Staff Directory


Suhaila Bt. Mohd. Omar

Academic Qualification

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Biotechnology) - Doctor of Philosophy, Australian Graduate Research School
  • Master of Technology (Environmental Management) - Masters Degree, Universiti Malaya (UM)
  • Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology with Management) - Bachelor Degree, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Suhaila Bt. Mohd. Omar (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)

Associate Professor
IIUM Kuantan Campus

KULLIYYAH OF SCIENCE

Other's position:

Head, Kulliyyah of Science


osuhaila@iium.edu.my
5051


Expert Profile


Suhaila Mohd Omar started her academic career as an Assistant Lecturer in the Kulliyyah of Science, IIUM in 2003. After pursuing her postgraduate study in University of Malaya and University of New South Wales (Australia), she was promoted as a senior lecturer in 2014. Her current areas of research and teaching are environmental biotechnology which includes microbial diversity in extreme environment and the management of municipal and agricultural waste management.
At the moment, her research projects are on microbial diversity in acidic peat swamp forest and their potential for lignocellulose degradation. In this research project she uses both cultivation and metagenomics approaches to study microbial biodiversity and their ability to produce lignocellulose degrading enzymes. She is also interested in diversity of exoelectrogens that can be utilized in microbial fuel cell for wastewater treatment or biosensor devices.


Area of Specialisation


  • Natural Science ~ Environmental Sciences ~ Environment Management and Bioremediation ~ Solid Waste Management - Municipal and agricultural waste
  • Natural Science ~ Environmental Sciences ~ Environment Management and Bioremediation ~ Natural Resource Management - Microbial diversity in peat swamp, mangrove and sponges
  • Natural Science ~ Bioinformatics ~ Computational Molecular Biology ~ Metagenomics - Enzyme data from extreme environment


Teaching Responsibilities


BIODIVERSITY 2019/2020 2018/2019 2017/2018 2016/2017 2015/2016
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION 2023/2024 2022/2023
BIOFERTILIZERS 2016/2017
BIONANOTECHNOLOGY 2023/2024 2022/2023 2021/2022
BIOPROCESS I 2007/2008
BIOTECHNOLOGY, LAW AND ETHICS 2019/2020 2018/2019 2017/2018 2016/2017
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2007/2008
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021/2022 2018/2019 2017/2018 2016/2017 2015/2016 2014/2015 2013/2014 2007/2008
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY 2023/2024 2022/2023 2021/2022 2020/2021 2019/2020 2018/2019 2017/2018 2016/2017 2015/2016
FINAL YEAR PROJECT 2020/2021
FINAL YEAR PROJECT II 2020/2021
FUNDAMENTALS OF MICROBIOLOGY 2023/2024 2022/2023
INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT 2023/2024 2022/2023 2021/2022
NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020/2021 2018/2019 2017/2018
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2007/2008
PROJECT SEMINAR 2007/2008
USRAH IN ACTION 1 2022/2023 2021/2022
USRAH IN ACTION 2 2023/2024 2022/2023
WASTE MANAGEMENT 2007/2008
WASTE MANAGEMENT AND USAGE 2020/2021 2019/2020 2018/2019 2017/2018 2016/2017 2015/2016 2014/2015 2013/2014 2007/2008


Supervision


Elucidation Of Pathogenicity, Virulence And Host Susceptibility Of Bacterial Panicle Blight On Rice Caused By Burkholderia Glumae.
Ph.D In Progress Main Supervisor
Microbiome Of Two Sympatric Sponges From Lang Tengah Island, Terengganu.
Master Completed 2023 Co-supervisor
Potential Biosurfactant-Producing Bacteria Isolated From Petroleum Sludge.
Master Completed 2021 Co-supervisor
Diversity Of Cultivated Bacteria From Pekan Peat Swamp Forest And The Lignocellulosic Biodegradation Potential.
Master Completed 2019 Main Supervisor
Cultivable Bacterial And Fungal Communities Associated With Selected Marine Fish Waste Decomposition.
Master Completed 2019 Co-supervisor
Uncovering Microbial Community Assemblages Associated With Soil Of The South-East Pahang Peat Swamp Forest.
Master Completed 2018 Main Supervisor
Charazterization Of Chitosan Extracted From Black Soldier Fly Cocoon Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (Nades) As Material For Nanofibers Fabrication.
Master In Progress Main Supervisor
Characterisation Of Electrospun Nanofibers From Black Soldier Fly Chitosan Extracted Using Single-Pot Recycle Nades Method.
Master In Progress Main Supervisor


Research Projects


Completed
2020 - 2022 Short Term Project: The Formulation for Wound Healing Hydrogel Polymer-Based Spray
2016 - 2020 The screening of xylanase from Kuantan mangrove actinomycetes
2015 - 2018 Fungal-Assisted Composting (FAC) Approach of Organic Waste
2015 - 2017 Bacterial-Assisted Composting (BAC) of Food Waste
2014 - 2016 The Screening for Potential Xylan, Cellulose and Lignin Biodegradation Activities from Microbial Communities in the South East Pahang Peat Swamp Forest Sediment and Peat Water
2014 - 2018 Microbial Diversity of Pekan Peat Swamp Forest Soil and their Functional Potential Through Cultivation and Metagenomic Approach
On-Going
2022 - Present Metagenomic Study of the Unchartered Nearshore Reefs in Kuantan Coastal Water
2022 - Present Plant-based Extract for Wound Healing Formulation-Phase III
2021 - Present Physicochemical and cytocompatibility assessment of electrospun chitosan nanofiber from Malaysia black soldier fly cocoon chitin deacetylated in natural deep eutectic solvent.
2017 - Present Development of Effective Microbes for Decomposition Process
2017 - Present In Situ Enzymatic Saccharification of Seawater Pretreated Lignocellulosic by Using Setiu Wetland Halophilic Fungi (SeHF)
2017 - Present Conversion of Waste from Fish and Aquaculture Industry into Value-added Products
2017 - Present Process Development in Simultaneous Saccharification and Co-Fermentation (SSCF) of Monosaccharide Sugars from Jatropha Curcas Seed Cake for Optimum Biothanol Production
2015 - Present Sponge-associated fungal diversity with functional analysis of halogenase and cellulase


Publications


Article

2024 Bibliometric analysis of the use of electrospun chitosan nanofibers in biomedical applications. Journal of Sustainable Materials Processing and Management, 4 (1) pp. 1-12
2023 Biosurfactant and bioemulsifier production by hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria isolated from petroleum sludge as potential biodispersant for oil spill remediation. Desalination and Water Treatment, 313 () pp. 243-251
2022 Chitin and Chitosan preparation from Malaysian Black Soldier Fly biomass: a preliminary study. Materials Science Forum, 1069 () pp. 201-209
2021 Draft genome sequence of Roseovarius sp. PS-C2, isolated from Sekinchan Beach in Selangor, Malaysia. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 10 (38) pp. 1-2
2019 Composting of food waste and its product performance on ipomoea aquatica. International Journal of Allied Health Sciences, 3 (3: Special Issue: Research Towards Sustainable Development Goals) pp. 818
2018 Islamic ethics of waste management towards sustainable environmental health. The International Medical Journal Malaysia, 17 (Special Issue 1) pp. 193-197
2018 The ethical significance of antibiotic resistance towards aquaculture practices. International Medical Journal Malaysia, 17 (Special Issue 2) pp. 295-301
2017 High quality DNA from peat soil for metagenomic studies: A minireview on DNA extraction methods. Science Heritage Journal, () pp. 1-6
2017 Isolation and characterization of biosurfactant-producing bacteria isolated from petroleum contaminated sites with the potential to be used in bioremediation. Science Heritage Journal / Galeri Warisan Sains (GWS), 1 (2) pp. 11-15
2017 Verrucosispora sp. K2-04, Potential Xylanase Producer from Kuantan Mangrove Forest Sediment. International Journal of Food Engineering, 3 (2) pp. 165-168
2016 Biotechnological potential of Kuantan mangrove actinomycete, Micromonospora K3-13. The International Medical Journal Malaysia, 15 (Supplement Issue) pp. 108-108
2016 Comparison of various culture media effectiveness in the isolation of bacteria from Pekan peat swamp forest soil. Malaysian Journal of Microbiology, 12 (6) pp. 450-454
2016 Screening of ligninase-producing bacteria from south east Pahang peat swamp forest soil. Malaysian Journal of Microbiology, 12 (6) pp. 433-437
2015 A new broad specificity alkaline metalloprotease from a Pseudomonas sp. isolated from refrigerated milk: role of calcium in improving enzyme productivity. Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, (113) pp. 1-8
2015 Isolation of bacteria from the acidic peat swamp forest soil and their lignin degradation potential. Jurnal Teknologi, 77 (24) pp. 77-81
2011 Biotechnological uses of enzymes from psychrophiles. Microbial biotechnology, 4 (4) pp. 449-460
Conference or Workshop Item

2022 Bacteria associated with rice panicle blight and grain discolouration in Penang. In: The 4th International Conference on Biosciences & Medical Engineering (ICBME 2022),
2019 Composting of food waste and its product performance on Ipomoea aquatica. In: Kuantan Research Day 2019,
2019 Isolation Of Marine Sponge-associated Fungi From Bidong And Karah Islands. In: KOS Postgraduate Colloquium,
2019 Potential biosurfactant producer and bioemulsifier isolated from petroleum sludge. In: 2nd AFOB-MC International Symposium 2019 (AFOBMCIS 2019),
2018 Eukaryotic diversity of marine sponges from Bidong Island, Malaysia. In: KOS PG Colloquium 2018,
2018 Sequence based analysis of fungi associated with decomposition. In: National Seminar on Rural Entrepreneurship Development for Poverty Eradication,
2018 The uncultivated majority of peat swamp bacterial and archaeal communities. In: 34th Symposium of the Malaysian Society for Microbiology 2018,
2017 Verrucosispora sp. K2-04, potential xylanase producer from Kuantan Mangrove Forest sediment. In: 2017 SEOUL Conference,
2015 Comparison of different AGAR plates used in the isolation of bacteria from Pekan peat SWAMP forest soil. In: International Congress of the Malaysian Society for Microbiology 2015 (7-10 December 2015) hosted in Bayview Beach resort, Penang, Malaysia,
2015 Isolation of bacteria from acidic peat swamp forest soil and their lignin degradation potential. In: International Conference on Advancement in Science and Technology (iCAST 2015) - ‘Frontiers in Biotechnology’,
2015 Screening for ligninase-producing bacteria from South East Pahang peat swamp forest soil. In: International Congress of the Malaysian Society of Microbiology (Microbiology Meeting the needs of a changing world held 7-10 December 2015,,
Book Section

2020 Cultivation vs the ‘omics’ approach for microbial bioprospecting in the 21st century: coastal environment in Malaysia. In: Noor Publishing, ISBN: 9786202791069, pp. 25-34
2020 Cultivation vs the ‘omics’ approach for microbial bioprospecting in the 21st century: coastal environment in Malaysia. In: Noor Publishing, ISBN: 9786202791069, pp. 25-34
2006 Biodiversity and marine biotechnology: a new era for the development of biotechnology industry. In: Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia, ISBN: 9834301006, pp. 67-74
Monograph

2018 Microbial diversity of Pekan peat swamp forest soil and their functional potential through cultivation and metagenomic approach. In: ,
2016 End of project report: the screening for potential xylan, cellulose and lignin biodegradation activities from microbial communities in the South East Pahang peat swamp forest sediment and water (EDW B14-196-1081). In: ,