Participants of MSMBB 2009 completing the multiple choice written quiz

Dr. Lim Ju Boo relating his experience and knowledge to the packed auditorium

Participants, lecturers and volunteers who were involved in the three-day event

Kuala Lumpur, 20 February 2009 - UCSI University hosted the 2nd Malaysian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MSMBB) Quiz, themed “Biotechnology-Driven Innovations to Fuel, Feed and Heal the World.” University of Malaya’s (UM) team won first place and received a grand cash prize of RM2, 500 while UCSI University’s team won second place and took home RM1,000 cash.Fifty multiple-choice questions in Round 1 whittled the initial 11 teams down to 6. The top 6 teams completed a 20-minute presentation on an impromptu topic with only one hour of preparation time. The top 2 teams were then chosen based on points tot up by the team in round 1 and 2. UM and UCSI University became the top 2 after deliberations by the judges. The two teams then moved on to a final buzzer round. UM won the final round, with UCSI University trailing by just a few points. The final winners were chosen based on accumulated points from the combined rounds.The annual MSMBB quiz also became a platform for information exchange for those in the field of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. This was done through plenary talks by ACP Dr. Yew Chong Hooi, Deputy Principal Assistant Director of the Police Forensic Laboratory and Dr. Lim Ju Boo, Head of the Technical Advisory Board to Dynapharm Pharmaceutical Group of companies. Dr. Yew delivered his talk entitled “Biotechonology in Forensic Science: The Role of Forensic DNA Profiling in Criminal Investigation,” currently a controversial topic in Malaysia. Dr. Lim delivered his talk called “A Journey Through the Biomolecular World of Medicine,” which was an eye-opener, enabling students as well as lecturers gain new insight into the world of molecular signature, transcription and translation. A career talk was also given for the benefit of the students by industry expert, Dr. Chee Hui Yee, Senior Manager at Vivantis Technologies Sdn. Bhd.The MSMBB Quiz was inaugurated in 2007 by the society with the aim to challenge the participants’ knowledge, application and analysis capabilities in the field. The quiz also promotes a close interaction between undergraduates from all Malaysian universities.

UM student, Thenitra a/p Marimuthu concurs. “This year’s MSMBB quiz was a wonderful platform for an exchange of experience and knowledge with friends from other universities,” she said. She also added that this year’s MSMBB quiz has been surprisingly stress-free, as the event was organised very well, and went without a hitch.

Eight institutions took part in this year’s MSMBB quiz. The 6 other institutions involved in the event were INTI University College, Nilai University College, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, AIMST University and Monash University, Malaysia.