+607-553 4048 fsains@utm.my

Research Areas/Interest

Research Aims

To be a high performance research group conducting research on various liquid and solid wastes, as well as other renewable resources in Malaysia into valuable green products.

Research Focus

Currently EnVBiotech focuses on two themes of research which are: Biomass-Biorefinery and Bioenergy–Biobased chemicals. EnVBiotech undertakes research in core areas of solid waste utilisation and liquid wastes treatment specifically in the production of renewable and valuable green bioproducts (including chemicals and energy).

Our core research areas are:

Environmental Bioengineering

  • Microbial degradation of recalcitrant xenobiotics
  • Transformation of xenobiotic pollutants and heavy metals
  • Real time monitoring of biological treatment process using molecular tools

Biofuel and Biorenewable Energy

  • Developing renewable, economically sustainable systems
  • Converting lignobiomass to liquid fuels (bioethanol, biobutanol and biodiesel ) using yeasts, Clostridium sp. and microalgae
  • Developing microbial fuel cell utilizing catalytic reactions of microorganisms
  • Biohydrogen from bacterial dark and photofermentation

Biocatalysis and Fermentation

  • Application of enzyme and fermentation technology in biodegradation of recalcitrant substances
  • Biotransformation of agricultural wastes into beneficial products through microbial bioprocessing and enzymatic degradation

Biosensor Technology

  • Development of biosensors for rapid detection of Biochemical Oxygen Demand, toxic inorganic and organic pollutants and clinically important analytes
  • Molecular engineering of proteins for site-directed immobilization onto solid supports for biosensing application
  • Development of nano-biosensors and microarray-based bisosensors

Petroleum Technology

  • To develop an understanding of microbial behaviour for enhance oil recovery application via bacterial plugging
  • Biodesulphurisation of high sulphur content crude oil (sour crude oil), mainly for the quality improvement of crude oil

Spin Off Company

Microclear Sdn Bhd

  • A spin-off company established under UTM-MTDC symbiosis program
  • Produce effective microbes for the treatment of coloured wastewater particularly textile wastewater
  • Produce macrocomposite for the treatment of wastewater
  • Supply biodegreaser for cleaning purposes to Felda Palm Industries (FPI) Sdn Bhd