M.Eng. in Biotechnology and Life Science
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan

Thesis: Microneedle Array-assisted Direct Delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein Complex and Optimization of Mutation Detection in Rice. The full research component was completed as a Research Collaborator at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba.

Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Scholarship, Government of Japan — Embassy Recommendation

B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology/Biotechnology
Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA

Additional major in Genomics and Molecular Genetics. CGPA 3.52/4.00.

MARA Excellent Student Scheme (Biasiswa Skim Pelajar Cemerlang)

Research Officer, Plant Biotechnology
Molecular Transformation Laboratory, Biotechnology & Nanotechnology Research Centre, MARDI

• Genome editing of SGR1 and CYC-B in lowland tomato (MT-3) to increase lycopene content and nutritional value — current
• Recombinant phytase expression in E. coli as a potential animal feed additive, supporting national food sovereignty — current
• Optimisation of protoplast isolation and transfection in Malaysian rice cultivars — principal researcher, 2021–2025
• CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in a local rice variety for rice blast resistance, via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation — co-researcher, 2021
• Genome sequencing of the Malaysian stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama — co-researcher, 2020
• Contained evaluation and agronomic performance of Pioneer 4546 grain corn under transgenic glasshouse conditions — co-researcher, 2020
• Transgenic MR 219 rice with enhanced sheath blight resistance — co-researcher, RT-qPCR analysis, 2016–2019
• Transgenic papaya for dieback resistance via quorum quenching — co-researcher, confined field trial, 2017–2019
• Functional analysis of the Terengganu cherry (Lepisanthes fruticosa) de novo fruit transcriptome — principal researcher, 2018
• Positive selection in transgenic papaya using phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) technology — co-researcher, 2014–2016

Alongside the research: NGS and RNA-seq analysis, RT-qPCR expression profiling, and hands-on supervision of undergraduate and industrial-training students in molecular cloning and plant tissue culture.

Collaborative Researcher
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan

Microneedle-assisted CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein delivery in rice, under the supervision of a TUAT visiting associate professor based at AIST.

Research Assistant, Proteomics
Proteomics Laboratory, Biotechnology & Nanotechnology Research Centre, MARDI

Proteomic profiling of papaya infected with Erwinia mallotivora, the dieback pathogen — Bradford quantification, SDS-PAGE and 2D-PAGE separation.

Undergraduate Lab Assistant
Schemske Lab, Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University

Crossed Italian and Swedish ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana for QTL mapping of freezing tolerance and cold acclimation; fitness assessment of A. thaliana and A. lyrata.