Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre congratulates a team led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Tan Jian Ping at School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia for successfully filing a patent application for their invention “Fluidized Bed Caged Immobilizer” (Patent File ID: PI2023001258). 

This project is funded by the inaugural funding from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) under the project code TDF07211418.

The team consists of Sim Xue Yan and Tey Ker Yee, both master students from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, as well as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yeap Swee Keong and Dr. Hui Yew Woh from China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences.

According to the researchers, this patent creates a fluidized bed bioreactor to cater to high cell density immobilizer for high productivity of 1,3-propanediol. The project aims to produce regional key strategic precursor 1,3-propanediol to boost local bioeconomy in Malaysia, unlocking various business opportunities in Southeast Asia and strengthening local palm-oleo and palm-biodiesel industry by converting its crude glycerine waste into value-added products. The technology is also transferable to other biochemical processes to utilize local agricultural wastes into value-added biochemical compounds.

The prototype for the patent will be fabricated and installed in XMUM for further investigation.

MOSTI-Funded XMUM Biobased 1,3-Propanediol Production