Unlocking the code of life
THE Medical Biotechnology programme at International Medical University (IMU) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. As part of its celebrations and in conjunction with World DNA Day on April 25, the medical biotechnology team organised the Helix – The Code of Life event on that day.
The event also marked the 65th anniversary of the publication of DNA doublehelix structure in the journal Nature.
The objective of the event was to create awareness of the importance of medical biotechnology in health and medicine.
The event saw the participation of over 200 teachers and students from secondary schools and colleges in the Klang Valley.
As DNA is one of the important tools used by medical biotechnologists to improve human health, the organising committee created an experiential learning platform where visitors were able to extract DNA and see and feel DNA molecules at one of the workshops.
There were also other handson opportunities in the aspects of gene cloning, plant tissue culture, microbiology, bioinformatics and forensic sciences.
The participants were awed by the various applications and enlightening outcomes of medical biotechnology in the world of medicine, science and research, and were fascinated by the content of the posters and fun games.
A public talk on biotechnology was delivered by two researchers in the field of medical biotechnology, Prof Chin Beek Yoke from IMU and Dr Lai Pei Jiun from the Institute for Medical Research.
The DNA model building competition was one of the highlights of the event and received an overwhelming response from the participating schools.
“Despite having limited budget and manpower, everyone went the extra mile and worked together harmoniously. The stress as the organising adviser was intense, but the great response rate and feedback from visitors paid off,” said organising advisor Dr Kok Yih Yih.
Another organising advisor, Dr Tan Boon Hooi, said the event was also an opportunity for medical biotechnology students to improve their skills in communication, professionalism, community interaction, as well as time and event management.
Event chairperson Ruben Amirthalingam recalled, “I was ecstatic as I finally had the chance to be part of a biotechnologybased event. It was memorable to see the DNA structure translated into colourful, structurally diverse and meaningful models by the participants.
“As the organising chairperson, I had the opportunity to ensure that medical biotechnology made a statement that would resonate among the IMU community and the public to highlight the contributions of the ‘backstage crew’ in the medical field.”
The curriculum of IMU’s medical biotechnology degree is developed to meet international standards and is accepted by international partner university, University of Newcastle, Australia, for credit transfer into relevant programmes.
Students can also complete the entire degree at IMU. Graduates of these degrees can undertake postgraduate degrees in any related discipline.
Commencement of this programme is in July and September. For those with preuniversity qualifications and an interest in medical biotechnology, apply online now and join the university to begin the journey towards a promising and rewarding career.
If you have just completed your SPM and do not have preuniversity qualification, consider enrolling in the oneyear IMU Foundation in Science, the preferred foundation and direct route for entry into any of the university’s degree programmes.
■ For more details, refer to www.imu.edu.my or email start@imu.edu.my or call IMU at 03–2731 7272.