The 14th National Seminar on Agricultural Research Results is one of the important forums for researchers, academics, and students to present the latest research findings in various fields, including agricultural microbiology. This national seminar was held on Saturday, September 21, 2024. The theme of this national seminar was “Optimizing Land Use and Adapting to Climate Change to Achieve Food Sovereignty.” The microbiology students involved in this national seminar were Qurata A’yun Dyah Palupi, Badran Sa’adi, Padia Desi Rahmawati, Almayra Khanza Fahrani, Sherly Aurora Cahyadewi, Kirana Agist Wangsa Putri, Jihan Mustika, and Nisa Nahwa Pramestya Rini. Some of the topics presented by the microbiology students were as follows: Qurata presented “In Silico Analysis of the Solubility of Luciferase-Like Monooxygenase,” Badran presented “Solubility of Recombinant Luciferase-Like Monooxygenase Type 2 (LLM2) via Fusion Construction with pelB Leader Sequence.” “Smart-Za: Urea, Sulfur, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans as a Substitute for ZA Fertilizer with Controlled Dissolution Mechanism” was presented by Padia, Almayra, and Sherly. Kirana presented “Gold Bioleaching Ability from Metal Ores by Chromobacterium violaceum.” “The Effect of Inoculation of Acinetobacter baumannii, Rhizobium straminoryzae, and Peribacillus simplex on the Biomass Production of Spirodela polyrrhiza” was presented by Jihan. read more

The Faculty of Agriculture at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has once again welcomed foreign students for research internships. One of the participants is Cen Caihui, commonly known as Mia, a doctoral (PhD) student from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan. Mia is conducting her research internship at the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, UGM, supported by a scholarship from the Japan Science and Technology Agency. This program lasts for one month and is part of an international internship initiative. Mia chose UGM for her internship, partly due to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between TUAT and UGM, which facilitated the administrative process. read more

A student from the Agricultural Microbiology Study Program at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) class of 2021, Muhammad Prakosa Damarsejati, participated in the Community Empowerment Service Learning Program (KKN-PPM) for the second period of 2024 in Palingkau Asri Village, Kapuas Murung District, Kapuas Regency, Central Kalimantan. This KKN activity is a mandatory program included in the intramural activities that implement the tri dharma of higher education: education, research, and community service. It provides students with the experience of learning and working in community development activities as a medium for applying and developing science and technology outside the campus, according to the needs of the region, within a predetermined work mechanism. read more

The KKN-PPM program conducted by UGM (Gadjah Mada University) provides an opportunity for agricultural microbiology student, Zikra Fathin Nabila, to broaden her knowledge of national values and diversity. This KKN program was conducted from July to August. For exactly 50 days, Zikra carried out her KKN program in Pelaga Village, a village that is very green, cool, and full of unique Indonesian potential to be proud of. Zikra learned a lot from the community there about social values, nationalism, and diversity. Actively participating in community activities in the village made Zikra proud to be an Indonesian citizen. This KKN activity also became a place for Zikra to learn a lot about practical knowledge directly in the community environment. read more

The Microbiology Student Association (PERMAHAMI) is hosting the Bincang Bareng Keilmuan (BBK) event. Bincang Bareng Keilmuan (BBK) is a program designed to accommodate students’ curiosity about programs or activities that can be pursued during their time as Agricultural Microbiology students. This event has the theme “Study Abroad: Expanding Horizons through Education.” The purpose of this theme is to prepare a better program plan for Agricultural Microbiology students both during their studies and after graduating from the Agricultural Microbiology undergraduate program. The event will take place on Friday, August 30, 2024, and will feature two AIMS 2023 awardees, Zikra Fathin Nabila and Sausan Syadzafie Shafar. They will share their experiences from their exchange programs in Japan and South Korea. read more

The Community Service-Learning and Community Empowerment Program (KKN-PPM) is a mandatory course for all UGM students. Through this course, students are encouraged to enhance their empathy, multidisciplinary collaboration, and direct contributions to society. The KKN-PPM UGM is conducted across 35 provinces in Indonesia over four time periods. One of the Agricultural Microbiology students from the 2021 cohort, Hafsah Dwi Nur Haliza, commonly known as Lisa, joined unit AC-002 for the second period of 2024 on Tuangku Island. The island is located in Pulau Banyak Barat Sub-district, Aceh Singkil Regency, Aceh Province. Following the recommendation from the Aceh Provincial Bappeda, UGM students from unit AC-002 were directed to carry out their KKN on Tuangku Island, which is part of an archipelago directly bordering the Indian Ocean. read more

In August 2024, Muhammad Misbahul Anam, a student of the Agricultural Microbiology class of 2021, completed his Community Service-Learning and Community Empowerment Program (KKN-PPM) for the second period of the 2023/2024 academic year in Sugian Village, Sambelia Sub-district, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara. The KKN took place from July to August. This KKN activity is one of the compulsory courses that students must participate in. The KKN serves as a platform to apply what has been learned in lectures directly to the community. For Misbah, as the microbiology student is often called, KKN encourages students to connect directly with the community, pushing them, who may have previously been confined to laptops, books, and classroom activities, to immerse themselves in the community, interact directly with residents, solve existing problems, and engage in the surrounding social life. In some scenarios, students may even become involved in those problems, requiring them to solve the issues they face while considering local culture so that the solutions provided by the students can be accepted by the community. The KKN lasted for 50 days. Although it sounds short, Misbah feels that the time was sufficient to provide the experience of living and working directly within the community. read more

Aloisius Andhika Mahesa Kanigara, a student of the Agricultural Microbiology Study Program from the 2021 cohort, has just completed his Community Service Program (KKN) in Linau Village, Maje Sub-district, Kaur Regency, Bengkulu Province. The KKN program took place from July 1 to August 19, 2024. Andhika and his team applied the knowledge they learned on campus through work programs designed to empower the local community. One of the programs carried out was the production of organic fertilizer using EM4, which is expected to help the people of Linau, most of whom work as fishermen, in improving soil quality and their agricultural yields. read more

One of the Agricultural Microbiology students from the 2021 cohort, Erina Tika Febiyanti, who is commonly known as Erina, has just completed her Community Service-Learning and Community Empowerment Program (KKN-PPM) for the second period of 2024 in Dusun Badat Lama, Suruh Tembawang Village, Entikong Sub-district, Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan. This KKN activity is a mandatory course that provides students with the opportunity to directly apply their field of study to help solve problems that arise in the community. According to Erina, the KKN program encourages students to broaden their perspectives, engage dynamically with the community to observe existing challenges, and solve those challenges by empowering local residents. Erina believes that the 50-day period for the community service program is not enough to fully resolve all the existing issues, but it is sufficient to initiate positive change, both for herself as a student and for the community to become more empowered in improving their well-being. read more

On August 28, 2024, 9 students from the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) officially completed their undergraduate studies. The nine graduates are Dewi Aryanti Anggraini (2019), Fatih Pangesti (2017), Agnes Dewantari (2017), Dhia Fildzah Farhana (2017), Putri Purwandari Caecilia (2017), Badran Sa’adi (2020), Jihan Mustika (2019), I Nyoman Aris Suardana (2020), Airin Dinanti Firdaus (2019). The event was attended by graduates, lecturers, families, and invited guests. Several outstanding students received special awards. One of them was the best student in the Department of Microbiology, Badran Sa’adi, who completed his studies in 3 years, 10 months, and 8 days, with the highest GPA of 3.73. Badran also conducted research on gene insertion into plasmids to create recombinant plasmids. This research is expected to contribute valuable knowledge in the field of Microbiology. read more