(NanoRealm) - Malaysia’s pioneer in Nanotechnology research Professor Halimaton Hamdan is excited that things are picking up for Science and Technology in the country after a sluggish decade, writes SUZIEANA UDA NAGU

NANOTECHNOLOGY — an enabling science that has the potential for creating new knowledge and functional materials and systems — is set to shape and transform all areas of science in the future.

For example, it will revolutionise the pharmaceutical industry by changing the way drugs are produced and delivered.


Malaysia’s pioneer in Nanotechnology studies Professor Halimaton Hamdan says: “The content of a drug is less than 20 per cent of a tablet (drug carrier) — the rest are fillers and binding agents. But with Nanotechnology, we can encapsulate drugs in nanoparticles and use less binding agents.

“This requires further testing but, once proven, it will significantly improve the efficacy of drugs by reducing toxicity and increasing drug absorption, besides minimising costs.” Halimaton, who is the executive director of Enabling Science and Nanotechnology Research Alliance at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), lists the many potentials of Nanotechnology. “It has the prospect of producing clean water supply, greater agriculture production using less labour; and cheap and powerful energy generation.

“It is also a catalyst for green — clean, renewable and non-toxic — technology,” adds Halimaton during her recent talk on The Road Map of National Nanotechnology Initiatives at Universiti Industri Selangor, Shah Alam.

Halimaton is the recipient of the Merdeka Awards 2009 in the Health, Science and Technology category. She was the first awardee to kick off the second Merdeka Awards Lecture Series this year.

Established in 2007, the Merdeka Awards recognise individuals and organisations whose works have contributed to Malaysia’s growth and inspired greatness in its people (see accompanying report).

The 53-year-old made an outstanding contribution to the field of Nanotechnology for the discovery of Maerogel — Malaysian-made aerogel — a cost-effective material made from silica in rice husks, which produces high quality insulation material that can be applied to medicine and construction, among other areas.


The research on Maerogel is groundbreaking as it has significantly lowered the cost of producing commercial aeorogel — which looks like frozen smoke.


“Traditional aerogel costs about RM15,000 per kilogramme, whereas we can produce it for only RM5,000 per kilo,” says the Physical Chemistry professor.


Halimaton Hamdan made an outstanding contribution to Nanotechnology for the discovery of Maerogel — Malaysian-made aerogel.
The discovery had also earned her Product of the Year award from Britain’s International Clean Energy Circle in 2008.




Maerogel is just one of the many ventures Halimaton had helmed in her 10-year involvement in Nanotechnology research.


In the last decade alone, Halimaton had led 25 research programmes and 80 projects.


Halimaton considers the Merdeka prize the icing on to the cake as she prepares to commercialise Maerogel, which has been patented in Malaysia and 22 other countries, this year.


“We are in the midst of setting up our first plant in Nilai, Negri Sembilan under a spin-off company of UTM,” says Halimaton, who retires in 2013.


While Halimaton has enjoyed a productive decade, Nanotechnology research and development (R&D) in Malaysia is going through a sluggish phase.


At the turn of the 21st century, Malaysia was one of the first in Asia to advance in Nanotechnology research. However, local research on the area has been making little headway since.


In 2003, the Nanotechnology Technical Committee outlined a proposal to set up Malaysia’s own National Nanotechnology programme or centre.


It was only in 2005 that Nanotechnology was included in the Ninth Malaysia Plan, followed by the launch of the National Nanotechnology Initiative in 2006.


The Initiative, among others, is to facilitate the formation of the National Nanotechnology Directorate — a central coordinating body which will drive Malaysia’s Nanotechnology policy and other R&D programmes.


“Attention on Nanotechnology died down after encouraging initial developments,” says Halimaton. Needless to say, Malaysia is currently at the bottom of the list of Asian countries which have made progress in Nanotechnology.


“If Malaysia aspires to be an advanced nation by 2020, it needs to venture into this fast-moving area of R&D to create its own products and know-how instead of being mere consumers of technology,” she adds.


But things are picking up for Science and Technology in Malaysia.


Last December, the National Innovation Council approved the setting up of the National Nanotechnology Directory, which compiles a list of Nanotechnology efforts in Malaysia.


Last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak launched 2010 as the year for Innovation and Creativity in Malaysia. On top of that, the National Innovation Centre will be launched by April.


“The centre will oversee six focus areas and Nanotechnology is one of them,” says Halimaton, who also looks forward to the unveiling of the Nanotechnology Statement, which she hopes will happen soon.


The Statement comprises five core themes — promotion of Nanotechnology culture; tighter niches; enhanced networking; regulations and acts; and commercialisation and industrialisation.

“Hopefully, the Nanotechnology Statement will entice Malaysians to be a part of (the national) vision,” she adds.


Malaysia certainly stands to benefit from undertaking research efforts in Nanotechnology.


“The convergence of Nanotechnology with other fields, such as Biotechnology and Information and Communications Technology, can lead to significant economic, environmental and social opportunities and challenge,” says Halimaton.

Judging by the forward projections of the Nanotechnology market in 2014 — estimated to be worth US$2.6 trillion (RM9 trillion) — this area is a potential gold mine.


“Imagine if Malaysia captures only one per cent of the market; that is already US$26 billion!” What Malaysia needs to move forward is a well thought–out road map, which “will ensure a sustainable national development of Science and Technology”.


“We need not only political will but also a paradigm shift to succeed (in this). Scientists need to learn to work together, (despite their varied disciplines). So the onus is on the next generation to start this (interdisciplinary collaboration).


“Hopefully, this will allow Malaysia to compete with the best in the world on its own terms — by focusing on its strengths such as in Nanobiomedicine,” she adds.

Raise awareness with cartoons

LOCAL tertiary institutions are not be ready to offer degrees in Nanotechnology as there is no market for such graduates in the industry.

Malaysia’s pioneer in Nanotechnology studies Professor Halimaton Hamdan says: “It will be possible once industry has fully engaged in Nanotechnology.”

Halimaton, also executive director of Enabling Science and Nanotechnology Research Alliance at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), is the recipient of the Merdeka Awards 2009 in the Health, Science and Technology category.

The Professor of Physical Chemistry received her first degree in Chemistry from the United States’ Indiana University in Bloomington in 1979.

Upon graduating with a Master’s in Chemistry from Marshall University, Huntington in West Virginia, in 1981, Halimaton returned home to teach at UTM.

Four years later, she had the chance to pursue her doctorate in Physical
Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, the United Kingdom. It was at Cambridge that Halimaton developed an interest in Nanotechnology.

Awareness campaigns are crucial if local industries want to engage in nanotechnology.

“Everyone must know what Nanotechnology is about. Many still doubt the technology — whether or not it poses any health risks, for example,” she says.

Developing countries have been criticised for not taking into consideration public concerns over the use of Nanotechnology in manufacturing products, unlike in the West where awareness campaigns involve even preschool children.

“In Taiwan and the United States, cartoons are used to introduce the concept of Nanotechnology to kids,” says Halimaton, adding that Malaysia should do the same.

To pursue careers in Nanotechnology, students should pay attention to Science subjects.

“Identify which branch of Science — Physics, Chemistry or Biology — is your strength,” she adds.

Next week: UTM vice chancellor Professor Datuk Zaini Ujang, a recipient of the Merdeka Awards 2009 for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement

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Source: NST Online - http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20100227215953/Article/index_html