The Doctoral Program in Biotechnology at the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada is pleased to welcome Prof. Waranyoo Phoolcharoen of Chulalongkorn University as our new Adjunct Professor. Her appointment is effective from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2027.

Prof. Phoolcharoen is a leading expert in plant biotechnology with a strong focus on protein expression in plants. Her research has demonstrated the potential of plant-based platforms to produce therapeutic proteins that can support accessible biomedical solutions. She and her team have successfully developed plant-expressed antibodies and other candidate therapeutic proteins, which continue to move toward clinical and industrial applications. read more

The Doctoral Program in Biotechnology, Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, in collaboration with the Biotechnology Research Center, organized a discussion session and guest lecture on Monday, September 29, 2025, with Dr. Mahmood Ahmed, Chair of Medicinal Chemistry and Head of the Innovative Targets Portfolio at the Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), University of Dundee.

Dr. Mahmood, who also serves as Interim Associate Dean for Enterprise and Economic Transformation, joined the School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, in 2024. With extensive experience in pharma, biotech, and academia—including roles at GSK (UK), the establishment of a drug discovery center in Singapore, academic entrepreneurship, and co-founding two biotechnology companies—he has contributed to the progression of multiple clinical stage assets and brings deep expertise in translational research. read more

The Doctoral Program in Biotechnology, Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, held a comprehensive doctoral examination for Dini Achnafani (cohort 2023, 2nd semester intake) on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. The examination was chaired by Dr. Tri Rini Nuringtyas, M.Sc., Head of the Doctoral Program in Biotechnology.

Dini presented her dissertation proposal entitled:

“Therapeutic Potential of L-Asparaginase from Actinomycetes Type R. etli: An In Silico Study, Recombinant Production, and In Vitro Evaluation on MOLT-4 Cells.” Her research addresses the urgent need for safer and more effective treatment options for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a malignant cancer of lymphoblast cells characterized by high clonal heterogeneity due to genetic and epigenetic dysregulation. Current ALL therapy relies heavily on bacterial L-asparaginase derived from E. coli and E. chrysanthemi. While effective, these enzymes often cause severe side effects, including hypersensitivity, resistance, and unwanted L-glutaminase activity. read more

Greetings from the Doctoral Program in Biotechnology. We live in an era where biotechnology has become a critical approach to solving humanity’s most pressing challenges. From tackling global health crises—spanning infectious diseases to non-communicable illnesses and stunting—to addressing complex environmental issues like pollution and the pervasiveness of microplastics, the solutions are increasingly found at the biological level. The frontier of medicine is also rapidly advancing with novel therapeutics based on materials such as antibodies and peptides. read more

Yogyakarta, August 13, 2025 — The Master (S2) and Doctoral (S3) Programs in Biotechnology, Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, held an online meeting to prepare for the upcoming odd semester 2025/2026 and to evaluate the achievements of the even semester 2024/2025. The meeting took place on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, from 11.00 to 12.30 WIB, with the participation of all academic staff members.

Meeting Highlights

The meeting was opened by the Head of the Doctoral Program in Biotechnology, Dr. Tri Rini Nuringtyas, followed by presentations from the Head of the Master’s Program, Dr. Dini Wahyu Kartika Sari, and the Head of the Doctoral Program. read more

Yogyakarta, July 21, 2025 — The Doctoral Program in Biotechnology, Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, held a closed doctoral examination for Yuni Sine (cohort 2021) on Monday, July 21, 2025. The examination was chaired by Prof. Widyanto, Ph.D, Vice Dean for Academic, Student Affairs, and Collaboration.

Yuni defended her dissertation entitled:
“Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp) Soaking Water and Their Potential as Starter Culture for Pigeon Pea Yoghurt Fermentation to Develop a Functional Food for Blood Glucose Reduction.” read more

Yogyakarta, July 21, 2025 — The Doctoral Program in Biotechnology, Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, held a closed doctoral examination for Medhina Magdalena (cohort 2018) on Monday, July 21, 2025. The examination was chaired by the Dean of the Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Medhina defended her dissertation entitled:

“Studi Potensi Keragaman Khamir dari Madu Hutan dan Buah-Buahan serta Pemanfaatannya pada Fermentasi Etanol”
(“Diversity of Yeasts from Forest Honey and Fruits and Their Application in Ethanol Fermentation”) read more

Yogyakarta, July 18, 2025 — Sri Fatmah Sari, a doctoral student from the 2022 even-semester cohort of the Biotechnology Doctoral Study Program at the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, has successfully completed her comprehensive examination. Her dissertation proposal, titled “Identification of Anti-inflammatory Peptides from Abalone (Haliotis asinina) Viscera Protein Hydrolysate”, focuses on discovering bioactive compounds from underutilized marine resources—particularly the viscera of the tropical abalone species Haliotis asinina—to develop new, safe alternatives for anti-inflammatory therapies. read more

Yogyakarta, July 14, 2025 — The Doctoral Program in Biotechnology, Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), successfully held a workshop titled OMERO–GammaPath Implementation: Enhancing Image Management and Analysis for Teaching and Research in Biology and Biotechnology on Monday, July 14, 2025. This activity was part of the implementation of the Transnational Education (TNE) Project supported by the British Council, in collaboration with the School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee. read more

The Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada proudly announces the graduation of Ayu Lestiyani, a doctoral student from the Biotechnology Study Program, batch 2021 (odd semester). Ayu successfully defended her dissertation on Identification of Citrus Relative, Murraya spp., and Gene Expression Analysis on Citrus and Murraya Against Serralysin Toxin of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, supervised by an international team of promoters.

Her dissertation was guided by Prof. Dr. Siti Subandiyah and Prof. Dr. Tri Joko from Universitas Gadjah Mada, and co-promoted by Prof. Dr. Toru Iwanami from Tokyo University of Agriculture (NODAI), Japan. The dissertation examination committee included Dr. Alan Soffan and Dr. Widhi Dyah Sawitri (both from the Faculty of Agriculture, UGM), Prof. Rina Sri Kasiamdari (Faculty of Biology, UGM), and Dr. Kikin Hamzah Mutaqin (IPB University, Bacteriology). The final examination was chaired by Dr. Techn. Khabib Mustofa, S.Si., M.Kom., Vice Dean of the Graduate School. read more