28 February 2023

Malaysia is situated at the centre for maximum marine biodiversity in the world with abundance of marine resources. This unique area contains the highest number of species biodiversity of corals, fishes, and many other marine invertebrates due to several factors. One of the most important contributing factors is the North Equatorial Current that brings myriad species of planktonic larvaes and deposit them in the area of Coral Triangle through the Indonesia Through Flow enabling high biodiversity in the area. Malaysia therefore are able to utilize this high biodiversity of marine resources as cheap source of protein for food security for the nation. Apart from marine animals, the high biodiversity in the marine environment also encompasses the hydrophytes like seagrasses which forms important areas for nursery and act as effective carbon sequester to combat climate change. Malaysia’s indigenous and local cultural heritage is also very connected to the vast marine biodiversity. A lost of this biodiversity can be translated to last of cultural heritage. However, the marine ecosystem is threaten by ocean warming, acidification, and also anoxic condition that might. Steps must be taken to ensure our rich biodiversity is protected and utilize carefully for sustainability of these resource.

This talk will explores the potential applications of Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in the context of precision biodiversity. Precision biodiversity is an emerging field that aims to optimize biodiversity conservation and management through data-driven, evidence-based decision-making. Robotic technologies have the potential to play a significant role in precision biodiversity by enabling the collection of high-quality data on species and ecosystems. For example, autonomous drones equipped with advanced sensors can be used to survey large areas of land, collect data on species diversity, and monitor changes in ecosystems over time. Similarly, legged robots can be used to collect data on ground surroundings such as the diameters of trees using LIDAR sensors. IoT technologies can also play a critical role in precision biodiversity by providing real-time data on environmental conditions and species behaviour. For example, sensors can be used to monitor temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors that affect biodiversity, while camera trap with IoT connectivity can be used to monitor the movement patterns of animals and identify areas of high conservation value. AI technologies, such as machine learning algorithms and computer vision, can be used to analyse and interpret the vast amounts of data collected through robotic and IoT technologies. For example, AI can be used to identify patterns in flora and fauna and assist researches in classifying them. Overall, the integration of Robotics, IoT, and AI technologies has the potential to transform the field of precision biodiversity by enabling the collection of high-quality data, providing real-time monitoring of ecosystems, and supporting evidence-based decision-making in conservation management.

Not only do extensive human activities and environmental processes contribute to the loading and transport of emerging contaminants (i.e., contaminants of emerging concern or CECs), but relatively ineffective treatment technologies with unknown removal mechanisms also play a role, especially in water. Due to the invisible nature and properties of CECs (if known at all), there are numerous factors that can have ambivalent effects on their transportation and fate, leading to widespread contamination that poses a visible potential risk to food and drink supplies. Given the insufficient regulatory measures in place to address the whole spectrum of pollution and pollutants evolution, human exposure through drinking water consumption is a growing concern. The subsequent health risks, particularly the well-known endocrine dysfunction effects, are of great concern and can have significant political, economic, and social impacts. Effective risk communication and governance are urgently needed, given the current relatively low levels of knowledge and awareness, which may have led to an underestimation of the impacts.

Rice cultivars with health traits are vital to meet the dietary demands of the growing global population much affected by non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Rice in the human diet greatly serves underprivileged populations in Asia as a means of nutritional replenishment for energy and protein as well serving as a vehicle for micronutrient fortification. The introduction of genes from wild sources is one approach to further improve yield and yield related traits besides grain quality, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress which has been demonstrated in many crop species. Besides agronomic traits, rice breeding and improvement programs play a major role in safeguarding the food environment by taking into account traits that will improve rice quality in terms of glycaemic index (GI) as well as micronutrient capacity. Successful transfer of favourable wild alleles from O. rufipogon into O. sativa and development of an advanced breeding line with high yield, disease resistance, low GI and high zinc which has been commercialised will be presented in this talk.