We’re pleased to announce that the latest-generation CellenONE️® X1 Neo is now being installed at the Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre (SBMDC), Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University — marking an exciting new chapter in the next-level single-cell research!

The CellenONE® is a cutting-edge, all-in-one platform that seamlessly integrates high-accuracy single-cell isolation with ultra-precise pico- to nanoliter reagent dispensing. Its image-based sorting capabilities, support for robust cell line development, and streamlined, miniaturized workflows for end-to-end sample preparation will significantly advance research across multiple disciplines.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for the CellenONE® Technology Introduction & Tutorial at Sunway University on April 17, 2025. Your participation made the event a success, and we look forward to more opportunities for learning, discovery, and collaboration.

Dr Tan Yee Seng recently served as the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EMERGING TRENDS IN PHYSICAL SCIENCES (ICETPS-2025), organized by the Department of Physics at Shankarlal Khandelwal College, Akola, on March 12, 2025. During his lecture, Dr. Tan discussed chemical molecular dynamics, an intriguing area of crystallographic research that investigates how molecules alter their conformation or packing within the solid state in response to external stimuli. 

The SBMDC was honored to invite Assoc. Prof. Dr. Courtney M. Yuen, an epidemiologist and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to share her insights on Beyond Disciplinary Boundaries: Advancing Science & Navigating Your Career during the Research & Innovation Forum.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Courtney, whose research focuses on combating the global tuberculosis epidemic, has a diverse background spanning chemistry, public health, and epidemiology. Her work involves conducting implementation research on tuberculosis service delivery and evaluating the impact of healthcare access barriers on health outcomes.

Currently based at Sunway University as part of her scholarship, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Courtney is exploring opportunities for future research and educational collaborations between our institutions. We were honored to have her share her experiences and perspectives on the importance of working across disciplines to tackle global challenges.

Dr Alan Tan Sang Loon was invited as a Principal Investigator to participate in a workshop planning for conceptual course in macromolecular crystallography and cryo-EM at the King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand. The workshop aims to strategize plans to maximize the effectiveness in assisting participating labs in structure determination as well as the design of a conceptual course in macromolecular by X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM for the benefit of the growing structural community in Southeast Asian region. In the workshop, Dr Alan delivered a talk on “Entering into the Uncharted Realm of Structural Biology to Understand the Interaction between Nickel(II) Complexes of Dithiocarbazate Schiff Bases and Dengue Envelope Protein”. 

SBMDC extends heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Bey Hing Goh Bey Hing for his remarkable achievement in receiving the esteemed Malaysia's Research Star Award (MRSA). This prestigious honor, presented by the Minister of Higher Education, Dato Seri DiRaja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, is a testament to Prof. Goh's unwavering dedication and exemplary contributions to scientific research.

We are immensely proud of Prof. Goh's accomplishments and eagerly anticipate his continued success and groundbreaking advancements in the field of research. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

The 18th Conference of the Asian Crystallographic Association (AsCA2024) was recently concluded with a success at the KL Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur! The conference with the theme Crystallography today: beyond the fundamental science, witnessed the gathering of over 300 delegates comprising prominent researchers and young scientists who are dedicated to advancing scientific discoveries through X-ray crystallographic and associated techniques. SBMDC members, Dr Ally Yeo Chien Ing, Dr Alan Tan Sang Loon and Dr Tan Yee Seng involved in organizing the prestigious conference and contributed to its success. 

The recently concluded Innovate for Longevity: Health and Wellness Challenge co-hosted by Sustainable Food Asia and the Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre (SBMDC) of the School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University was featured in the Japan Times, which is the largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper in Japan.

SBMDC would like to thank Regenesome Inc., a subsidiary company of Space Seed Holdings for the kind support. Please click here for more information.

SBMDC would like to congratulate Dr. Yuan Seng Wu and Ms. Samhita palasupramaniam, for winning the Best Innovation Award at the Innovate for Longevity, Health, and Wellness Challenge, held in conjunction with the Research & Innovation Forum on "Realizing Well-being in ASEAN through Advanced Technologies." This event was jointly organized by Sustainable Food Asia Co., Ltd. and SBMDC, which aims to promote the use of sustainable health solutions for longevity, health, and wellness. More information is available here.

The Japan Times- Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper - highlighting Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre (SBMDC)'s initiatives. 

Space Seed Holdings, represented by its subsidiary Regenesome Inc., had chosen SBMDC as focal point of discussion. The Research & Innovation Forum “Realizing Well-being in ASEAN Through Advanced Technologies,” was held on November 19, 2024, at Sunway University, Malaysia. For more info, please click here

Prof. Dennis Chang, the Director of Western Sydney University's NICM Health Research Institute had visited Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre (SBMDC) on 22 November 2024. His insightful talk on "Building scientific evidence to support the use of natural medicine for high burden chronic illnesses" provided valuable insights. 

The visit had also explored the potential collaboration across SBMDC, Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway TCM Centre & Sunway MultiCare Pharmacy.  

With Sunway's extensive network and possibilities, we anticipate fruitful collaborations! For more information, please click  HERE

Prof. Goh Bey Hing was invited to speak on "Biofunctional Molecules Discovery: Bridging the Gap in Translation of Innovation" at Taipei Medical University on 7 - 8 November 2024. Prof. Goh shared some critical approach to translate innovative research into practical applications, bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and real-world solutions. For more information, please click HERE

We are excited to announce that our work at the Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre, School of Medical and Life Sciences (SMLS), Sunway University, has been spotlighted in the The Edge Malaysia My Say: The role of natural medicine in shaping next-generation research

This article highlights the immense potential of ethnopharmacology in bridging traditional medicine and modern science to advance human health while fostering sustainability and preserving cultural heritage.

📖 Article Highlights:
🌿 Harnessing Malaysia’s biodiversity to discover new therapeutic agents.
🔬 Employing cutting-edge tools like computational techniques in drug discovery.
🤝 Encouraging global collaborations and sustainable practices in healthcare.
💡 Training the next generation of researchers with multidisciplinary expertise.

Special thanks to our incredible co-authors:
👉 Dr. Tan Ee Wern, post-doctoral research fellow, Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre, Sunway University
👉 Dr. Low Ley Hian, head of business development, CRMY Technologies Sdn Bhd, Cancer Research Malaysia
👉 Prof. Atanas G Atanasov, principal investigator, Medical University of Vienna, Austria & Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
👉 Prof. Goh Bey Hing, head of the Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre, SMLS, Sunway University, & University of Technology Sydney, Australia

📌 Dive into this insightful piece in The Edge Malaysia Weekly to learn more about how we’re shaping the future of healthcare and research!

Our post-doctoral research fellow, Dr. Tan Ee Wern has been selected to participate in the short-term research attachment at Taipei Medical University from 28 October 2024 to 8 November 2024. For more information, please click HERE

AdenoCure 3X is designed to accelerate the discovery of anti-cancer compounds by using an innovative adenovirus-mediated approach. This platform provides a more efficient way to evaluate potential drug candidates, potentially reducing the time required for traditional drug development. For more information, please click HERE

The publication of our latest multidisplinary review in Coordination Chemistry Reviews! IF: 20.3 🎉

The article could be accessed HERE

AdenoCure 3X, an invention lead by Dr. Ee Wern and mentored by Prof Goh and the team, has been honoured with the Gold Medal at the Pharmacy Invention, Innovation, and Technology Exhibition 2024 (PHIITEX). AdenoCure 3X is a revolutionary technology designed to significantly expedite the discovery of novel anti-cancer compounds. This innovative platform utilizes a unique adenovirus-mediated approach to rapidly assess the effectiveness of potential drug candidates, potentially shaving years off the traditional drug discovery timeline. For more information, please click HERE

Space Seed Holdings Ltd., visited Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to meet with Professor Goh of the School of Medical & Life Sciences. The purpose of this visit was to explore and discuss the potential of technologies related to Space Seed Holdings Ltd. in addressing global challenges, with a focus on feasible solutions through molecular biology research approaches, including those applicable to space. HERE

We are pleased to share that Brianna, a PhD candidate under the SMLS supervising by a supervisory team of Prof Bey Hing Goh, Dr Ayaz Anwar, Dr Sin-Yeang (Ronald) Teow, Dr Yuan Seng Wu, PhD, Dr Liang Ee Low and Prof Long Ming 罗孝銘, was shortlisted and attended the prestigious 10th HKU-Pasteur Cell Biology Course. This highly competitive programme, offered by the HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, brings together outstanding students and experts from around the world. The programme covers several exciting topics, including cellular trafficking, cytoskeleton dynamics, and cancer biology. Whereas, Prof. Bey Hing Goh himself was an alumnus of this programme in 2010 when he was a postgraduate student. Our deepest gratitude to Prof. Roberto Bruzzone for his unwavering support and mentorship of researchers worldwide.

In addition to this achievement, Brianna , won the Best Poster Presentation for her work titled “5-Fluorouracil Loaded Chitosan Nanogels Demonstrate Selective Cytotoxicity in Colorectal Cancer Cells” at the 4th Joint Higher Degree by Research Conference. This event, held at Sunway University from 4-5 September 2024, was in partnership with James Cook University Singapore (JCUS), Taylor's University Malaysia (TU), and University of Reading Malaysia (UoRM).

The SMLS & Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre's (Visit HERE) team congratulates Brianna on her outstanding achievements and wishes her continued success. 

The latest publication by Dr Ee Wern Tan titled "Adenovirus-mediated expression of MOAP-1, Bax and RASSF1A antagonizes chemo-drug resistance of human breast cancer cells expressing cancer stem cell markers," in the prestigious Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, a Q1 Top 6% journal in the field of pharmacology!. This research explores a promising approach to overcoming chemo-drug resistance in breast cancer, potentially paving the way for improved treatment strategies.

In a momentous occasion, Sunway University and Biogenes Technologies Sdn. Bhd. have gracefully penned and exchanged a MoU, which marks the beginning of a collaborative journey in the realm of aptamer research and discovery. The synergy of these two institutions will be brought to life at the SBMDC, where the research will be jointly conducted with Biogenes Technologies.

In a significant move towards fostering innovation and collaborative growth, Sunway University and Supergenics Bhd. have come together in a formal alliance, sealing a Memorandum of Agreement. The strategic partnership is set to unlock new potentials by synergising resources and expertise through a joint research project led by Prof. Rebecca Wong Shin Yee, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements. The project will be jointly conducted in SBMDC.

Dr Tan Yee Seng and Dr Ally Yeo were invited to share their knowledge on crystallography and solid-state NMR by delivering lectures with the topics "foundations of X-ray crystallography in MOFs research" and "solid-state NMR: insights into structural aspects of metal-organic frameworks", respectively, at UPM, Malaysia.

Dr Tan Yee Seng had the honour to present his research on "Reversible Structural Transformation between Supramolecular Isomer and Respective [2+2] Cycloaddition" at the 49th International Congress on Science, Technology, and Technology-based Innovation in Hatyai, Thailand. He was an invited speaker under the symposium SP8 - X-ray Crystallography. Dr. Ally Yeo Chien Ing, a member of SBMDC, also participated as an oral presenter with the title "Unveiling Halogen Bond in the Play: Co-crystals of 1,4-Diiodotetrafluorobenzene" in the same symposium. 

Prof. Goh Bey Hing is recognized as the Top Research Scientists Malaysia (TRSM) 2023 by the renowned Academy of Sciences Malaysia. We would like to congratulate Prof. Goh wholeheartedly and wish his illustrious research career to go up to the next level in near future. For more information please visit HERE

A compelling opinion piece titled "Of scientists and rock stars," Prof. Goh, alongside Dr. Ley Hian Low, PhD of Biogenes Technologies, was featured in The Star, 03 Jan 2024. The letter delves into the critical role that scientific communication plays in today's fast-paced world. They explore how scientists, much like rock stars, have the potential to captivate and inspire the public with their groundbreaking work.

Prof. Goh's contribution is more than just an article; it's a call to action for the scientific community to engage more profoundly with society, harnessing modern platforms to amplify their impactful research. He encourages the embrace of social media and innovative communication strategies to make scientific discoveries as viral as the latest trend. For more info please visit HERE or HERE

The article by Prof. Goh Bey Hing and his team entitle "Harnessing the potentialities of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, paraprobiotics, and postbiotics for shrimp farming" has been recognized as one of the top downloaded articles in the Reviews in Aquaculture (IF: 10.592; 1/55). The work was funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme 2019 and had garnered numerous prestigious international and local awards. A patent prototype was filed for this work, and impactful newsletters were distributed across Malaysia, Australia, and Ireland.