Showing profile for PROF. MOHD YUNUS SHUKOR PhD

Position: FACULTY MEMBER Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia Department: BIOCHEMISTRY Address: Department of Biochemistry  Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences  Universiti Putra Malaysia  Serdang, Selangor  Malaysia, 43400

Web: http://www.biotech.upm.edu.my/jabatan/biochemistry/academic_staff-435?L=en
Email: Not public
Telephone: +60389466722
Cell: Not public

Personal statement:
My main research expertise is biochemistry, being an academic in the Dept. of Biochemistry, UPM. My research team was the first to use papain, a plant proteolytic enzyme for the assay of heavy metals which resulted in many awards and the commercialization of the ensuing patent (royalties and licensing fees amounting to MYR 70,000). Also, an important discovery of my research team will help to reveal the mechanism responsible for the microbial reduction of molybdenum, a toxic metal to its less toxic form; molybdenum blue, first reported in 1896 but till this day remains unsolved. My research team (Prof Dr Nor Aripin Shamaan, Prof Dr Mohd. Arif Syed and Dr Izuan Effendi Halmi) has discovered a key enzyme that catalyse this process. My exciting Antarctic exploration (under ASM, MARP and IAA, Argentina) staring from 2002 until 2017 have resulted in the publication of one book, several journal publications and numerous talks to schoolchildren from the peninsular and East Malaysia, and the discovery of lipid-degrading Antarctic microbes that can be used to solve an important problem related to oily ballast waste from oil palm tankers. My research attachment in Cranfield University, UK, under the supervision of Prof Ibtisam Tothill has opened up new areas of research where the team and I improved the specificity of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers; a known major drawback, by creating a specific screening assay for the many possible monomers types and concentrations possible. Currently, I am continuing this exciting and rich field of artificial nano-based receptors in UPM. One of my biggest achievements to date is becoming the Editor-in-Chief of the international Journal of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology (e-ISSN 2289-5779). Currently, I am the director of four UPM "Spin Off" and �Start-up� companies; Xenolab Private Limited (Reg. No. 844 434-K) (20% equity), Halways Private Limited (Reg. No. 1062702-A) (35% equity), Ozherb Private Limited (Reg. No. 1062958-P) (40% equity) and Danioassay Laboratories Private Limited (Reg. No. 1075617-T) (40% equity). To date, I have received more than RM 5 million worth of grants and consultation fees of about RM 160,000 from several companies. I am the 2017 Top Research Scientist Malaysia award recipient.