The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates undergraduate alumni Zhang Yunqiu and Chew See Hui, Asst. Prof. Dr. Chew Sook Chin from the China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Dr. Chan Wei Chuen from the School of Foundation Studies, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tan Jian Ping from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering on the publication of their research article in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, an SCIE Q1 journal with a latest impact factor of 8.7.

The publication is an outcome of the final-year project (FYP) conducted by Zhang Yunqiu and Chew See Hui, who contributed equally to the study, in collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tan Kong Wai from the University of Malaya. Following the completion of their undergraduate studies, Zhang Yunqiu is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Biotechnology at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, while Chew See Hui is working at Franklin Offshore International Pte. Ltd. in Singapore.

The research article, titled "Development and Characterization of Microalgae-Based Hydrogel with Nannochloropsis oceanica and Soy Protein Isolate: Antioxidant Activities and Gallic Acid Delivery", demonstrates that incorporating the microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica into a soy protein isolate (SPI) hydrogel produces a porous, mechanically stable biomaterial with enhanced antioxidant properties. The hydrogel efficiently loaded and sustainably released gallic acid while exhibiting improved antimicrobial activity. These findings highlight the potential of Nannochloropsis oceanica-based SPI hydrogels as slow-release drug delivery systems, expanding the applications of microalgae-based biocarriers in biomedical fields.

The full research article is available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.151277

This research was financially supported by the Xiamen University Malaysia Research Fund (XMUMRF/2025-C15/ISFS/0003).

Asst. Prof. Dr. Chew Sook Chin is a faculty member at the China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Xiamen University Malaysia. She has been recognised among the World’s Top 2% Scientists (2023–2025) by Stanford University. Her research focuses on marine biotechnology, microalgae, natural product development, and sustainable bioproduct innovation, with particular interest in developing value-added marine natural product for biomedical, environmental, and industrial applications.