings will have better access to nutrients and water as they are connected to the ectomycorrhizal network. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 5

Our diverse tropical rainforest Dipterocarps are another type of tree that is associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi. The association is quite common as over 100 species of ectomycorrhizae have been recorded to associate with the dipterocarps. The dipterocarp rainforests show a different type of dominancy where the whole family dominates the forest, not by a single species, but, by coexisting with many closely related species in the family. Every single species of dipterocarps benefits from the association, allowing it to dominate the forest. The co-existence of the closely related species of Dipterocarpaceae is one of the uniqueness of tropical rainforests. These long-living trees must exhibit different niches that allow them to coexist and discourage competition. The dipterocarps are found to possess the ability to associate with several different ectomycorrhiza at one time. These trees demand different living requirements such as unique enzymatic capabilities and distinctive foraging strategies across different soil horizons. In the community, one tree may have different access to the pool of soil resources than its neighbour due to dissimilar ectomycorrhiza association. The lack of host specificity of ectomycorrhizae in the dipterocarp forest contributes to the independent distribution of ectomycorrhizal trees. The multihost characteristics of the ectomycorrhiza are observed among Borneo dipterocarp seedlings. The dipterocarp seedlings assemble independently even though they and ectomycorrhizae interact with similar environmental conditions. Peay et al. (2010) explain that the distribution of diverse dipterocarps is not correlated to the mutual association. The ectomycorrhizal dipterocarps might be benefitted from the association but not owing to the ectomycorrhiza in their distribution. The soil type is the primary determinant for the distribution of the ectomycorrhizal trees. Besides that, there are other factors that contribute to the survival of the dipterocarp seedlings which might explain the reason that the tropical forest is not dominated by a single species. Reference: Peay, K. G., Kennedy, P. G., Davies, S. J., Tan, S., & Bruns, T. D. (2010). Potential link between plant and fungal distributions in a dipterocarp rainforest: community and phylogenetic structure of tropical ectomycorrhizal fungi across a plant and soil ecotone. New Phytologist, 185(2), 529-542. Muhammad Ali Zulhazim bin Rosli is a former student at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, class of 2017/2018 (major in Botany), and currently working at Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Pasoh Research Station. He has a strong interest in forest conservation and plant diversities. Dr. Rosnida Tajuddin’s research interests are in the identification of mycorrhizal fungi, understanding ectomycorrhizal fungi community and distribution in Malaysia’s rainforests, nutrient transportation in ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses, and macrofungi diversity in Malaysia’s forests. 6 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

A small research group representing the School of Biological Sciences (SBS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) was invited to join the UNESCO mini-scientific expedition of Sg. Kenarong at the Royal Belum State Park (RBSP). Logistics and accommodation were funded by the Perbadanan Taman Negeri Perak (PTNP) or Perak Corporation State Park (PCSP) (27-31 July 2022). This mini expedition, organized by PTNP, involved various research groups, from the NGOs (e.g., MNS and WWF), universities (USM, UKM, UPM, UMT, UMK), and government agencies (represented by FRIM). The objectives of this mini expedition were to gather and provide the required information in meeting the criteria for RBSP to be designated as a UNESCO Heritage site in Peninsular Malaysia. The SBS research group focused on fish biodiversity and the population lentic zone of Sg. Kenarong (one of the main tributaries located in RBSP) that flows into the largest man-made water body of Sg. Perak, Temengor Reservoir, with a surface area of 154 km2. Equipment used for fish sampling in the study included gillnets with various mesh sizes. Location of Sg. Kenarong in Royal Belum State Park. Samat et al. (2011) recorded 13 fish species represented by seven families during a 2007 Ekspedisi Saintifik Taman Di Raja Belum Perak (Table 1). The top three dominant species caught were C. apogon (temperas), L. lineata (pucuk pisang), and O. vittatus (terbui). In the more recent SBS expedition, a total of 16 fish species from six families were recorded (Table 1). Unlike Samat et al., two fish species, the N. notopterus (selat) and X. coinciloides (julung-julung) were not recorded in the latest discovery. However, five new fish varieties were reported by the SBS group, resulting in a total of 18 identified species in the lentic zone of Sg. Kenarong. The new fish recorded were B. schwanenfeldii (lampam sungai), O. anomalura (lalang), H. negriceps (baung kenyeng), T. trichopterus (sepat kedah), and O. marmoratus (ketutu) (Table 1). M. obtusirostris (sia), C. apogon (temperas), and O. hasseltii (terbui) were found to dominate Sg. Kenarong, hence, contrasts the findings from Shah et al. (2000) who reported H. macrolepidota (sebarau), O. hasseltii (terbui), and C. apogon (temperas) as the main species caught (Table 1). No protected fish species under the Perak Fisheries (Riverine) Rules 1992 such as Tor spp. (kelah) and P. jullieni (temoleh) were caught during the study period. Revisiting the Sg. Kenarong UNESCO Mini Expedition Amir Shah Ruddin Md Sah, Mohd. Syaiful Muhammad & Zurfatiha Zulkarnain A Fish Species Checklist Bio-Bulletin July 2023 7

From left to right images: Sia (M. obtusirostris) is a dominant species caught, both in the number of individuals and weight; followed by sebarau (H. macrolepidota) which is a dominant species caught for the past 20 years; and lalang (O. anomalura), one of the new fish species recorded in the lentic zone of Sg. Kenarong. In conclusion, the fish biodiversity and composition of the lentic zone at each main tributary that flows into the Temengor Reservoir should be monitored for a long duration of time. The SBS group’s results indicate that the existing fish population faces problems in recruitment as many of the specimens were caught (almost 87.4% of the total individual) using smaller mesh size nets (2.5 cm), followed by 5.0 cm (9.9%), and lastly, 7.5 cm (2.6%). Therefore, the fish population in Temengor Reservoir is on the brink of collapse and requires an immediate management plan to preserve its diversity and populations. This can be done via increased public stocking activity by the Department of Fisheries, as well as by introducing closed areas for all fishing activities. Representatives of SBS, USM research groups (macroinvertebrates) – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suhaila and author Assoc. Prof Dr. Amir Shah Ruddin, accompanied by PTNP staff at the Sg. Kenarong base camp. The process of checking the fish. 8 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

Checklist of fish species categorized according to families, species, local name, presence in other studies, and IUCN Status. Family Species Local name Samat et al., (2011) Present study IUCN Status Notopteridae Notopterus notopterus Selat ++ - LC Cyprinidae Cyclocheilichthys apogon Temperas +++ ++ LC Labiobarbus lineata Kawan +++ + LC Hampala macrolepidota Sebarau ++ + LC Mystacoleucus obtusirostris Sia + ++++ LC Neossochilus soroides Tengas + + LC Osteochilus hasseltii Terbui +++ ++ LC Barbonymus schawanenfeldii Lampam sungai - + LC Oxygaster anomalure Lalang - + LC Bagridae Hemibagrus nemurus Baung + + LC H.negriceps Baung kenyeng - + LC Belonidae Xenetodon coinciloides Julung + - LC Pristolepidae Pristolipes fasciata Patung ++ + LC Osphronemidae Osphronemus goramy Kalui + + LC Trichopodus trichopterus Sepat kedah - + LC Channidae Channa striata Haruan + + LC Channa micropeltes Toman + + LC Eleotridae Oxyeleotris marmorata Ketutu - + LC Notes: +++ = most abundant; ++ = abundant; + present; - = absent; LC = Least Concern based on IUCN Redlist status Early morning view at Sg. Kenarong. Assoc. Prof. Dr Amir Shah Ruddin Md Sah is a senior lecturer and researcher at the School of Biological Sciences, USM Penang. His research interests are freshwater, marine and fish ecology related to wetlands such as paddy fields, lakes/reservoirs, streams/rivers, mangrove and coastal areas. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 9

Meyer lemon is a type of citrus fruit that results from the cross of true lemon and mandarin orange. It is named after Frank N. Meyer, who first discovered the fruit in China in 1908. Meyer lemons are smaller and rounder than regular lemons, with a thin, smooth, and fragrant skin that is yellowish orange in colour. Like regular lemons, Meyer lemons are a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants with numerous health benefits for the body. The antioxidant compounds in Meyer lemon protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. Antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Apart from that, this lemon species demonstrates a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties of anti-inflammatory and anti-depressant, attributed to its higher level of polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), such as hesperidin, diosmin, narirutin, and didymin. Green Meyer lemon. Yellow Meyer lemon. Meyer lemon’s pulp has a unique flavour that is sweeter and less acidic than the regular lemons but is also tart and slightly floral at the same time. Their distinctive flavour and aroma are desired in the culinary world, transforming them into a symbolic ingredient for many dishes, from desserts and cocktails to marinades and dressings. Because of their sweeter flavour profile, Meyer lemons may appeal to individuals who find the tartness of other lemons to be too strong. In other words, the reduced acidity in Meyer lemons makes them the better option for individuals with digestive sensitivities to tart food. Apart from their culinary advantages, Meyer lemons are also in demand for essential oils production used in a variety of products including perfumes, soaps, and cosmetics. The essential oil produced from Meyer lemons is highly valued for its sweet and fragrant aroma, as well as the ability to offer a sense of relaxation and reduce stress. The price of Meyer lemons is typically higher than that of regular lemons, due to their limited availability and higher production costs. Meyer lemons are more delicate and difficult to transport than regular lemons, hence, the higher price. The Meyer Lemon The Sweeter Lemon Siew Chin Teoh & Bee Lynn Chew 10 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

exact price difference varies depending on factors such as locations, seasons, and availability. On average, Meyer lemons can cost anywhere from 50% to 100% more than regular lemons, with some speciality stores or online retailers charging even higher prices. It is worth noting that the higher price of Meyer lemons is justified for some consumers due to their unique flavour profile and versatility in cooking. Yellow Meyer lemon flesh. Lemon tissue culture. The availability of Meyer lemon plants in Malaysia is quite limited due to various environmental factors and the low availability of plant stocks. To date, conventional propagation methods such as grafting, and cuttings are utilized in multiplying the plant stocks. However, these approaches are less efficient as the growth and qualities of plants may vary due to environmental factors. Hence, in vitro plant tissue culture techniques could offer a reliable alternative for the mass propagation of Meyer lemon plant stocks. Plant tissue culture is indeed significant as it is capable of producing large numbers of genetically identical plantlets by using only a little amount of tissues from the original plant within a short period. According to the Council for Biotechnology Information, plant tissue culture involves the cultivation of plant cells, tissues, or organs in a nutrient medium under aseptic and controlled conditions of light, temperature, and humidity. When the explants are placed under optimum growing conditions, new shoots, roots, or calluses can be induced, depending on the added plant growth regulators. Also, disease-free, and high-quality plant stock can be produced while maintaining lower labour costs via this approach. To date, plant tissue culture techniques have been widely employed for the commercial production of plants with enhanced quality and higher survival rates. This micropropagation technology is commonly applied in the propagation of pineapples, bananas, orchids, palm oil, and other crops for commercial-scale farms, providing efficient alternatives in the production of novel plant stocks. Dr. Chew and her research team have successfully established efficient methods for the mass propagation of Meyer lemon via plant tissue culture, whereby plants from the cultures are currently being grown on farms across the country. The micropropagation of Meyer lemon in Malaysia attempts to mass produce disease-free plant stocks for the establishment of commercial lemon farms in Malaysia, supplying to the local market Bio-Bulletin July 2023 11

chain, indirectly creating new job opportunities for the younger generations to become researchers, planters, growers, and entrepreneurs in the field of agriculture. The availability of Meyer lemon in the local market would therefore allow Malaysians to taste the magnificent flavour of this fruit at a more affordable cost. Dr. Chew Bee Lynn is an Associate Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, USM and researches on the regeneration and micropropagation of high-value crops. Teoh Siew Chin is her Master’s student in Biotechnology, specializing in plant callus cultures. 12 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

Have you ever heard of a citrus fruit that looks like a finger, has pulps like caviar, and tastes like fragrant lime? Let us introduce you to the Australian finger lime, a unique fruit that is native to the rainforests of southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales, Australia. The Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica) is a citrus species that belongs to the Rutaceae family and has been used by indigenous Australians for thousands of years, both for its flavor and medicinal properties. This citrus is also known as caviar limes due to its caviar-like pulp, commonly used in fine dining cuisines. In the wild, the finger lime is genetically diverse, with trees and fruits varying in sizes and shapes, and wide ranges of colors such as green, pink, red, yellow, and black. It is typically cylindrical in shape and resembles a finger, growing up to 12 cm long. The fruit has caviar-like juice vesicles that have a zesty, acidic lime flavor. Black finger lime. The finger lime tree is a popular ornamental plant that can grow up to 6 meters tall and flourishes in temperate to subtropical weather. The tree has dark green leaves and bears pinkish-white flowers. Like most citrus, the tree prefers well-drained soil and requires warm and humid conditions to thrive. To propagate the finger lime tree, vegetative methods like grafting or budding are used to produce new plants while reducing the time and effort required to grow the plants to maturity. The tree can also be propagated through seeds or cuttings, although seeds experience slower growth and may take up to 10 years to reach maturity and begin to bear fruits. Cuttings may also have a low strike rate due to the lack of a developed root system. Finger Limes Caviar-type Globes of Citrus Goodness Stephanie Wong Qiao Er & Bee Lynn Chew Bio-Bulletin July 2023 13

Green finger lime. The attractive color and unique appearance of finger lime fruit make it a popular ingredient in the food industry. It is a versatile fruit that can be enjoyed in many ways. People could eat it fresh and raw with only about 20 calories per fruit or use it as a garnish in various recipes including salad and seafood dishes. The refreshing, zesty aroma of citrus and lime also makes it a popular choice for salad dressings, jams as well as soda or cocktail drinks and can substitute lemons when in use. The fruit is rich in vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant, essential for immune system function and collagen synthesis. Moreover, the fruit contains folate, also known as vitamin B9 or folic acid, which supports the development of red blood cells, the nervous system as well as fetal development. Besides, the fruit is also a rich source of dietary fiber, healthy fats, essential minerals like potassium, copper, and zinc, as well as phytochemicals like flavonoids and phenolic compounds, which are antioxidants that can protect cells from oxidative stress and inflammation. Furthermore, the fruit was traditionally used as a natural remedy to treat a variety of ailments, including sore throats, coughs, and colds. The juice was also used topically as a natural insect repellent. There are several popular cultivars of Australian finger lime that are commonly grown and harvested for commercial use. The application of selective breeding has produced a variety of the plants, which ranges in color, size, and taste. Common varieties include crystal, chartreuse, pink ice, crimson tide, and red champagne. Finger limes are currently new in Malaysia and a few cultivars are being grown for plant stock propagation throughout the country. These include ‘Mia Rose’, a relatively new cultivar of Australian finger lime that was developed by crossing red with pink finger limes, forming a hybrid variety with bright pink skin and pinkish-red vesicles that has a tart and tangy flavor, and slight bitterness with a hint of grapefruit. Another finger lime variety grown in Malaysia, ‘Tasty Green’, has the largest size and clear juice vesicles. Currently, finger lime cultivation in Malaysia is still relatively new and limited, mostly confined to smallscale operations. However, as the demand for the fruit grows both domestically and internationally, there is potential for larger-scale production and export. As a specialty and exotic fruit, finger limes are generally more expensive compared to common limes, such as key lime (limau nipis) and calamansi lime (limau kasturi), which usually cost around RM 3 per 200 g in Malaysia. On average, the finger lime fruit is typically priced at AUD 17 (approximately RM 50.25) per 100 g in the international market. 14 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

Finger lime flesh. At present, plant tissue culture technique is used to establish the micropropagation protocols from nodal explants of the finger lime tree to commercialize and popularise the crop locally. This method includes five steps which are explant selection, culture establishment, multiplication of shoots, root formation, and acclimatization. The plant tissue culture techniques provide an effective alternative method to the traditional vegetative propagation method as it allows rapid and precise clonal multiplication of selected plant stocks in aseptic conditions. It also produces disease-free plants, unlike traditional vegetative propagation methods. In addition, plant tissue culture is highly scalable, allowing for large-scale production of plants in a limited space, making it suitable for commercial plant production. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 15

Finger lime culture. Malaysia’s warm and humid climate, characterized by abundant rainfall and consistent temperatures, provides suitable conditions for the fruit. Thus, a comprehensive micropropagation protocol can propagate the finger lime fruit more easily and efficiently, leading to increased availability for commercial cultivation. This could be attractive to the local farmers who wish to diversify their agricultural products with high-value crops, making the finger lime fruit more recognized and a soughtafter product in the domestic market. Dr. Chew Bee Lynn is an Associate Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia researching on the Malaysian Superfruits and medicinal plants via plant tissue culture. Stephanie Wong Qiao Er is currently studying for her Master’s degree at USM and researches on the micropropagation of Australian pink finger lime ‘Mia Rose’ for commercial purposes. 16 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

Malaysia is home to many delicious cuisines. Uniquely, several traditional dishes like nasi kerabu, pulut inti, and pulut tai tai are presented in vibrant, blue-dyed rice or glutinous rice. The beautiful blue colour is obtained from the flower of a medicinal herb, Clitoria ternatea or commonly known as butterfly pea. The butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) is a legume plant locally known as bunga telang and Asian pigeonwings or Darwin pea. It is a plant species belonging to the family Fabaceae and adapts well to the tropical environment where it thrives in a variety of areas such as moist soil, heavy cracking clay soil, partially shaded areas, high rainfall areas, as well as prolonged dry season areas. Purple butterfly pea flowers. This perennial climber plant can grow up to 6 metres high and has a bushy structure with vibrant blue or white flowers, making it an attractive ornamental plant. The flowers often bloom all year round, consisting of a standard petal, a wing petal, as well as a keel petal. The flowers are purple blue in colour with light yellow markings, and the plants produce flat pods consisting of 6 to 8 seeds. Some varieties also produce white flowers, light purple, and vivid deep blue flowers, while some can have multiple petals. The stem is finely twined, slender, and slightly pubescent, whereas the plant bears pinnate leaves with 5 to 7 leaflets that are usually ovate, elliptic, or orbicular in shape. On top of that, the butterfly pea plant can enhance soil quality by decomposing nitrogen-rich plant matter, where its roots develop a symbiotic interaction with soil bacteria called rhizobia, converting atmospheric N2 to form nitrogen that can be used by plants (a process known as nitrogen-fixing). The butterfly pea is native to tropical Asia, such as Malaysia, India, the Philippines, and Thailand. In Asia, its petals are traditionally used as a natural food colouring as well as in tea preparation. The addition of butterfly pea does not affect the taste of the dish as the petals are flavourless and scentless, making it the perfect natural food Butterfly Pea A Leguminous Plant with Applications in Agriculture, Food and Medicine Tengku Nurul Amira Aqma Tengku Zakaria & Bee Lynn Chew Bio-Bulletin July 2023 17

colourant. In Malaysia, the flower of the plants is commonly used to impart a vibrant blue colour to traditional Malay or Nyonya cuisines and desserts such as ice cream, bread, and cakes, much to consumer’s delight. Meanwhile, the blue butterfly pea tea is commonly served with lemon and honey after dinner as a refreshment at hotels or spas in Thailand and Vietnam. The acidity of lemon that changes the blue-coloured tea into purple creates excitement among drinkers when enjoying their beverages. Vivid deep blue butterfly pea flowers. In the traditional Ayurvedi c medicinal system, Clitoria ternatea is known as Shankhpushpi and has been acknowledged for its efficiency as a memory enhancer, anxiolytic, nootropic, antidepressant, and anti-amnesic for decades. The flower juice is used as an antidote for animal stings of snakes and scorpions, while the seeds are used to treat inflamed joints. On the other hand, the roots are traditionally used to treat asthma, leprosy, ulcer, arthritis, constipation, indigestion, inflammation, and fever. Medhya Rasayana, a report on traditional treatment for neurological disorders, documented that the extract of this plant is used as an ingredient to treat the brain. Scientific studies have also shown that the extracts of various parts of the plant possess anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, hepato-protective, and memory-enhancing properties. Out of these, the root extract stands out for being efficacious in boosting learning and memory in animal model testing. In accordance, the greatest potential that piques the interest of researchers is the plant’s ability to strengthen children’s memories when the root is consumed with honey or ghee. The practice of combining butterfly peas with other plants for the preparation of Medhya drugs or brain tonic started many years ago. Specifically, scientists discovered that the root of butterfly peas contains high taraxerol content that is responsible for memory enhancement effects. Taraxerol is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpene compound, a secondary metabolite that is actively produced 18 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

as a part of a defense mechanism in plants. Taraxerol generally exhibits therapeutic effects by acting potentially as a memory protectant and preventing impairment via the inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme activity in the brain. The increase of AChE can cause the breakdown and hydrolyzation of acetylcholine (ACh), which plays an important role in memory and brain function. A previous study also reported on taraxerol as a potential natural biochemical compound to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD), that is related to dementia and memory loss. The presence of high AChE levels associated with the amyloid plaques is a common feature in AD neuropathology. CT callus. Taraxerol is a very expensive bioactive compound with limited available amount, though it can be obtained from butterfly pea plants. Its significant presence in the roots means that the plants have to be destroyed upon harvest. While the plant can grow large and bushy, it is often supported by a small cluster of roots, making harvesting of the roots unsustainable. Plant secondary metabolites are commonly harvested via cell suspension cultures maintained in commercialgrade bioreactors. This has been successfully applied in other medicinal herbs such as ginseng and artemisinin for the mass production of novel secondary metabolites without having to grow the plant in a commercial plot. This application has been useful for the pharmaceutical industry as an alternative in the production of natural secondary metabolites at an efficient rate. The same ideology and technology can be applied where taraxerol can be produced in culture from the butterfly pea plants instead. This has been explored in our lab where friable callus is subjected to different plant growth regulators for the initiation of friable callus that can be utilized for the establishment of cell suspension cultures to produce novel secondary metabolites from Clitoria ternatea. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 19

Dr. Chew Bee Lynn is an Associate Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, USM and researches on the regeneration and micropropagation of high-value crops. Tengku Nurul Amira Aqma Tengku Zakaria is a Ph.D. student working on the establishment of cell suspension cultures from butterfly pea to produce novel secondary metabolites. 20 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Reserves are internationally recognized and seek to establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments through research and sustainable development. As of February 2023, 738 such biosphere reserves exist in 134 countries, with three biosphere reserves in Malaysia. Overview map of the PHBR (credits: Pang Yi Heng). The most recent site in Malaysia recognized by UNESCO is the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve (PHBR), which was designated on 15 September 2021 with a total area of 12,481 hectares, comprising land and sea. As the ecosystem services provided by the PHBR affect the quality of life of all Penangites in the long-term, the PHBR can be considered as a ‘living laboratory for sustainable development’, which promotes solutions for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The most recent and comprehensive assessment of the biodiversity within the PHBR was conducted in 2017 as the first “BioBlitz” in Malaysia, a collaborative effort between Penang Hill Corporation, The Habitat Penang Hill, and the School of Biological Sciences, USM. For 10 days, more than 117 researchers from Malaysia and all over the world came together to determine Penang Hill’s diverse life forms, from the soils and streams, up to the canopies. Their results culminated in the dossier for the biosphere application of the site to UNESCO, showing its importance as a biodiversity hotspot minutes away from a densely-populated metropolis. Although these findings are vital as a baseline assessment, it is important to monitor the ecosystem’s health in the long term. One of the most effective ways to do this is by using new technologies that maximize survey area size and minimize time and manpower. One of these technologies is called bioacoustics. What is bioacoustics? When the word is broken down into ‘bio’ and ‘acoustics’, it simply means the study of sounds emitted by living things. This branch of research has become increasingly popular globally and is now widely used to study wild animal vocalization, acoustic diversity of wildlife and habitats, and audible and inaudible sounds of entire ecosystems, which is referred to as ecoacoustics. The purpose of this bioacoustics project is to record, inventory, and monitor the wildlife of the PHBR. We aim to create a standardized sound library of these species, which can be used as baseline data for future bioacoustics research across the region. This is a significant way to gain new insights into wildlife diversity, species composition, and habitat quality, and to allow species detection in a non-invasive, cost- and time-friendly manner. The two methods used to conduct bioacoustics research are active (AAM) Sounds of the Biosphere Assessment of Biodiversity of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve using Bioacoustics Lee Mei Yi & Nadine Ruppert Bio-Bulletin July 2023 21

and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). Using the PAM approach in the PHBR, sound recorders (similar to camera traps) are tied to a tree in the orchard and forest sites and left to record sound for a few days or weeks before the recorders or SD cards are retrieved for the recordings to be analyzed. During AAM, a handheld recorder with an external microphone is utilized while the researcher slowly walks through the study plot to record wildlife sounds. Mei Yi setting up the passive acoustic recorders in an orchard at the study site (credit: Ahmad Amir). A sound recorder fixed on a tree in a forest reserve. Our research uses recorders from Wildlife Acoustics and specific sound analysis software (i.e., Raven & Kaleidoscope) to analyze the acoustic data we collect. After creating a database of local wildlife sounds, also known as a sound library, we aim to make it openly accessible to the public, complementing existing online libraries such as Xeno-Canto, BirdNET, eBird, Macaulay Library, and iNaturalist. Currently, we collaborate with other bioacoustics researchers and experts from Management and Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and The Habitat Foundation (THF). THF contributes to the conservation, research, education, and sustainability efforts throughout Malaysia and has been instrumental in initiating and supporting the PHBR initiative, its ongoing research, and conservation programs. We hope that this project will create meaningful data for the long-term monitoring of the unique biodiversity of the PHBR and beyond, and boost public awareness of the importance, beauty, and diversity of wildlife in the PHBR. As we dwell in the era of technology, nature is our refuge from this fast-paced world; thus, we should make use of technology to better protect it. We thank the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia and Penang State Forestry Department, and PERHILITAN for granting permission to conduct this research. We are grateful to The Habitat Foundation (THF) for funding this study through a student scholarship and research grant. We thank Wildlife Acoustics for their acoustic equipment grant that sponsored the sound 22 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

recorders used in this study. Lee Mei Yi is an MSc candidate in Zoology at the School of Biological Sciences, USM working on bioacoustics and creating a sound library of wildlife in Malaysia. Dr. Nadine Ruppert is a senior lecturer at School of Biological Sciences, USM with expertise in Zoology and wildlife conservation. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 23

The sun is rising over Bangladesh. You are walking through the Lawachara National Park and suddenly hear a distinct sound: hoo-koo-yu, hoo-koo yuwhoo, whoo-koo-oo, who-koo-yu, hoo-uhook; a melodic song coming from the forest canopy high above you. Wildlife music by a duo that is singing a chorus together. If you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the animals, you can see that they are rapidly swinging from branch to branch. These singing and swinging primates are the only small apes (or gibbons) of Bangladesh and India! These are the Western hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock), or better known as ‘Ulluk’, ‘Hoolo’, ‘Futu Bandor’, and ‘Kala Bandor’ among the local communities. Their global distribution range is Bangladesh, northeast India, Myanmar (Burma), and may include Tibet. Map of Bangladesh (black rectangles show the gibbon range areas). The gibbons of Bangladesh are canopy dwellers and depend on intact forests. They are distributed in the mixed evergreen hill forests in the northeast, southeast, and south of Bangladesh that are mainly composed of Swintonia floribunda, Dipterocarpus sp., Hopea odorata, Artocarpus chama, Tectona grandis, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Mangifera longipes, Syzygium sp., and different types of bamboos. They are mostly frugivorous (51-89% of their diet consists of fruits), supplemented by leaves (6-23%) and small quantities of flowers and insects. Among fruits, various types of figs (Ficus nervosa, F. benghalensis, F. benjamina, F. racemosa) constitute the most important food Western Hoolock Gibbons The Singing and Swinging Small Apes of Bangladesh M Tarik Kabir & Nadine Ruppert 24 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

items. Other major feeding trees are Artocarpus chama, Dillenia pentagyna, and Prunus ceylonica. A male (right) and female (left) Western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) pair with their infant. Adult Western hoolock gibbons are sexually dimorphic. The adult male is black with distinct white eyebrows, and the adult female is beige in color. Newborns are milky white and turn brown within nine months. Both sexes turn dark by the age of two, while males turn fully black, and females turn to a golden blonde color. Gibbons reach sexual maturity at the age of 6 to 8 years old. They live in small, monogamous family groups with two to six individuals. Just like other gibbon species, Western hoolock gibbons are highly territorial, aggressively defending their feeding and resting sites against conspecifics. They have a home range of about 13-86 ha, which can sometimes extend to 300-400 ha. Their daily travel length can vary from 100 m to 3,000 m depending on the group, season, or food availability. Though bamboo thickets are the dominating forest type in some hill forests in Bangladesh, they make for poor gibbons’ habitats. Most gibbon habitats are also rapidly declining due to loss and fragmentation, illegal encroachment, mono-cultural plantations, traditional agricultural practices (like ‘Jhoom’ cultivation), as well as hunting. These activities lead to a plummet in their population; and according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Western hoolock gibbons are categorized as a ‘Critically Endangered’ species in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, we still carry hopes for the gibbons of Bangladesh, as we recently identified some significant habitats in the country that still support more than 10 groups of gibbons. Preliminary findings of our study show that Bangladesh may still have around 550 gibbons living in these highly fragmented forests. We investigate their feeding and behavioral ecology, as well as reproductive recruitment; and conduct community-based conservation by bringing local people to the forefront of gibbon conservation activities. The local communities are now successfully immersed in gibbon population monitoring and raising awareness among their members. They also actively gather information on primate hunting in their surrounding habitats. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 25

Our long-term research and conservation initiative facilitates direct involvement of the local communities, creating alternative sources of income for forest-depended people, providing opportunities for restoration and protection of gibbon habitats, monitoring illegal gibbon hunting and trade, and therefore mitigating the many existing threats to the last Western hoolock gibbons of Bangladesh. This project is a collaboration between the Bangladesh Forest Department, the School of Biological Sciences (SBS), Universiti Sains Malaysia, and the Malaysian Primatological Society. M Tarik Kabir is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Biological Sciences (SBS), USM, who leads the Western Hoolock Gibbon Conservation Project of Bangladesh by conducting research and community-based conservation actions to protect the species. His major interest is in community-based wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and protection, as well as ecology, behavior, and conservation of these gibbons. Dr. Nadine Ruppert is a senior lecturer at School of Biological Sciences, USM with expertise in Zoology and wildlife conservation. 26 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

It is not easy for all staff to gather and carry out activities together, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic preventing many outside activities over the last two years. Although everyone is back to work now, something feels off as team members are demotivated, productivity is dropping, and people aren’t getting along. Recent events have affected the way we work, and in any organization, a lack of cohesion can lead to disaster. Only when everyone can work together can they strive towards achieving University targets. Therefore, we need to rebuild a successful and strong team that can overcome all challenges, communicate effectively, and achieve all University targets and objectives. To improve the work environment of an organization, teamwork and team building are crucial. The employees are an organization’s assets, and their hard work directly influences the organization’s success. Each individual should strive to work differently and more intelligently than their peers while remaining motivated to give their best. It’s important to recognize and appreciate the efforts of individual team members, and everyone should contribute equally. Additionally, individuals should stay informed about their fellow team members’ tasks and responsibilities. One does not gain anything out of unnecessary conflicts. You can’t afford to fight with your colleague who sits next to you probably for 7-8 hours, five days a week. We are not machines or batteryoperated devices; we are human beings, and we need people to talk to and discuss various things. A person cannot do something alone; they need an individual who can work as a contributor of constructive ideas and evaluate the pros and cons. Team building activities bring employees closer and make one feel happy to go to work daily. Individuals start enjoying their work and feel fresh the entire day. The conducted team building activities have fostered a spirit of cooperation among the employees. SBS Team Building Together as One Clan Siti Aishah Abdul Raffar & Nik Ahmad Irwan Izzauddin Nik Him Bio-Bulletin July 2023 27

Success in the workplace depends on your ability to build a team, as well as to interact with others on that team. Together, people are able to accomplish what one person alone cannot. Here are some reasons why we should organize team building: 1. Acquaint and Establish Connections Getting to know each other in the workplace is one goal of team building. It’s a starting point where you and your staff get a chance to get acquainted with each other outside of work. For most people, work consumes most of their time. We might spend more time in the office than at home. Remember that many employees love going to work because they get to be with people they like and people they connect with. Building bonds and relationships both inside and outside the office can allow for performance improvements among departments. Mutual respect among the employees is the integral spirit within the School. 2. Encourage Communication and Teamwork The importance of team building is to encourage teamwork among staff by building connections and bonds between co-workers. It also allows for easier communication among departments and teams. This way, the culture in the office becomes comfortable and pleasant. It allows for improved productivity and cohesion, especially with teambased projects. 28 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

The joyful faces of the employees after the collective effort in achieving success. 3. Improve Morale and Engagement In the spirit of teamwork, team building activities aim to improve employee morale. Through these activities, they not only cultivate teamwork but also have fun doing so. Another reason why team building is important is that it helps both leaders and employees see eye to eye. Leaders learn how to take care of their employees, building an environment that makes people want to work. As for employees, they get to see the bigger picture and take ownership of the vision and mission. Of course, we can dance! Bio-Bulletin July 2023 29

4. Foster Innovation and Creativity Don’t stifle your employees. Don’t force them to live, breathe, and eat their work. Instead, foster a sense of innovation and creativity through team building activities. Team building encourages and fosters an environment where creativity thrives among happy and willing employees and leaders. With a nurturing environment, talents can be discovered from unlikely sources. Team building also provides a refreshing break from the rigors of the office workday, giving breathing room and helping gain a fresh perspective. 5. Build Trust and Team Bonds An important factor to note here is trust. All successful businesses hold trust as the cornerstone that keeps everything in place. You see upper-level managers in a new light, giving them a personality behind the titles they hold. It becomes easier to communicate with them. Among employee teams, trust is crucial as co-workers count on each other to get the job done. The trust and mutual respect among employees are key pillars for successfully achieving goals. Team building activities shed light on building trust and team bonds. Leaders get to know and understand employees on a personal level, seeing them as individuals. The same is true between co-workers, seeing them as people rather than just names on an email. 30 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

The existing diversity in the School is an important asset in ensuring the overall excellence of the institution. The essence of a team is the way in which the team acts in harmony and in tandem, singing as a chorus instead of a solo performance. Once the team evolves to a point where the entire team acts as one, then the team can be said to be successful in meeting its objectives. The team building event held on 18 March 2023 at Mercure Penang Beach was short but meaningful. It was a great opportunity to be together, work up a sweat, and create fantastic memories. -Together as One ClanSiti Aishah Abdul Raffar is a Principal Assistant Registrar at the School of Biological Sciences, USM She supports enrollment planning and management processes, as well as contributes to the formulation and implementation of academic policies and procedures. Additionally, she has a great love for cats. Dr. Nik Ahmad Irwan Izzauddin Nik Him is a senior lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. He currently serves as the Program Chairman for the Agrobiology, Entomology, and Parasitology program. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 31

I still remember the excitement when the President of the SBS Staff Club nominated my name to lead the Bionite Dinner back in 2020. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach, but it was a good feeling overall. The previous dinners had always been glamorous and joyful biennial events. For that, I had to work hard to be on par with my predecessors. Phew! Bionite 2023 Hasnuri Mat Hassan & Mohamad Fadhli Mad Atari A Night to Remember! 32 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

However, before I even managed to gather a committee to plan and execute, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and brought chaos to the entire world, halting our dinner. We had no opportunities to assemble for two years. Finally, at the end of 2022, a committed team of 23 fellows was ready Bio-Bulletin July 2023 33

to embark on the journey to Bionite Dinner 2023. The preparation was quite challenging, and we faced many obstacles along the way. However, with great support and teamwork, we overcame those easily. On the eve of March 18, 2023, the Pearl Ballroom at the Mercure Hotel Penang Beach in Tanjung Bungah was abuzz with excitement as the SBS staff and family arrived for the highly anticipated post-COVID dinner. Despite the packed schedule (the SBS team building program was carried out from morning till noon on the same day), the guests still arrived in their finest attires complying with the ‘Black and Red’ dinner theme. Once they stepped into the Pearl Ballroom, they were photographed in a small, but beautifully decorated photo booth corner that added a little spice to the event that night. Once everyone had settled at their tables, the 1st emcee for the evening, Dr. Rosnida, took to the stage to welcome the VIPs and other guests and kicked off the evening’s program. The event started with an opening speech from Prof Dato’ Dr. Amirul Al-Ashraf Abdullah, the Dean of the School of Biological Sciences, followed by the President of the SBS staff club, Mr. Shamshul Azmi, and me, the director of Bionite Dinner 2023. Throughout the sumptuous meal, another pair of emcees, PokJo and Shafa, entertained the audience by calling upon five talented singers for a karaoke session. After karaoke, the guests were treated to a performance battle by two groups, Geng Muda Mudi, which comprised young lecturers, and Black Purple, which consisted of the not-so-young seniors. Both groups gave highly entertaining, well-coordinated performances, and the latter was named the winner. Several rounds of lucky draw sessions were slotted in between all performances, and the mood in the room became merrier as the size of the gifts grew bigger. Million thanks to our sponsors! Toward the end of the event, the Dean and Deputy Deans were invited to give out the prizes to all winners. The emcees took the opportunity to thank everyone for their endless support and participation. As the guests cheerily made their way out of the ballroom, it dawned upon me that the event was a success despite a few hiccups here and there. It was truly a night to remember! I hope to see everyone again in the year 2025 at 34 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

an even more magnificent event! Dr. Hasnuri Mat Hassan is a senior lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Her research interest is in soil fertility with particular emphasis on phosphorus. She is also an expert in vermicomposting organic waste using selected species of epigeic earthworms. Dr. Mohamad Fadhli bin Mad’ Atari is a senior lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. His research interest is in Plant Biotechnology, Horticultural Sciences, Plant Tissue Culture & Plant Photomorphogenesis. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 35

Introduction In 1991, The Vector Control Research Unit (VCRU) was established to consolidate and enhance the research potential in vector control. The unit is equipped with various facilities in insecticide resistance, toxicology and analysis, space spray applications, and household and public health insecticide formulation studies. The VCRU is recognised as one of the Asia-Pacific region’s leading research facilities for vector and urban pest control studies. Besides manufacturing insecticide resistance-monitoring test kits and insecticide-impregnated papers that comply with the technical specifications and guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, VCRU is an excellent rearing facility for many species and strains of vector mosquitoes, cockroaches, and flies. In addition, VCRU has been accredited for OECD Good Laboratory Practise (GLP) certification and ISO17025:2017 certification for a bio-efficacy testing facility and conducting field research. In addition, VCRU also actively publishes scientific articles and is a preferred unit among postgraduate students for vector and urban control studies research. The WHO Training Workshop on Design of GLP-Compliant Trials of Mosquito Larvicides and Space Spray Products This training workshop co-organised by WHO and VCRU was held at VCRU, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang from 23 November to 2 December 2022. There were 5 facilitators and 16 participants representing national/regional programme organisations, national institutes, and research organisations. The 10-day training workshop was inaugurated by the coordinator of VCRU, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zary Shariman Yahaya, the coordinator of VCRU before Dr. Rajpal Yadav, a representative from WHO headquarters addressed the keynote and briefed on the aims and objectives of the course. A group photo of the participants for the WHO Training Workshop. VCRU Activities in 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) Training Workshop on Design of GLPCompliant Trials of Mosquito Larvicides and Space Spray Products, & WHO Inspection Audit for the Insecticide Resistance Test Kit Production Facility Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zary Shariman Yahaya 36 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

The support provided by WHO was adequate to strengthen the infrastructure in conducting the training course more efficiently. This training workshop introduced the participants to the proper guideline on the design of GLP-Compliant trials of mosquito larvicides and space spray products and enabled them to gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and practice to develop and learn problemsolving approaches. Some of the activities conducted in the field and seminar rooms at VCRU. WHO inspection audit for the insecticide resistance test kit production facility Before the workshop, an inspection audit for the insecticide resistance test kit production facility was held at the VCRU on 21 and 22 November 2022. The audit was conducted by WHO delegates, Dr. Jan Kolaczinski, Dr. Seth Irish, and Dr. Rajpal Yadav. The focus of the inspection audit was to ensure compliance with WHO requirements in establishing, supplying, maintaining, and continually improving the test kit production at the VCRU facility. Several sites were inspected such as the laboratory that prepares the WHO test kit and impregnated insecticide paper, and the factory that manufactures the test kit at Seberang Perai, Penang. VCRU first obtained its agreement as the insecticide resistance test kit production facility in April 1993 and continues to become the sole producer of WHO test kits for adult and larval vectors in Asia. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 37

WHO audit session at the VCRU unit. A. A short briefing to auditors. B. WHO panels and VCRU staff involved in the audit session. C. A visit to the test-kit preparation laboratory. D. A visit to the factory producing test-kit parts. Both the workshop training and the audit session were a success. The researchers and staff at the VCRU unit will continue to give the best service in organising more annual workshops and training, as well as maintaining the facilities following the standards outlined by WHO. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zary Shariman Yahaya is the coordinator of VCRU at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zary Shariman Yahaya is a trained molecular parasitologist and his research is mainly in the field of parasitic diseases in both animal/human and fisheries at the molecular level and at the disease control measure studies. A C B D 38 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

On 17 March 2023, a half-day post-conference workshop titled ‘Publishing in WOS Journals: Process, Tips & Tricks’ was held at our school, in conjunction with the 59th Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (MSPTM) Annual Scientific Conference 2023. The workshop was jointly organized by MSPTM and the SBS Postgraduate Society. The event was chaired by Dr. Intan Haslina Ishak (MSPTM Council Member 2022/2023) and officiated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yahya Mat Arip, Deputy Dean (Academic, Career, & International) of SBS, USM. A total of 48 participants joined the workshop, among them MSPTM members, academicians, research officers, and 27 postgraduate students from SBS. The speaker for the workshop was Prof. Dr. Russell Stothard, a professor of Medical Parasitology from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom, and Editor-in-Chief of the renowned Parasitology journal. Token of appreciation from the dean representative, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yahya Mat Arip to Dato’ Dr Chandrawathani Panchadcaram, MSPTM representative (left); and the honourable speaker, Prof. Dr. Russell (right). Publication is one of the main outcomes of scientific research and a platform to share knowledge obtained from extensive field or laboratory work. In line with this, the workshop aimed to develop and improve researchers’ and postgraduate students’ scientific writing abilities by highlighting best practices, tips, and tricks to publish in Web of Science (WOS) indexed and high-impact journals effectively and consistently. It is hoped that the workshop ignited the participants’ interest and enthusiasm to publish actively and validate their work. The introduction to the MSPTM in-house journal, Tropical Biomedicine Journal, and the board members by Editor-in-Chief, Dato’ Dr. Chandrawathani Panchadcaram kicked off the workshop. The journal underscores five main subject areas: parasitology, tropical medicine, bacteriology, virology, and entomology. Dr. Chandrawathani proudly announced that the impact factor of the journal has been steadily increasing over the years since 2017, and in 2022, the Journal Citation Reports recorded the impact factor for Tropical Biomedicine at 0.717. MSPTM & SBS Writing Workshop Intan Haslina Ishak & Farah Haziqah Mior Termizi Bio-Bulletin July 2023 39

Introduction to the Tropical Biomedicine Journal by Dato’ Dr. Chandrawathani Panchadcaram. The workshop continued with Prof. Dr. Russell Stothard’s session. He started by talking about the background of academic publishing, drawing attention to the short history of Cambridge University Press and relevant scientific journals. He proceeded by sharing the tips for writing the first article - developing the structure, content, and submission target. Helpful tricks were also revealed to ease the publication process, and one of them is researchers’ awareness of the roadmap of article submission, acceptance, and amplification. His most important advice was ‘The Three R’s’ - ‘read, read & read … then write.’ Tips and advice from Prof. Russell to transform the manuscript from ‘good’ to ‘great’. 40 Bio-Bulletin July 2023

Prof. Dr. Russell kept the participants focused and engaged. With the culmination of a beneficial event, we would like to extend our sincerest and heartiest appreciation to the organising committees for their effort. A special thanks to the Dean of SBS for the generous contributions in the form of funds and support for our postgraduate student participants. Our appreciation also goes to the Coordinator of the SBS Postgraduate Society, Dr. Amira Suriaty Yaakop who provided tremendous cooperation in ensuring the success of this workshop. A photograph keeps a moment from running away – A group photo with all attendees. Thank you to Assoc. Prof Dr. Hasber Salim for attending and providing full support to the MSPTM activities. Bio-Bulletin July 2023 41

Dr. Intan Haslina Ishak is a senior lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her research interest is on toxicology and insecticide resistance in medical and agricultural insect pest. She is actively conducting research using molecular approaches to understand the underlying mechanisms of resistance in insect and rodent pests. Dr. Farah Haziqah Meor Termizi is a senior lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her expertise is in Veterinary Parasitology includes several asprects such as, diagnosis, epidemiology, genetic diversity, and taxonomy of Blastocystis species, a zoonotic intestinal protozoan parasite isolated from different animals as well as water in Malaysia. 42 Bio-Bulletin July 2023