25/10/2011 (The Star) -  A three-member Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) team, who turned palm oil waste into a sugar substitute for diabetics, has bagged two prizes at the prestigious British Invention Show (BIS) 2011 in London.

Their project, which involved turning empty fruit bunches (EFB) into a healthy form of sugar substitute called Xylitol, won them the “Double Gold Natural Earth” special award and a gold medal.

“Our product is a saviour for people with diabetes, obesity and tooth decay,” Chong Meng Yeong said, adding “it is produced from the abundantly available biomass waste.”.

Super six: (From left) Pei San, Karen, Farah Wahida, Chong, Fazreen Amira and Yeap
proudly showing off their trophies and medals, which they won at the British Invention
Show in London.

Chong, 24, said demand for Xylitol was high but going by conventional production methods, producing it would be complex and expensive.

Together with Farah Wahida Hairon and Fazreen Amira Ismail, the trio won for their project called “Alternative Sweetness from Biomass for a Healthier Lifestyle”.

They were part of six USM students who swept a total of four gold medals and three special awards at the exhibition in Britain, which attracted young researchers from more than 30 countries.

The other three were Karen Voon Kai Rou, 25, who clinched the second “Double Gold” special award for her design “Development of Chemopreventive Agent for Oral Cancer Using Hydrozone Derivative” and another gold medal, Yeap Swee Pin, 23, (gold medal for her project “Functionalised Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Polylactic”) and E. Pei San, 24, (gold medal for Hybrid Transition Oxide: Towards a Sustainable Future”).

The third special prize Romanian Best Innovation Award was bestowed upon the entire team.

USM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Omar Osman said: “We are proud to be producing capable students.”

He said their innovations would make a difference to society, “especially in the world of science and research”.