Meet Ups for Makan-times!

Even though we don't see each other as frequently as we'd like, all the times that we've met up for a lunch / dinner, were memories to add to our BIDP family album!

Since pictures are worth a thousand words, I will let the pictures speak for themselves below:

Food outings with our trainers!

Birthday celebrations in and out of class!

And there were everyday lunches, Graduation lunches, BBQs and Hari Raya makan times too!

And dinner times together also, when we get to organize it :) 

May we continue to share fellowship this sweet with each other, even though we might be from different batches of BIDP.. I'm glad we can all be friends. 

                                                                                                                         Written by: Mel A

The BIDP Lab

For the past two years, BIDP practical courses have been conducted in the Agilent BIDP Laboratory, situated in Ipharm, Penang. 

The lab is divided into two distinct lab sections; Bio-Analysis Lab and Wet Chemistry Lab. 

The two parts of the BIDP Lab 

Each Lab is then segregated into different specific rooms for different purposes. For example, the Bio-Analysis Lab is divided into four different rooms , with each room having their own functions for qPCR experiments: 

a) General Bio-lab Room - Sample prep area
b) Pre-PCR Room & DNA-free Room - Mastermix and template addition
c) qPCR Room - qPCR run

The four different rooms and their contents

Meanwhile, the Wet Chemistry lab contains the Balance Room and Instrument Area where the micro balances, FTIR, GC-FID and UHPLC are located respectively.

There is also the Dissolution tester and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer in the Wet Chemistry lab area. 

Clockwise from top left: FTIR, GC-FID, UHPLC, & Dissolution Tester

Other places in the lab is occupied by the other supporting instruments and equipment which are needed.

Clockwise from top left: Chemical cabinet for corrosives, Vaccum pump and drying oven, chemical cabinet for flammables, fridge, magnetic stirrer, pH meters and sonicator

All in all the BIDP lab has been a place where many experiments, demonstrations and lab practicals have been conducted, either for the BIDP program or not.

Looking forward, the lab's usage can only grow with each user who come along; and we especially share the joy of each success that have been achieved through the BIDP students in the lab! 

                                                                                                                             Written by: Melanie P.

Lab sessions in Progress

So in March, we had our Phase II students from BIDP II batch 2 in ABI (MARDI, Serdang) and Phase III students from BIDP II batch 1 in Ipharm (Penang) keeping us busy in the lab with practical sessions as the main course, and the sides were of course assignments and lab reports.

All the way from Wellington, New Zealand came our trainer for these two sessions: Mr Chor Ee Tan; whom we welcome fondly as one of the most loved trainer of the BIDP modules. Him, and the chocolates he brings along of course!

Chor Ee in class teaching and watching presentations in progress

Lab practical sessions are always fun to tutor, especially if your trainees are an interesting bunch of people! Many antics and sharing were exchanged during the times in the lab, but all the while having a tutor watching them closely as to not go beyond their allocated time slots. 

This qPCR practical sessions saw two groups of students; in Penang and Serdang, having their Advance DNA Detection Technology knowledge tested as they planed carried out experiments with minimal supervision.

Lab practical sessions in ABI for Advanced qPCR

Lab sessions in IPharm Bio-Analysis Lab

What more effective way for students to get the learning experience that they all need and want than hands- on practical sessions where they can experience the labs in a special way, whether or not they will use all the instruments they learn of or not. Questions can always be directed to the trainer or tutors during the practical sessions which enhance the learning of students and trainers/tutors alike.

In these qPCR lab practical sessions, we thank our ever enthusiastic trainer, Chor Ee for a brief, yet great time together with us, here in Malaysia.

May there be many more happy and satisfied trainees as they experience the labs we have the practical sessions at!

                                                                                                                           Written by: Melanie Ann

Personal Data Protection Act 2010

Personal Data Protection Act 2010

Assalamualaikum and good day from HAT,

As you may be aware, above act took effect since November 2013.  All companies dealing in personal data including institutions that offer training (and handle students' personal data) are required to comply with the act and register with Ministry of Communication and Multimedia, Personal Data Protection Department.

The full act can be found below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8izFmm3HRridl9PYk43M1pLVkE/edit?usp=sharing

Please make yourself familiar with it. Moving forward it will becoming more risky to use other people info nowadays. You could be fine or jail should you being convicted with 'misuse' of personal data when you use it as the Data Users ...even to your own staff.

Example of "Personal Data" are: 

• Name and address 
• identification number 
• passport number 
• health information 
• e-mail 
• picture 
• recording images in closed circuit television (CCTV) 
• information in personal files 
• Bank account details 
• Credit card details

Data Users - means any person who processes the data and any person who has control over or authorizes the processing of any personal data in respect of commercial transactions. 

Data Subject - means an individual who is the subject of personal data.

More info can be found from KKMM website:

www.pdp.gov.my

Lunar New Year 2014 Greetings

It's the time for music, visitation, red packets,sweet tangerines, traditional cookies, red cloth and clothing once again! 

To all those who are celebrating the season of Chinese Lunar New Year (Wood Horse Year), we at HAT would like to wish you a very blessed Chinese New Year indeed! May this year bring you much joy and happiness.. 

This wish does not exclude all the other friends and partners we have of course, even though you may not celebrate the season, we still would like to wish you all a very happy holiday season! Do enjoy the cookies and goodies of the season with the rest of us! 

We wish you all the very best in whatever this year may bring!