Malaysia brings home gold from 2018 INO

TEHRAN: Malaysia took home the gold medal in the science, technology and innovation category at the 2018 International Nanotechnology Olympiad (INO) held at Pardis Technology Park, Tehran, Iran from April 10 – 17.
The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (MOSTI), in a statement, said the team sent by the National Technology Centre (NNC) to represent the nation comprised Joshua Soo Zheyan of Universiti Malaya (UM), Ho Kah Chun (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), Muhammad Sollehin Idris (UM) and Rabiatul Adawiyah Zayadi (Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia).
"The competition format requires every team to propose a problem-solving research concept based on the theme given. The Malaysian team had proposed a research concept titled Nano-Palm Frond Titania Fibre (PFTF) Membrane for Industrial Waste Water Treatment (Reduction of Methylene Blue Dye and Hexavalent Chromium).
"The waste to wealth concept used oil palm frond waste to produce 'cellulose acetate' which will be combined with the material nano-titania to produce a membrane using the 'electro-spinning' process, according to the statement.
According to the statement, NNC as the coordinator of the INO Malaysia team had arranged two phases of training for the national team on March 11 to 17 and March 19 to 21.
"The training also included using UKM, UM, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Monash University research laboratories and private laboratories such as Hi-Tech Instruments, CREST Nanosolutions and Progene Link to help the national teams provide nanofibre membranes, material characterisation and PFTF membrane performance testing on heavy metals," it said.
The 2018 INO competition was organised by the Asia Nano Forum (ANF) and implemented by the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC) as well as the Iranian INO's Permanent Secretariat.
Also participating in 2018 INO were seven other participants comprising four advanced postgraduate students, two technical officers and a team manager.
The 2018 INO participants were selected from the National Nanotechnology Olympiad competition organised by NNC last year. — AFP