On 30 July and 27 August 2016, BIOTROP Mycotoxin expert, Prof Okky Setyawati Dharmaputra and former director, Prof Bambang Purwantara, presented their respective scientific orations at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB).
Prof Okky presented her research experiences in Central and West Java on “Proper Postharvest Handling to Prevent and Control Aspergillus flavus Attack and Aflatoxin Contamination in Peanuts” for her inauguration as professor of IPB’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. On the other hand, Prof Bambang discussed about “Reproductive Biotechnology to Prevent Wildlife Extinction” for his inauguration as professor of IPB’s Faculty of Veterinary Science.
Prof Okky explained that the best way to prevent aflatoxin contamination in food and feed is through good agricultural and manufacturing practices. Aflatoxins are thermostable compounds and, once formed, they can persist in food and animal feeds. To obtain good-quality peanuts, they should be properly handled and processed after harvest. For example the subsequent separation of whole, damaged and wrinkled peanuts before being stored. In addition, using the right type of packaging material could help minimize the attack of A. flavus.
Prof Okky has been working on the management of spoilage fungi and mycotoxins in stored durable commodities, and management of postharvest diseases in perishable commodities for about 40 years. She holds a Doctorate degree from Universite des Sciences et Techniwues du Languedoc, Montpellier, France in 1983. She has authored and co-authored 104 articles in local and international journals as well as proceeding and technical publication from 1977 until 2015. Recently, BIOTROP has published her book entitled Fungi, Mycotoxins and Their Control in Indonesian Food and Feedstuff on 2015. Aside from being a lecturer, Prof Okky is also the head of the Mycology Division, Department of Biology of IPB.
In his oration, Prof Bambang emphasized the critical role of reproductive technologies in promoting productivity increase of livestock in Indonesia such as artificial insemination (first generation), embryo transfer (second generation) or in vitro embryo production and manipulation variants (third generation). He also explained about stem cells as a new hope in terms of its ability to differentiate itself into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. The adult stem cell can renew itself and can differentiate to yield some or all of the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are at the foundation of spermatogenesis and male fertility, whereas the oogonial stem cells (OSCs), has opened new avenues for treatment of female infertility. SSCs are the only adult stem cells that are capable of self-renewal and differentiation to produce haploid cells transmitting genes to next generation.
Prof Bambang specializes in animal reproduction particularly in the field of reproductive biotechnology in large ruminants. He has a long-standing interest in developing basic and applied researches on sperm physiology and preservation of the bovine, sheep, goat and horses as well as of endangered species such as rhino, deer, anoa and primates. His research addresses bovine embryo technology and manipulation. In addition, he is also actively contributing to the public understanding and communication program on the application of agriculture biotechnology.
Among the positions that Prof Bambang currently occupies include being the Director of Indonesian Biotechnology Information Centre (IndoBIC), President of the Indonesian Society for Agricultural Biotechnology (ISAB/PBPI), President of the Indonesian Association for Animal Reproduction (IAAR/ARHI), member of National Biosafety Commission (KKH PRG/NBC Indonesia), and member of National Task Force of Experts on Food Security-Indonesian Food Security Council. He is also a lecturer at IPB’s Department of Clinic, Reproduction and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine since 1984. Prof Bambang Purwantara is also the Editor-in-Chief of BIOTROPIA, BIOTROP’s International Scientific Journal in Tropical Biology which has been indexed by Sciverse Scopus since 2012. He has written 175 publications for reputable national and international journals as well as various books, monographs and popular articles on veterinary reproduction.
(Based on IPB News website with some added information)
