Introduction

Dr Tan Boon Chin

Associate Professor
Director
Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR)
University of Malaya
Office: +603-7967 7982
Email: [email protected]

President
​Malaysian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MSMBB)

Ph.D  University of Nottingham
​Bsc.   Universiti Putra Malaysia​
About me:
​
I am currently an associate professor in the Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR), at University of Malaya (UM). After completed my Bachelor in Biotechnology at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and a PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, I was employed by UM as a postdoctoral research fellow for three years before took up the role of Senior Lecturer.
​
My research interests span the fields of plant molecular biology and biochemistry. We aims to combine omics and molecular approaches to understanding the regulatory mechanism of transcription factors in environmental-stressed crops, hoping to find ways to improve crop tolerance for near-future climates. These include (1) developing a product in the form of biostimulants to mitigate climate stress for these crops, (2) developing appropriate educational programmes for farmers to promote sustainable agriculture, and (3) making recommendations to policymakers. My research interests also encompass genetically manipulating biosynthetic pathways in plants to produce beneficial bioactive compounds. Additionally, we explore the potential of using plants as an alternative platform for producing high-value recombinant pharmaceutical proteins.

​I am currently the President of the Malaysian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MSMBB) and Honorary Secretary for the Asia Oceania Agricultural Proteomics Organization (AOAPO) and council member of the Malaysian Agricultural Proteomics Society (MAPS) and Malaysian Society of Plant Physiology (MSPP). In 2017, I received a fellowship from the Royal Society-Newton Advanced Fellowship, which allowed me to work on my project in the UK laboratory and Travel Award from the United States Department of State Biosecurity Engagement Program to attend the Asia Pacific Biosafety Association Conference and workshops.

I was the Lead Consultant for the National Biosafety Policy project. I am also an Associate Editor of the Journal of Plant Growth Regulation (JPGR) and an Editorial Board Member of BMC Plant Biology, Heliyon, Molecular Biotechnology (MOBI), Asia Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (APJMBB), Discover Food, Discover Plants, and the Journal of Agribusiness Marketing (JAMA).
Administrative Duties
  1. Deputy Director
  2. Programme Coordinator – Master of Agricultural Biosecurity
  3. Coordinator – Biochemistry Laboratory, Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture
  4. Coordinator – Grant Seeking Committee
  5. Acting director, Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (2016)
  6. University of Malaya Centre of Excellence Working Group

Websites
Editorial Board Member / Associate Editor
  1. BMC Plant Biology
  2. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation
  3. Molecular Biotechnology
  4. Discover Food
  5. Discover Plants
  6. Asia Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (APJMBB)
  7. Heliyon

Contributions to society
  1. Visiting Scholar at the National Cheng Kung University 2025
  2. National Science Challenge 2016, (National), 2016-05-10 until 2016-05-10 
  3. Invited speaker for Current Topics in Genetics and Molecular Biology, (University), 2015-10-20 until 2015-10-20
  4. Invited Speaker for Current Topics in Genetics and Molecular Biology, (University), 2016-11-08 until 2016-11-08
  5. Judge for Student Project Oral Presentation, Project (2016)

Reviewer for the following journals
  1. Nature Communications
  2. Annals of Botany
  3. Annals of Applied Biology
  4. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation
  5. BMC Biology
  6. BMC Plant Biology
  7. Plant, Cell and Environment
  8. Scientific Reports
  9. Scientia Horticulturae
  10. Plant Science
  11. Frontiers in Plant Science
  12. Food and Energy Security
  13. GM Crops and Food: Biotechnology in Agriculture and The Food Chain
  14. Journal of Proteomics
  15. New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science
  16. PeerJ
  17. Heliyon
  18. SpringerPlus
  19. Transgenic Research
  20. Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science
  21. Journal of Oil Palm Research
  22. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology
  23. Journal of Applied Research and Technology 
  24. Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science 
  25. International Journal of Plant Biology & Research 
  26. Central European Journal of Experimental Biology 
  27. Heighpubs Proteomics and Bioinformatics Research
  28. The Philippine Journal of Science
  29. Borneo Science Journal
  30. Health Science Reports
  31. Horticulturae
  32. Cells
  33. Forests
  34. Agronomy
  35. Indonesian Journal of Biotechnology
  36. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews