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The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become the sine qua non of many molecular biology laboratories. It basically uses enzymes to mass replicate a portion of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strand for easier analysis, such as in searching for genes of interest. Like the nuclear chain reaction, PCR is an exponential process that continues as long … Read more

MPOB has purchased a FACS Calibur Flow Cytometer (Becton Dickinson, USA) in 2003 (Figure 1). It is equipped with an argon ion laser for analysis of the fluorescent intensity of nuclei using the CellQuest software. Flow cytometry (FCM) is a rapid and convenient technique that allows accurate determination of (1) nuclear DNA content or genome … Read more

Three frying facilities are available in MPOB, i.e. pressure, open fryers (batch) and pilot plant continuous fryers (Figure 1). The pressure fryer is commonly used for products such as breaded chicken to retain its juiciness while the open fryer is more for products to be eaten instantly such as French fries, chicken and fish nuggets. … Read more

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) is a new genetic fingerprinting technique for examining a microbial population based on genetic markers. The vast majority, or 80%, of microbes are not yet isolated and identified due to lack of knowledge on how they survive and grow in their habitats. The purpose of DGGE is to monitor changes in … Read more

MicrobeLynx™ in combination with bio-informati c s provides a powerful tool for determining the species and typing of microorganisms. This massMfingerprinting technique for bacteria offers greater sensitivity, selectivity and speed of analysis compared to classical identification methods. The technology applies biopolymer mass spectrometry techniques to analyses ofintact bacteria and actinomycetes for rapid fingerprinting. The entire … Read more

Alcohol bottom is a by-product, or distillation residue, from the production of C8-C18 fatty alcohols while ester bottom is a by-product or distillation residue, from the production of C8- C18 methyl esters. They can be used to adulterate crude palm kernel oil (CPKO), one of the feedstocks used for the production of oleochemicals. MPOB has developed … Read more

Titanium dioxide is used primarily in the production of paints, printing inks and paper products. It is also widely used in cosmetics and personal care products as sunscreen and whitening agent. It can be used as a whitening agent in solid fatty acids and soap noodles (Fairhurst and Mitchnik, 1997). For solid fatty acids and … Read more

Increasing pressure to bring novel specialty compounds to market has initiated the automation of laboratory reactors to perform controlled experiments at laboratory scale which can be easily scaled-up. Product and process developments in the shortest time to produce the first kilogramme of compound for commercial evaluation is of utmost importance. The LabMax reactor is a … Read more

Polymorphism is defined as the ability of a chemical compound to form different crystalline structures. The three basic polymorphic forms of fats are !, “’ and “. The !-form is the least stable and has the lowest melting temperature and the “-form the most stable with the highest melting temperature. The “’ has intermediate characteristics … Read more

Advances in MPOB’s genetic engineering programme have made it possible to genetically engineer oil palm for producing valuable commercial products such as high oleate, high stearate and biodegradable plastics. New approaches have been invented to produce transgenic palms such as establishment of a transformation system, isolation of important genes and promoters, construction of transformation vectors with the … Read more