Study Program of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, had the opportunity to have a guest lecture with the speaker Dr. Yustian Rovi Alfiansah, on November 2022. The lecture was held online via Zoom application as Dr. Yustian Rovi Alfiansah is currently in Germany for a post-doctoral program at the Alfred Wegener Institute. In addition, he also serves as a researcher at the Research Center for Applied Microbiology, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Dr. Yustian Rovi Alfiansah explained to all students who participated in the lecture that the specialization provided by the university provides great opportunities for future careers. These specializations are in the fields of health, agriculture, industry, and the environment.
As one of the researchers at BRIN, Dr. Yustian Rovi Alfiansah also explained several potential research projects to be undertaken. The field of health and molecular biotechnology has projects including vaccines, cancer drugs, and immunomodulators. The field of marine biotechnology has a project to utilize marine biota such as extremophile bacteria originating from heat sources. These bacteria can be examined for the content of bioactive compounds that can later be utilized. Other uses of marine bacteria are the need for food preservatives, fermentation, and the utilization of other exopolysaccharide content.
According to Dr. Yustian Rovi Alfiansah, in Indonesia there are problems that must be solved, one of them is shrimp farming. Researchers can later develop various scientific studies to address shrimp farming problems with biotechnology approaches such as appropriate antibiotics, knowledge of the types of pathogenic bacteria in shrimp, and the healthy and disease-carrying microbiome of shrimp. In addition, there are new breakthroughs that potential to be developed in Indonesia in the future, namely biometrics and bionics. Biometrics and bionics are efforts to design artificial structures that are close to those of biological organisms.
In addition to explaining the opportunities that can be developed for future researchers, Dr. Yustian Rovi Alfiansah also gave his views on current biotechnology developments, in this case he discussed the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). According to him, the use of GMOs actually has a more serious negative impact than the benefits obtained. He emphasizes this view as a personal opinion and not on behalf of the institution. It was explained further if the use of GMOs cannot be sustainable even though the purpose of modifying certain organisms is to have the better results. The reasons for his refusal to use GMOs include the effects of editing, which until now have not been predictable, environmental damage, deadly types of natural organisms and serious health impacts. Therefore, he suggested synergizing organisms with a good environment so as to provide optimal results.
Dr. Yustian Rovi Alfiansah closed the guest lecture this time by giving a message that career in biotechnology opportunities in Indonesia is still wide open. One of the reasons is that Indonesia’s biological wealth has not yet been thoroughly explored, so there is still much that can be done. He emphasized that the most important thing in a career in biotechnology is research experience because it can increase selling points. The way to increase sales value is by going to school, training, summer school, etc.
Author : Buhairi Rifqa Moustafid
