Category Archives: Latest News

Survey confirms disappearing population of critically-endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Bicol

Survey confirms disappearing population of critically-endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Bicol

Published: July 12, 2023

By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

No sooner has their existence been confirmed that the rare Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) of San Miguel Bay in Bicol are already at risk of disappearing from the region.

The survey team spotted two Irrawaddy dolphins in San Miguel Bay in the Bicol region: one near Canron Island and another near Canimog Island, both in the waters of Mercedes, Camarines Norte. (Image credit: MMRCL)

Irrawaddy dolphins are characterized by gray or dark-blue backs and pale bellies, with a high tolerance to various levels of salinity that enables them to live in areas where salty seawater and freshwater meet – such as in the mouths of rivers and bays. They are among the world’s most endangered dolphin species, indicated as critically endangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are also considered critically endangered by the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). 

 

A mission to find live Irrawaddy dolphins in the area of San Miguel Bay in Bicol led scientists from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (UPD-CS IESM) to validate the existence in the area of this critically-endangered species during a recent dolphin survey conducted from July 6 to 9, 2023.

 

Efforts to locate Irrawaddy dolphins

 

The team, led by IESM Professor and Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Laboratory (MMRCL) Head Dr. Lemnuel Aragones, sighted two Irrawaddy dolphins—one near Canron Island and another near Canimog Island, both in the waters of Mercedes, Camarines Norte.

 

“These dolphins prefer brackish waters, making the San Miguel Bay area an ideal place for the Irrawaddy dolphins to thrive, with its shallow depth, a wide range of salinities, and presence of nearby offshore islands,” Dr. Aragones explained.

 

The IESM researchers and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Regional Office 5 (BFAR5) were motivated to organize the dolphin survey after conducting key informant interviews in October 2022 about a stranded Irrawaddy dolphin reported as a bycatch in August of the same year. 


The team covered a total area of about 680 square kilometers. In terms of travel distance, they covered a total of 335 kilometers in 23 hours, spread over four days, with transects traversing the shorelines of towns in Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur. 


Seeking refuge in San Miguel Bay


According to Dr. Aragones, not only do these rare sightings of Irrawaddy dolphins confirm their existence in San Miguel Bay, they also indicate that only a few of these dolphins are left. “It is most likely that the Irrawaddy dolphins are using the offshore islands in the San Miguel Bay as a refuge area, and that there is now probably much less food for them there since it is one of the most over-exploited fishing grounds in the country,” Dr. Aragones explained.


Dr. Aragones also urged the creation of an action plan with BFAR5 on the protection and conservation of these critically-endangered dolphins. “I already talked with BFAR5 Regional Director Ariel Pioquinto about enhancing San Miguel Bay again to ensure the Irrawaddy dolphins’ habitat,” he said. “We hope to harmonize local ordinances with existing national laws regarding protected species.” 


The dolphin survey team was composed of spotters from IESM; the BFAR5 – Fisheries Protection and Law Enforcement Group (BFAR5-FPLEG); the BFAR – Fisheries Resources Management Section (BFAR5-FRMS), and the Ateneo de Naga University Institute for Environmental Conservation and Research (INECAR).


Other populations of Irrawaddy dolphins in the Philippines can be found in Malampaya Sound in Palawan and the Iloilo-Guimaras-Negros Occidental area.

The dolphin survey team was composed of spotters from IESM; the BFAR5 – Fisheries Protection and Law Enforcement Group (BFAR5-FPLEG); the BFAR – Fisheries Resources Management Section (BFAR5-FRMS); and the Ateneo de Naga University Institute for Environmental Conservation and Research (INECAR). (Photo credit: MMRCL)

For interviews and further information, you may contact Dr. Lemnuel Aragones (IESM Professor and Marine Mammal Research & Conservation Laboratory Head) via mobile no. (0928)5018226 or email laragones@iesm.upd.edu.ph; and Noel Umbao (Fishing Regulations Officer and Officer-in-Charge of BFAR5-FRMS) at mobile no. (0918)2112003. 

 

For other inquiries, please contact media@science.upd.edu.ph

AI-powered Baybayin translator being developed by UP mathematicians

AI-powered Baybayin translator being developed by UP mathematicians

Published: July 11, 2023

By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Filipino mathematicians have just invented a computerized method for converting entire paragraphs and even full documents written in the ancient Filipino Baybayin writing system into text that even non-native readers can easily understand. And they’re now hard at work developing a full two-way translator.

By combining mathematics and technology, scientists from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science Institute of Mathematics (UPD-CS IM) have made what is likely the world’s first paragraph-level optical character recognition (OCR) system that can distinguish between entire blocks of Baybayin and Latin characters in a text image. 

 

Thousands of images, months of hard work

 

In their paper entitled “Block-level Optical Character Recognition System for Automatic Transliterations of Baybayin Texts Using Support Vector Machine,” masters student Rodney Pino and associate professors Dr. Renier Mendoza and Dr. Rachelle Sambayan developed an algorithm to convert a photograph of a set of text into binary data, which is then run through a support vector machine (SVM) character classifier to automatically determine whether the characters are Baybayin or Latin.

 

“SVM is a machine learning algorithm used to solve regression or classification problems,” Pino explained. “We have a dataset for Baybayin characters—let’s say character A and then character BA. SVM uses techniques or mathematical methods that can separate the two datasets to determine characters BA and A.”

 

It took the group more than three months to collect over a thousand images for each Baybayin character, gathering a total of 110 paragraphs from different websites that have either hand- or typewritten Baybayin, Latin, or Baybayin and Latin writing. “Adding more character images improves the recognition rate of SVM,” Pino explained.

Developing a smart, two-way translator


Currently, the OCR system can spell out the Latin equivalent of the Baybayin characters on a page, thus producing a transliterated version of the text. But the researchers are looking to enable it to do so much more.


The mathematicians also plan to make the OCR system more aware of the context of Baybayin words and phrases, possibly paving the way for a full-fledged translator. They are also trying to make the system work both ways, with the ability to convert Latin words with foreign sounds into Baybayin.


“We’re trying to refine the software we developed to make it easier for future users to navigate it. We also dream of creating a mobile application that automatically and accurately translates Baybayin characters just by hovering over the phone,” Dr. Mendoza said.


However, there are some kinks to smoothen out: Dr. Mendoza said that it was challenging to get the OCR system to translate Baybayin words and sentences accurately. “For now the system can’t distinguish between some Baybayin characters that are similar in writing, such as E and I, and O and U. We also have a lot of words that have different Latin equivalents,” he expounded. “The algorithm we used shows all possible translations of the Baybayin words.”


Preserving Filipino writing systems


Although still scant, interest in and research on Baybayin is slowly increasing, making the mathematicians hopeful that more Filipinos will become interested in protecting Baybayin through research. The team published their data to encourage more researchers to conduct studies on Baybayin and OCR. “We cleaned the data in such a way that researchers could use it in analyzing Baybayin through other algorithms,” Dr. Mendoza shared. “We made the data readily available for use, so researchers wouldn’t go through the difficulty we experienced in gathering data.”


Philippine traditional writing systems, such as Baybayin, are representations of Filipino tradition and national identity. As such, the country’s government officials created the “Philippine Indigenous and Traditional Writing Systems Act,” which seeks to promote, protect, and preserve Baybayin and other traditional writing systems.


The proposed law urges using Baybayin as a tool for cultural development and safeguarding, therefore encouraging organizations and institutions to spearhead activities and projects that promote awareness of these traditional writing systems. 


According to the scientists, Baybayin is living proof that we Filipinos have our own technically-sophisticated traditions. While they aren’t putting forward making Baybayin the Philippines’ primary writing system, the group believes that conducting more research on Baybayin will help preserve this heritage. “This can be forgotten,” Dr. Sambayan said. “It’s important to have a record of each Baybayin character—even having digitized ones.”

Dr. Sambayan expressed concern that the number of Filipinos who can read and write Baybayin is decreasing, adding to the importance of identifying and translating Baybayin characters into Latin. “We’re hoping that through this OCR system, we could preserve and pass on the knowledge of understanding Baybayin to future Filipino generations,” she said.


Baybayin and other traditional writing systems are a part of the Philippines’ rich history. Several old Filipino documents are in Baybayin—documents that can uncover more information about Filipino culture. The scientists are encouraging more Filipinos to join them in cultivating the body of knowledge the country has on Baybayin. “Kapag walang gagawa nito, sinong gagawa? Even though its implication already has a bit of a niche, I think this is still a vital research venture,” Dr. Mendoza said.


For interview requests and other concerns, please contact media@science.upd.edu.ph.


Sources:

Pino, R., Mendoza, R., & Sambayan, R. (2022). Block-Level Optical Character Recognition System for Automatic Transliteration of Baybayin Texts using Support Vector Machine. Philippine Journal of Science, 151(1), 303-315.


Philippine Indigenous and Traditional Writing Systems Act, S. 1680, 19th Cong. (2022).

UPD-CS embarks on joint int’l study to fight snail-borne disease in PHL villages

UPD-CS embarks on joint int’l study to fight snail-borne disease in PHL villages

Published: June 29, 2023

By: Timothy James M. Dimacali

The University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science’s Institute of Biology (UPD-CS IB) recently entered into an international research collaboration to fight a parasitic snail-borne tropical disease that affects millions of Filipinos across the country.

UPD-CS Dean Dr. Giovanni Tapang (seated, second from left) is joined by (seated, L-R) UPD-CS IB Director Dr. Ian Kendrich Fontanilla, CWRC Deputy Chief Engineer Guiya Chen, CWRC-CRSI Vice President Shiming Yao, UPD-CS IB Assistant Professor Dr. Ian Kim Tabios, and UPD-CS IB Assistant Professor Dr. Lerrie Ann Ipulan-Colet (standing, rightmost) at a courtesy call by CWRC-CRSI researchers last June 26. (PHOTO CREDIT: Dr. Ian Kim Tabios)

The UPD-CS IB has partnered with the Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute (CRSI) of China’s Changjiang Water Resources Commission (CWRC) on a joint project entitled, “Construction and Demonstration of Water Conservancy Combined with Schistosomiasis Control (WCCSC) in ASEAN Countries,” with support from the Asian Cooperation Fund.

 

Schistosomiasis is an often-neglected tropical disease that greatly impacts many agricultural villages in the Philippines, particularly poor and marginalized communities. In 2019 alone, it was reported that the disease affected some 12 million people across the country. The joint project aims to demonstrate the impact of water conservancy technology on the control of the snail vector of schistosomiasis in selected endemic villages in Leyte. The team will provide training to local health workers and engineers in the principles and applications of WCCSC.

 

For interview requests and other concerns, please contact media@science.upd.edu.ph.

Pinoy archaeologist helps rewrite human history in Southeast Asia

Pinoy archaeologist helps rewrite human history in Southeast Asia

Published: June 29, 2023

By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

New findings from a cave in northern Laos add to a growing body of evidence that modern humans arrived in Southeast Asia over 80,000 years ago, tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought. The groundbreaking findings were recently published in the prestigious journal, Nature.

Filipino geoarchaeologist Vito Hernandez (second from right, with camera) with his fellow researchers in Tam Pà Ling in northern Laos. (PHOTO CREDIT: Macquarie University / Kira Westaway)

Analyses of fossils and sediments from Tam Pà Ling (“Cave of Monkeys” in Lao) by an international team of scientists—including a Filipino researcher formerly from the University of the Philippines (UP) and currently at the Flinders University Microarchaeology Laboratory in South Australia—has pushed back the time when we know our species, Homo sapiens, was present in Mainland Southeast Asia. 

 

The newly-discovered fossils provide unmistakable evidence of the presence of modern humans in northern Laos as far back as 86,000 years ago. This is almost 20,000 years older than most of the evidence from sites so far studied in Southeast Asia and adds further confirmation of a pre-60,000-year-old dispersal of modern humans into East Asia. 

 

“This discovery is helping us better understand the distribution of our direct ancestors at a time when we know other populations of humans, now extinct, existed,” said Vito Hernandez, the Filipino geoarchaeologist who is part of the team that published these recent findings from Tam Pà Ling.

 

This research in northern Laos, including a previous discovery of now-extinct humans known as Denisovans present between 164,000 and 131,000 years ago in Tam Ngu Hao 2 (“Cobra Cave”) located in the same mountain as Tam Pà Ling strongly suggests that this part of Southeast Asia is an early human dispersal route. “This  proves that our human ancestors also traveled along forests and river valleys apart from following islands and coastlines as they moved eastward to Australia, where they are controversially thought to have migrated as early as 65,000 years ago,” Hernandez explained. 

 

“Analyses of the fossils in Tam Pà Ling suggest that these early modern humans were part of an immigrant population, but whether their genetic line successfully survives in current populations is yet to be determined,” he added.

 

Initially, fossils from Tam Pà Ling were hard to date, resulting in skepticism about previously-presented evidence from the cave. This led the geochronology and geoarchaeology specialists of the team to strategically apply their techniques to ascertain how the dated sediments relate to the fossils, and determine a precise age for both. 

 

“The dating and the quality of fossil preservation is important as we’ve seen from research led by scientists like Professor Armand Mijares at the UP School of Archaeology, but as we’ve also seen from our research and other human evolutionary research like in Denisova cave in Russia, a very close collaboration between the Earth and Human sciences is necessary if we are to achieve a more complete picture of how humans evolved and settled into different parts of the world,” he elaborated.

 

Hernandez was formerly part of the UP Archaeological Studies Program, now the UP School of Archaeology, where he obtained his Master of Science and taught undergraduate classes in Archaeology. He was also part of the Science and Society Program of the UP Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS), where he managed classes in Science, Technology and Society. “I hope to return after my research work in Australia and contribute to making our science serve Philippine society,” he concluded.

 

For interview requests and other concerns, please contact media@science.upd.edu.ph.

 

Sources:

 

Freidline, S. E., Westaway, K. E., Joannes-Boyau, R., Duringer, P., Ponche, J.-L., Morley, M. W., Hernandez, V. C., McAllister-Hayward, M. S., McColl, H., Zanolli, C., Gunz, P., Bergmann, I., Sichanthongtip, P., Sihanam, D., Boualaphane, S., Luangkhoth, T., Souksavatdy, V., Dosseto, A., Boesch, Q., … Demeter, F. (2023). Early presence of Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia by 86–68 kyr at Tam Pà Ling, Northern Laos. Nature Communications, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38715-y

UP marine, computer scientists invent semi-automated fish monitoring device

UP marine, computer scientists invent semi-automated fish monitoring device

Published: June 23, 2023
By: Maria Asheidee M. Masayon

A diver carefully installs a stereo camera for FishDrop, a semi-automated fish census technology developed by UP scientists. (Photo credit: Prospero Naval, Jr., and Laura T. David)

Monitoring the health of marine environments is a laborious activity, but is essential for evaluating the success of reef protection and rehabilitation initiatives. A fish census commonly involves divers swimming along a transect line, usually marked by a plastic cord, and visually counting and identifying the fish species that they encounter. This painstaking process requires trained experts and highly knowledgeable divers to accurately record data on species, size, and abundance.

 

In 2016, Dr. Laura David of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science Marine Science Institute (UPD-CS MSI), together with co-author machine intelligence expert Prof. Prospero C. Naval, Jr. of the UP Department of Computer Science (UPD-DCS) presented a conference paper entitled, “FishDrop: Estimation of Reef Fish Population Density and Biomass using Stereo Cameras” which proposed a semi-automated method that combines a stereo camera rig and image recognition software to allow for more efficient and accurate reef fish census. 

 

The proposed technology would enable divers with minimal training to obtain high-quality population and species distribution measurements using the specially developed stereo camera rig and fish video analyzer software.

 

FishDrop promises to help improve the Philippines’ reef resilience and biodiversity restoration efforts, and contribute towards the overall health of the country’s reef ecosystems.

A sample of what FishDrop sees and how it recognizes and logs fish during a census. (Photo credit: Prospero Naval, Jr., and Laura T. David)

This coming Monday, June 26, Dr. David is set to take the iStories stage to expound on ‘FishDrop’ and share their team’s journey not just in developing the technology, but also in successfully translating this groundbreaking innovation into a patent. 


“Perseverance is necessary to get the concept and the product translated into a patent and commercial venture. It has not been an easy road,” says Dr. David. Like any other intellectual property and patent applications, the journey for FishDrop has been tedious, nevertheless rewarding. Dr. David hopes that through her sharing, she may inspire others to persevere with their own scientific endeavors despite the trudging process.


iStories is a series of innovation-themed talks, storytelling, and activities featuring local and international scientists. The initiative aims to ignite the creativity and inventiveness of young scientists not just from UPD-CS but from other institutes inside and outside UP.

Its fourth session is scheduled for June 26, 2023, 3:00 pm at the MSI Audio Visual Room and will also be live via Zoom. To join, you may register through this link https://bit.ly/iStories3rd. 


The iStories series takes place at 3:00 pm on the last Monday of every month.  Subscription to individual sessions or the entire iStories webinar series is also possible through the same registration form. 


For inquiries about iStories, please message adride_staff@science.upd.edu.ph 


For interview requests and other media concerns, please contact media@science.upd.edu.ph 


Sources:

Naval, P. C., & David, L. T. (2016). FishDrop: Estimation of reef fish population density and biomass using stereo cameras. In 2016 Techno-Ocean (Techno-Ocean). DOI: 10.1109/Techno-Ocean.2016.7890710.

Agam-agam sa Agham: The current and future prospects of science communication in the Philippines

Agam-agam sa Agham: The current and future prospects of science communication in the Philippines

Published: June 21, 2023

By: Timothy James M. Dimacali

What can be done to improve weather and disaster reporting in the Philippines? How are scientists portrayed in Pinoy movies and pop culture? Where can we find the best examples of science communication for Filipino online viewers? When can we hope to develop a science-appreciative Filipino culture?

Explore the answers to these and other questions at “Agam-agam sa Agham: The current state and future prospects of science communication in the Philippines”. This free public lecture is a joint initiative of the UP Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) and Science Communicators Philippines (SciCommPH). it will be held on June 30 (Friday), 2pm – 5pm at the UPD-CS Auditorium. It will also be streamed live to registered participants.

 

You can reserve a slot at the event and receive the Zoom login details by registering here: https://bit.ly/SciCommLectureReg

 

The list of distinguished speakers includes:

SciCommPH is a non-stock, non-profit national organization of scicomm practitioners and researchers, journalists, and scientists.

Pinoy appointed editor of esteemed int’l journal

Pinoy appointed editor of esteemed int’l journal

Published: June 21, 2023

By: Timothy James M. Dimacali

For the first time in its 77-year history, the esteemed scientific publication Optik: International Journal for Light and Electron Optics will be helmed by a Filipino scientist.

Prof. Percival F. Almoro of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP) was appointed Section  Editor of the Optik journal by international scientific publishing house Elsevier as of June 2023. 

 

Established in 1946, Optik is an internationally-renowned scientific journal, having published in its pages works by famous physicists including R. W. Gerchberg and W. O. Saxton, for whom the phase retrieval algorithm is named. It is also the official journal of the German Society for Applied Optics, which counts among its honorary members Nobel Prize winners Stefan Hell (2014, super-resolved fluorescence microscopy) and Dennis Gabor (1979, holography).  As of 2021, Optik showcased an above-average impact factor of 2.84. 

 

In his new editorial capacity, Almoro will have final responsibility and the last word on the journal’s specialized content in areas ranging from optical metrology and interferometry to phase retrieval.

 

“This editorship stint  is a great honor not just for me but also for all Filipinos,” Almoro said. “It is a recognition on the international stage that researchers in the country can carry out good quality research.” 

 

For interview requests and other media concerns, please email media@science.upd.edu.ph.

From Sea to Sky: UPD-CS scientists feted for pioneering research

From Sea to Sky: UPD-CS scientists feted for pioneering research

Published: June 16, 2023

By: Timothy James M. Dimacali

From the deepest stretches of the ocean to the farthest reaches of the sky, Filipino scientists are adding to humanity’s collective knowledge of the world. Their efforts have not gone unsung, as recent explorations by University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) researchers have earned acclaim from both national and international scientific and award-giving bodies.

The University of the Philippines - Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) is one of the country’s premiere research and teaching institutions. In 2023, its outstanding researchers were honored locally and abroad by the NAST and Asian Scientist Magazine. (Photo credit: Nadine Lim, UP Photography Society)

The Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology-Philippines (NAST) recently recognized six members of the UPD-CS community: two were named Academician; two were recognized as outstanding young scientists (OYS); and two won the grand prize and a special citation in the 2023 NAST Talent Search for Young Scientists (NTSYS). Meanwhile an additional four UPD-CS researchers were highlighted in this year’s edition of the prestigious Asian Scientist 100.

New Academicians

 

The NAST is the Philippines’ highest scientific advisory and recognition body; its distinguished members are selected exclusively by the Academy itself and conferred the title, “Academician.” Gil S. Jacinto, PhD, of the UPD-CS Marine Science Institute (UPD-CS MSI) and Maria Corazon A. de Ungria, PhD, of the UPD-CS Natural Sciences Research Institute (UPD-CS NSRI), were recently inducted as Academicians for their respective work in marine chemistry and forensic DNA technology.

 

Jacinto’s research interests are in nutrient and trace elements in tropical marine environments, marine pollution chemistry, submarine groundwater discharge, hypoxia, and seawater carbonate chemistry. He was MSI director from 2000 to 2006 and established the Marine Chemistry and Pollution Laboratory at the MSI, the first chemical oceanography laboratory in the Philippines.

 

Meanwhile, De Ungria is known for her research in human population genetics and forensic DNA technology, which are invaluable tools for human identification in criminal investigation, disaster victim identification, and resolving parentage disputes. She provided technical assistance in drafting the Supreme Court Rule on DNA evidence, which was approved in 2007 and has since been used nationwide by the Philippine judicial system in handling sexual assault cases. She is the director of the Program on Biodiversity, Ethnicity, and Forensics at the Philippine Genome Center and concurrently heads the DNA Laboratory of the NSRI.

 

Outstanding Young Scientists

 

The NAST OYS award is given annually to Filipino scientists aged 41 and below who have made significant contributions to science and technology and have been published in reputable scientific journals.

 

Jillian Aira S. Gabo-Ratio, DEng, of the UPD-CS National Institute of Geological Sciences (UPD-CS NIGS), and Reinabelle C. Reyes, PhD, of the UPD-CS National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP) were recognized as this year’s OYS in the field of earth resources engineering, and astrophysics, respectively.

 

Gabo-Ratio is an associate professor at NIGS, and is the institute’s officer-in-charge-deputy director for academic affairs. Her research interests are in economic geology, igneous and sedimentary geochemistry, geophysics, and tectonics. A topnotcher in the 2006 Geology Licensure Examination, Gabo-Ratio is a recipient of the UP Alumni of Michigan Centennial Professorial Chair (2021), One UP Faculty Grant (2019-2021), UPD Centennial Faculty Grant (2017-2021), and the UP System International Publication Award (2017-2022).

 

Reyes, an associate professor at the NIP, made worldwide headlines in 2010 with her paper, “Confirmation of General Relativity on Large Scales from Weak Lensing and Galaxy Velocities which confirmed Albert Einstein’s Theory,” which was published in the high-profile journal, Nature. In 2020, she established the NIP Data and Computation Research Group, which is focused on data-driven astrophysics and computational physics. 

 

NTSYS winners

 

Jayson Cosme, PhD, an associate professor at the NIP, is a theoretical physicist specializing in condensed matter. His paper, “Observation of a Continuous Time Crystal” clinched the grand prize at this year’s NTSYS. He also headed a recent study of dark matter, which resulted in a Nature Materials paper entitled, “Condensate Formation in a Dark State of a Driven Atom-Cavity System.” 

 

A special citation was also given to Charlon A. Ligson, MS in Marine Science from the MSI, for his paper, “Survival and sexual maturity of sexually propagated Acropora verweyi corals four years after outplantation.”

 

Asian Scientist 100

 

Meanwhile, Singapore’s Asian Scientist Magazine recently released the latest edition of its annual “Asian Scientist 100” list that fetes the region’s best and brightest researchers, touted as “Asia’s science superstars.” In the 2023 list are four scientists from UPD-CS: Pia D. Bagamasbad, PhD, from the UPD-CS National Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (UPD-CS NIMBB); Aletta T. Yñiguez, PhD, of the UPD-CS MSI;  and Allan Gil S. Fernando, PhD, and Mario Juan A. Aurelio, PhD, of UPD-CS NIGS.

 

Both Bagamasbad and Yñiguez were Philippine Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) awardees in 2022, for respectively spearheading an RT-PCR training program for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in support of the country’s COVID-19 response, and for developing and advocating sustainable fishing practices among local communities. In the same year, Fernando was awarded the National Research Council of the Philippines’ Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to earth and space science. For his part, Aurelio’s contributions to structural geology and geodynamics education earned him the 2022 Gregorio Y. Zara Award for Basic Research from the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology (PhilAAST).

 

For interview requests and other concerns, please contact media@science.upd.edu.ph.

Pinoy scientist heads int’l study on dark quantum matter

Pinoy scientist heads int’l study on dark quantum matter

Published: May 30, 2023

By: Timothy James M. Dimacali

Filipino physicist Dr. Jayson Cosme from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP) recently led a team of six Germany-based researchers in pioneering a way to make a special kind of “dark” matter that can’t be observed using standard laboratory methods. His team’s findings were published in the prestigious international journal, Physical Review Letters.

UPD-CS physicist Dr. Jayson Cosme led a team of German researchers in the creation of a dark-state Bose-Einstein condensate. Their groundbreaking work was published in Physical Review Letters. (Photo credit: Dr. Jayson Cosme)

Scientists are able to use laser beams to slow down the movement of the atoms in a material, causing its temperature to drop. When the temperature goes down almost to absolute zero, the individual atoms can condense together into a new state of matter with quantum properties that behaves almost like a single giant atom. Renowned physicists Albert Einstein and Satyendra Nath Bose were the first to predict its existence, hence it was named after them and is now called a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC).

 

BECs can be observed and studied using special cameras. However, Dr. Cosme’s team was able to use lasers to further manipulate them so that they can’t be observed using these standard methods. “By shaking BECs in the right way, we can cause them to become quantum objects that don’t absorb, reflect, nor emit light—hence, ‘dark,’” he explained.

The flame-like glow in this experimental setup is from Rubidium-87 atoms that are about to form a Bose-Einstein condensate. (Photo credit: Dr. Andreas Hemmerich)

Dr. Cosme expressed pride and gratitude at being given the opportunity to helm an international team composed of some of the foremost researchers in his field. “I’m very honored and thankful to have been the last author on this paper, as my colleagues are all working from Germany,” he said.

 

“This has been a very deep cooperation between myself and the group of Prof. Andreas Hemmerich, who studied under Nobel Laureate Theodor W. Haensch; as well as Prof. Ludwig Mathey’s group, which includes my close collaborator, first author Jim Skulte,” he explained.

 

For interview requests and other concerns, please contact media@science.upd.edu.ph.

 

Sources:

Jim Skulte, Phatthamon Kongkhambut, Sahana Rao, Ludwig Mathey, Hans Keßler, Andreas Hemmerich, and Jayson G. Cosme. Condensate Formation in a Dark State of a Driven Atom-Cavity System. Physical Review Letters. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.163603

UPD-CS scientist co-invents defense vs invasive alien species

UPD-CS scientist co-invents defense vs invasive alien species

Published: May 26, 2023

By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Shipboard personnel oversee a live demonstration of the ballast water treatment system co-developed by UPD-CS IESM scientist Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr. The system is just a fraction of the cost of other commercially available solutions. (Photo credit: Dr. Benjamin Vallejo, Jr.)

All over the world, cargo ships and other large vessels routinely fill their ballast tanks with seawater to help keep afloat on rough seas. This ballast water is usually released at the ship’s destination, bringing with it invasive animals, plants, microorganisms and other alien species that can devastate local marine biodiversity and coastal ecosystems.

 

Such invasive alien species have cost over US$1.1 trillion worth of damage worldwide between 1960 and 2022 alone, according to an international study. The cost of managing invasions has cost the world an estimated US$95.3 billion since 1960.

 

This global problem prompted scientists from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) and the University of Cebu to invent a port water treatment system that costs just ₱12 million or only around $200,000—a small fraction of the cost of other commercially-available systems, which can run as high as US$5 million.

 

“Our system utilizes UV sterilization and mechanical methods to treat ballast water, and has proven promising in initial tests in decreasing the number of invasive species translocated from port to port,”  said the system’s co-inventor, UPD-CS Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM) Professor and Ballast Water and Biofouling Management Research Program Leader Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr. 

“It complies with the IMO D-2 standard for ballast water treatment and can be used until the local industry can install its own onboard treatment systems,” he added.

 

This is a very timely invention considering that, in 2018, the Philippines ratified the IMO’s 2004 Ballast Water Management Convention, which imposes regulations on the proper handling and treatment of ballast water. Thus, Philippine ships constructed after 2018 are mandated to have a port ballast water treatment system. And by 2024, all ships are expected to treat their ballast water before release.

A closeup of the ballast water treatment system co-invented by UPD-CS IESM scientist Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr. (Photo credit: Dr. Benjamin Vallejo)

“We hope this treatment system will be cheaper than other costly comparable systems. Now is the opportunity for Filipino investors to break into Southeast Asia’s ballast water treatment market,” Dr. Vallejo urged. 


Dr. Vallejo will discuss his alternative ballast water treatment system for ships at the upcoming iStories webinar hosted by UPD-CS on May 29, 2023. The webinar will dive deeper into the ideation process and development of the treatment system and its mass production and distribution.


iStories is a series of innovation-themed talks, storytelling, and activities featuring local and international scientists. The initiative aims to ignite the creativity and inventiveness of young scientists not just from UPD-CS but from other institutes inside and outside UP.

A computer-generated mockup of the ballast water treatment system co-invented by UPD-CS IESM scientist Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr.(Photo credit: Dr. Benjamin Vallejo)

The third session of iStories on May 29, 2023 (Monday) will be held on Zoom.

The iStories series is scheduled for 3:00 pm every last Monday of the month. To join, you may register through this link https://bit.ly/iStories3rd. Subscription to the entire iStories webinar series is also possible through the same form.

 

For inquiries about iStories, please message adride_staff@science.upd.edu.ph

 

For interview requests and other media concerns, please contact media@science.upd.edu.ph

 

Sources:

Ross N. Cuthbert et al. Biological invasion costs reveal insufficient proactive management worldwide. Science of The Total Environment, Volume 819, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153404 

Ballast Water Management. International Maritime Organization. (n.d.). https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/environment/pages/ballastwatermanagement.aspx