Research Institutes, Centres and Units - Universiti Sains Malaysia

with a number of collaborative and joint research programs. The Centre is thus geared
towards both practical and academic collaborations designed to create novel solutions
for a diverse spectrum of analytical problems.
While its initial core business was directed towards sports dope testing, the Doping
Control Centre has greatly expanded its client-base and analysis portfolio, assisting
a growing number of clients to solve their needs for testing in order to comply with
regulations or export requirements. The scope of testing has thus expanded to a host
of routine activities including:
Workplace drug testing for major multi-national and domestic companies that
routinely undertake pre-employment and random on-the-job testing for drugs of abuse.
Drug testing for substances such as narcotics, stimulants, benzodiazepines, cannabis,
and alcohol have been routinely done since 1996 and forms a considerable segment
of the Centre’s service activities.
Determination of drug residues in feed and food; these include antibiotics, pesticides
and -agonists. With the rising concern of the effect of these residues on human health,
there is dire need for analytical techniques that are sensitive enough to detect trace
amounts in food and food products.
Drug analyses for the purposes of quantification, identification and toxicological
evaluation. Quality Assurance of pharmaceutical products and more recently adulteration
of supplements, herbal preparations and natural remedies are of real concern as they
present serious health risks to the user.
Analyses of 3-monochloropropane-1, 2-diol (3MCPD) in soya sauce and
related products was initiated 5 years ago as this compound, a by product in the food
manufacturing process is a known carcinogen.
Quantification of polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated
dibenzo-furans (PCDFs) as well as polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in various matrices
including food, airborne particulates, meat and fish, soil and sediments, water, sludge
and human milk. Continuous monitoring is needed as these chemicals are notoriously
toxic and bio-accumulate in the body.
Workplace Safety Testing and Industrial Hygiene involving monitoring of
exposure to chemicals at the workplace has become an increasingly important issue.
The Centre can assist the industry in protecting their workforce and create a better
controlled and safer working environment.
Monitoring of Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM) disorders in newborn infants
through the utilisation of mass spectrometric techniques for the determination of
amino acids and acylcarnitine profiles from infant blood samples.