KUALA LUMPUR: Khaw Liang Fa had the time of his life recently when he was selected to advance research in protein crystallisation – a study aimed at formulating drugs for a fraction of the conventional cost.
The third year chemical engineering student from UCSI University in Cheras here made Malaysia proud when he was picked by Imperial College London to work with top scientists on the research between September 2018 and January this year.
Khaw, 25, who hails from Skudai, Johor described his experience to study at one of the world’s top institutions as awe-inspiring besides being part of the team in the high impact research.
“The field of protein crystallisation itself is new to me. It requires patience as the desired results cannot be achieved overnight.
“Also, sometimes the results are unexpected and most of the time, it is a trial-and-error process where one has to think out of the box each time,” Khaw told Bernama recently.
Protein crystallisation, according to Khaw, means decoupling proteins from other impurities and substances.
He said proteins can be prompted to form crystals through a solvent.
When they are crystallised, he said, proteins can be easily separated and subsequently used to manufacture medicines.
“If the research which is in its final stage proves successful, it will essentially lead to a new formulation to manufacture medicines at a “much cheaper cost”,” he said.
He, however, could not tell exactly how much cheaper medicines would cost if this research goes through and is implemented someday.
Khaw said the experiment mooted by Imperial is expected to be concluded and submitted for journal publication later this year. – Bernama
