President

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Professor Dr. Hooi Ling Foo

Department of Bioprocess Technology,

Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences,

Universiti Putra Malaysia,

43400 UPM Serdang,
Selangor,
Malaysia

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Hooi Ling Foo is a Professor in Industrial Biotechnology at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). She graduated with a degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology in 1993 from UPM. She has then obtained a postgraduate diploma in Education in 1994 from the University of Malaya. In 1998, she completed a PhD degree in Plant Biochemistry at Wye College, University of London.

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Hooi Ling Foo has broad research interests, encompassing the purification and characterisation of bioactive peptides and enzymes, applying lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites, and developing bioprocess technology. Hooi Ling researches Food and Enzyme Biotechnology, Industrial Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology. The current research focuses are: A) Production, characterisation and optimisation of various preparations of probiotics, postbiotic/metabolites and paraprobiotics derived from Lactic acid bacteria and their applications as health supplements, B) Production, optimisation and characterisations of various preparations of postbiotic/metabolites produced by Lactic acid bacteria and their applications in cancer prevention and treatments, C) Production, optimisation, purification, characterisation and applications of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes produced by Lactic acid bacteria, D) Applications of bacterial cultures as a biotransformation agent, E) Bio-transformation of agro wastes as applicable and value-added products mediated by bacterial cultures, F) Optimisation of culture condition for the production of bioactive peptides, enzymes and valuable biological compounds.

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Together with her research team, she has produced 5 book chapters and more than 100 articles in reviewed journals. Moreover, 20 patents from a total of 33 patents have been filed as project leader. At present, 10 patents were granted by Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, China, Japan, the USA, and Korea. Currently, Hooi Ling serves as an editor for the journal of Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, an official journal of the International Society of Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology (ISBAB).

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Hooi Ling is also active in various scientific societies. She is the newly elected President of the Malaysian Society for Lactic Acid Bacteria (MSLAB, 2021-2022). She was also the Honorary Treasurer for the MSLAB from 2014-2018 and as an Executive Committee of MSLAB for 2018-2020. She is also the elected Vice President of the Asian Federation of Societies for Lactic Acid Bacteria (AFSLAB, 2019-2021). She has a long contribution record for the Malaysian Society for Microbiology (MSM). She was the Honorary Secretary from 2004-2006, Honorary Treasurer from 2006-2015, Vice President from 2015-2017 and Honorary Auditor for 2017-2019.

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