An IMU’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidate, Dang Nguk Ling won the first prize for Poster Presentation at the 7th Malaysian International Antarctica Seminar (MISA), held in Kuala Terengganu from 15-17 August 2017. Dang presented a poster titled “Phylogenetic Analysis of Microalgae Isolated from Signy Island, Antarctica” in this seminar. 
The poster presentation was based on Dang’s PhD project under the supervision of Prof Chu Wan Loy (Institute for Research, Development, and Innovation, IMU), Dr Ivan Yap Kok Seng (School of Pharmacy, IMU), Dr Kok Yih Yih (Division of Applied Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, IMU), and Prof Phang Siew-Moi (University of Malaya). Other co-authors of the poster paper were Dr Chan Kok Keong (Division of Human Biology, IMU), Dr Will Goodall-Copestake (British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom), and Prof Peter Convey (British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom). 
The presentation is the outcome of Dang’s work at the British Antarctic Survey, with the funding support from the Yayasan Penyelidikan Antartika Sultan Mizan (YPASM) Fellowship 2016/17. The research project is also part of the Antarctica Flagship Programme funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). Dang has been working on the characterisation and classification of algae isolated from the soil samples collected from Signy Island, Antarctica, using gene sequence analysis. The algae were isolated from areas contaminated with heavy metals as well as pristine sites. 
MISA is a series of biennial event which gathers researchers from different countries to share findings and experiences in polar research. The theme for the 7th MISA this year was “Connectivity between Polar and Equatorial Climate and Biosphere: From the Poles to the Tropics”. The topics covered in MISA included the current and future directions of polar research, the sustainability of the research, potential future collaborations and linkages with experts in the field of polar research and its connectivity to the tropics. The opening of the Seminar was officiated by Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, the Sultan of Terengganu.
Congratulations to Dang and her research team for the excellent achievement.
