Research
My work connects two scales of biotechnology: rewriting a handful of bases in a crop genome, and understanding how a single microbial enzyme is built and behaves. Below are the main threads — and if you would rather try the methods than read about them, the Tools page has a CRISPR‑Cas9 walkthrough and a Sequence Lab you can run in the browser.
CRISPR genome editing in rice and tomato
I design dual guide RNA constructs and assemble them into Golden Gate vectors for transgene-clean, marker-free edits. In rice the focus is durable blast resistance; in tomato it is fruit quality, including stay-green and carotenoid traits. Each construct is screened for internal Type IIS sites before assembly.
Beta-propeller phytase biotechnology
Phytase releases phosphate from phytic acid, improving nutrient use in animal feed and cutting phosphorus pollution. I work on a beta-propeller phytase from a locally isolated Bacillus siamensis strain, from molecular screening through recombinant His-tagged expression, nickel affinity purification, and activity assays tuned for neutral to alkaline conditions.
Bioinformatics, phylogenetics and structure
To make sense of new isolates and variants I build marker-gene phylogenies, model enzyme structures by homology, and map point substitutions onto the fold — linking what we see in the sequence to what we measure at the bench. I have also contributed to genome and transcriptome assembly projects, including the first draft genome of the Malaysian stingless bee Heterotrigona itama.
Biosafety and institutional compliance
Genome editing in Malaysia sits under the Biosafety Act 2007. I prepare institutional biosafety notifications, classify edits under the SDN framework, and support biosafety briefings for the institutional committee.
Want to try the methods behind this work? The Tools page has an interactive DNA Sequence Lab, a step-by-step CRISPR‑Cas9 walkthrough, and a Protein Lab — all running in your browser. Published work is on the Publications page.