Curriculum Vitae
Research Officer in plant biotechnology at MARDI since 2014, with a background spanning genome editing, transcriptomics, and agricultural biosafety across Malaysia, Japan, and the United States.
ORCID 0000-0003-0278-3478 · Google Scholar · linkedin.com/in/nazrulhisham · nazrulhisham@mardi.gov.my
Education
Oct 2022 – Sep 2024
M.Eng. in Biotechnology and Life Science
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan
Thesis: Microneedle Array-assisted Direct Delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein Complex and Optimization of Mutation Detection in Rice. The full research component was completed as a Research Collaborator at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba.
Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Scholarship, Government of Japan — Embassy Recommendation
Sep 2009 – Jun 2013
B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology/Biotechnology
Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA
Additional major in Genomics and Molecular Genetics.
MARA Excellent Student Scheme (Biasiswa Skim Pelajar Cemerlang)
Research experience
Mar 2014 – present
Research Officer, Plant Biotechnology
Proteomics Laboratory, Biotechnology & Nanotechnology Research Centre, MARDI (previously Molecular Transformation Laboratory)
- Genome editing of SGR1 and CYC-B in lowland tomato (MT-3) to increase lycopene content and nutritional value — current
- Recombinant phytase expression in E. coli as a potential animal feed additive, supporting national food sovereignty — current
- Optimisation of protoplast isolation and transfection in Malaysian rice cultivars — principal researcher, 2021–2025
- CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in a local rice variety for rice blast resistance, via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation — co-researcher, 2021
- Genome sequencing of the Malaysian stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama — co-researcher, 2020
- Contained evaluation and agronomic performance of Pioneer 4546 grain corn under transgenic glasshouse conditions — co-researcher, 2020
- Transgenic MR 219 rice with enhanced sheath blight resistance — co-researcher, RT-qPCR analysis, 2016–2019
- Transgenic papaya for dieback resistance via quorum quenching — co-researcher, confined field trial, 2017–2019
- Functional analysis of the Terengganu cherry (Lepisanthes fruticosa) de novo fruit transcriptome — principal researcher, 2018
- Positive selection in transgenic papaya using phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) technology — co-researcher, 2014–2016
Alongside the research: NGS and RNA-seq analysis, RT-qPCR expression profiling, and hands-on student supervision (listed under Supervision and invited training).
May 2022 – Sep 2024
Collaborative Researcher (Nakamura Lab)
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
Microneedle-assisted CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein delivery in rice, under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayana Yamagishi, a TUAT visiting associate professor based at AIST.
Aug 2013 – Mar 2014
Research Assistant, Proteomics
Proteomics Laboratory, Biotechnology & Nanotechnology Research Centre, MARDI
Proteomic profiling of papaya infected with Erwinia mallotivora, the dieback pathogen — Bradford quantification, SDS-PAGE and 2D-PAGE separation.
Apr 2012 – Jun 2013
Undergraduate Lab Assistant
Schemske Lab, Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University
Crossed Italian and Swedish ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana for QTL mapping of freezing tolerance and cold acclimation; fitness assessment of A. thaliana and A. lyrata.
Supervision and invited training
Student supervision
Undergraduate, international and vocational trainees at MARDI, 2020–2026 — five placements across four institutions in two countries, supervised in molecular cloning, plant tissue culture and RT-qPCR.
- Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) — 2 students, 2021 and 2025
- Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) — 1 student, 2020
- Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU), Indonesia — 1 student, 2025 (international placement)
- Kolej Vokasional Teluk Intan — 1 student, 2026 (vocational)
Invited training delivered
- Invited speaker — MSPP Genome Editing Workshop, 2025
- Invited speaker — MARDI Institutional Biosafety Committee Refresher Course, 2022 and 2026
Professional qualifications
- Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP0030/2017) — Malaysian Biosafety and Biosecurity Association. Five-year certification; lapsed and pending renewal.
- Graduate Technologist — Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT)
- Certifications: Plant Bioinformatics; Bioinformatics Methods I & II
Biosafety and technical training
- Malaysian Biosafety Officer Training (MABOT 3) — Malaysian Biosafety and Biosecurity Association, Oct 2016 – Mar 2017 (leading to RBP certification)
- Workshop on the Implementation of a Sustainable Biorisk Management Program — STRIDE, 2017
- Seminar cum Workshop on CRISPR Technology for Indica Rice, with Nanjing Agricultural University — MARDI Serdang, Jan 2019
- Next-Generation Sequencing Data Analysis Workshop — Malaysia Genome Institute, 2018
- Genome Engineering: The Tools for Genome Editing — Bio-Diagnostics Sdn Bhd, Aug 2017
Committees and membership
- Institutional Biosafety Committee, MARDI — 2015–present
- Biorisk Management Committee, MARDI — 2018–2022
- Executive Committee, Malaysian Society of Plant Physiology — 2019–2021
- Malaysian Society of Plant Physiology (MSPP) — 2016–present
- Malaysian Biosafety and Biosecurity Association (MBBA) — 2016–present
- Asian Federation of Biotechnology (AFOB) — 2015–present
Honours and awards
- Best Poster Award, MSPP Conference 2025 — functional assessment of CRISPR/Cas9 constructs in rice cv. MR 297 by PEG-mediated protoplast transfection
- Gold Medal and Special Award (Young Scientist), MARDI Science & Technology Exhibition 2020 — Dieback Quencher: Engineering Papaya Resistance via Modern Biotechnology
- Bronze Medal, MARDI Science & Technology Exhibition 2018 — Unraveling the Genetic Code of Ceri Terengganu Fruit
- Best Poster, 27th Malaysian Society of Plant Physiology Conference 2017
- Bronze Medal, Malaysia Technology Expo 2016 — delayed-ripening Eksotika papaya via silencing technology
- Silver Medal, MARDI Science & Technology Exhibition 2015 — Clean-Gene Technology: Moving Toward Safer Genetically Modified Crop
Peer review and scientific service
- Focal point for MARDI, National Biotechnology Symposium (NBS) 2026 — MARDI is a co-organiser of the symposium — current
- Reviewer, The Plant Genome (Wiley) — May 2026
- Independent peer reviewer — 8 reviews for international journals in 2024, including Plant Nano Biology (5) and Plant Physiology and Biochemistry (3)
- Manuscript reviewer, MSPP Transactions — volumes 25–28 (2017–2020)
- Scientific & Technical Committee, MSPP Conferences — 2017–2020
- Scientific & Technical Sub-committee, National Conference on Precision Biotechnology in Agriculture 2020
- Scientific & Technical Sub-committee, Regional Corn Conference 2019
Policy and representation
- Representative for MARDI and the Malaysian economy, APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (2020)
- Host Economy Liaison Officer, APEC 2020 Malaysia — ISOM Langkawi and SOM1 Putrajaya
- Special Officer to the Chairman, MARDI Governing Board — Feb–May 2022, Wisma Tani, Putrajaya
- Daily Duty Officer for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security at the Parliament of Malaysia (2025)
Languages: Malay (native), English (professional working). References available on request — please get in touch.