Dr. Md. Eaqub Ali

Biography

I am currently an Associate Professor of Nanobiotechnology in the University of Malaya's Nanotechnology and Catalysis Research Centre. I am a multi-displinary guy and I received training in multidisciplinary approaches to research during my education. During my bachelor program on biochemistry (University of Dhaka, 1993-1998), I learned how to perform various experiments in biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, microbiology, and food sciences. Later on, I gained hands-on experience in protein chemistry, spectroscopy, and analytical chemistry during my master’s study at Concordia University at Montreal (2002-2004). I worked on a project, “Modification of Local and Global Conformational Stability of Hemoglobin by the Allosteric Effectors BPG and IHP,” wherein I deeply studied protein structures by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), circular dichroism, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Finally, I became familiar with nanobiointerphase research during my doctoral study on nanobiotechnology engineering at the University of Malaysia Perlis (2009-2011). I developed short-length DNA biomarkers using PCR technology and conjugated them with nanomaterials to develop colorimetric sensors for porcine detection under commercial food matrices. I also learned microfabrication technologies for the fabrication of various nanostructured materials. My works were published in Nanotechnology, Meat Science, Food Analytical Methods, the Journal of Nanomaterials, and many other prestigious journals. I also received several prestigious awards such as the University of Malaysia Perlis Gold Medal 2010 and the Biomalaysia Gold Award 2011. Finally, I took a postdoctoral-cum-academic position in the Nanotechnology and Catalysis Research Centre in the University of Malaya in 2012 and have attracted about RM2.5 million in research grants to explore my areas of interest. Here, I have been leading two major projects, “Development of Multicomponent Systems for the Total Analysis of Food Ingredients,” and “CNT and Graphene Hybrids for Water Purification and Desalination.” I have demonstrated tremendous success in both projects, which have a strong appeal to the international community. In 2015, my desalination work received the prestigious “Atlas” award from Elsevier, and in 2016, my food fraud article was featured by the American Chemical Society. I brought new concepts into PCR technology by targeting double genes to enhance security in molecular diagnosis, and to carbon nanotube engineering to solve the global water crisis by sea water desalination. My work has produced 2 patents, 125 publications in the web of science,40 conference proceedings,2 keynote speeches, and 18 invited lectures in prestigious conferences and universities. IDE technologies (Israel), GreenWater Namibia, and the University of Lille in France have requested my CNT membranes for water desalination, and Nestlé New Zealand and the Shanghai GMO Laboratory have used my PCR-based validation schemes for the tracing of animal materials in the food chain. In the coming years, I will continue my research on the following three projects, all of which have a great demand in global markets:(1) CNT and Graphene Hybrids for Water Purification and Desalination;  (2) Development of Multicomponent Systems for the Total Analysis of Food gredients and (3) Organ-on-Chip for Molecular Diagnostics.

Research Interest

Environmental Friendly Products and Technologies (Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Hybrids for Water Purification and Desalination; Bioconjugated Nanomaterials for Biomedical and Environmental Applications) Dna Probe Technology (DNA Biomarkers for Species Authetication; NanoBiohybrid Probes DNA for Biosensors; Bio-imaging, Drug Delivery and other Biomedical Applications)