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Qualification
PhD, MSc, BSc
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Professor
Discipline of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
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Head
Proteomics Laboratory
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Room
J02 Room 133
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Contact
+604-6577888 Ext. 2209
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Email
layharn@usm.my
Author ID
Gam Lay Harn, Prof Dr
Dr. Gam Lay Harn is currently a professor in the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia. She earned her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the same university in 2001 and was promoted to full professor in 2011. Her research focuses on proteomics, encompassing human diseases, microorganisms, and plants. Dr. Harn has an extensive publication record, with over 100 papers in respected journals, and has edited 5 books on cancer education for patients. She has held various administrative roles, including program chairperson for the Pharmaceutical Chemistry department, deputy director, and technical director at the Doping Control Centre Malaysia.
During her tenure at USM, Dr. Harn has made significant contributions, including identifying urinary biomarkers for diagnosing kidney stone disease and protein biomarkers for differentiating between halal and non-halal sources of gelatin. She holds patents for both of these inventions and has recently filed a patent for a rapid diagnosis for kratom addiction using a urinary biomarker. Her research interests also encompass cancer research and plant proteomics. In cancer research, she has investigated changes in protein profiling in cancerous tissues at different stages, grades, and ethnicities of patients. In plant proteomics, she has identified proteins with commercial value and anti-cancer properties.
Currently, Dr. Harn is involved in a proteomics study of the brain mechanisms of kratom addiction. Her work reflects a commitment to advancing knowledge in pharmaceutical sciences and making meaningful contributions to the field.
Throughout her years of service in USM, she had identified useful urinary biomarkers for diagnosis of kidney stone disease, and protein biomarkers for differentiation of the source of gelatin either as halal or non-halal. She had obtained patents for both of these inventions. Recently she has filed a patent for rapid diagnosis for addiction to kratom using a biomarker that was found in urine. Her other research interests are cancer research and plant proteomics. In cancer research, she has determined the changes in protein profiling in cancerous tissues at different stages, grades, and ethnicities of patients. While in plant proteomics, she has identified a few proteins with existing commercial values and also proteins with anti-cancer properties. Currently, we are embarking on a proteomics study of the brain mechanism of kratom addiction.
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Research Interest
- Identification of protein biomarkers in various diseases
- Proteomics research
Ongoing Research
- Animal Study on the Addiction to Kratom (banned psychotropic drug Mitragynine) : Brain Protein Profiling and Bioinformatics
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- Protein Analysis
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Basheer, M., Hassan, Z., Gam, L.H. (2023). Upregulation of Brain's Calcium Binding Proteins in Mitragynine Dependence: A Potential Cellular Mechanism to Addiction. International Journal of Medical Sciences, 20(1), 102-113. https://doi.org/10.7150/ijms.78861.
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Jasim K.R., Singh D. and Gam LH (2023) Development and validation of ELISA for screening of kratom habitual users using urinary AZ112 biomarker. Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry. Http://doi.org/10.1002/bab.2392
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Rana Khudhair Jasim , Zurina Hassan, Darshan Singh, , Edward Boyer, and Lay-Harn Gam (2022) Characterization of urinary protein profile in regular kratom (Mitragyna speciosa korth.) users in Malaysia. Journal of Addictive Diseases https://doi.org/10.1080/10550887.2021.1981122
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SIM XUAN YI* , BAHARUDIN IBRAHIM, GAM LAY HARN* 2021, Urinary metabolites of type 2 diabetes rats fed with palm oil-enriched high fat diet, Heliyon, 7:, e08075 (Impact Factor : 1.84) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08075
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Yan-Fen Lee, Xuan-Yi Sim, Ying-Hui The, Mohd Nazri Ismail, Peter Greimel, Vikneswaran Murugaiyah, Baharudin Ibrahim and Lay-Harn Gam (2020) The effects of high-fat diet and metformin on urinary metabolites in diabetes and prediabetes rat models. Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry. DOI: 10.1002/bab.2021
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Yap Beow Keat and Gam Lay Harn (2019) Differentiation of Bovine and Porcine gelatin capsules using gel electrophoresis method, Food Chemistry, 274:, 16-19
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- FAR411 Advanced Pharmaceutical Analysis
- FAR215 Pharmaceutical Analysis
- FAR113 Organic Chemistry
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- Halal gelatin analysis
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- Biomarker for kidney stone disease (patent granted 2013)
- Analysis method to differentiate bovine and porcine gelatin source in capsule (patent granted 2013)
- Diagnostic kit for kratom addiction (filled in 2021)
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- ITEX 2011, Gold Medal and Taiwan special award
- KIWIE 2011, Seoul Korea, Silver Medal
- National Intelectual Property Award 2010
- Excellence Service Award 2009 by Universiti Sains Malaysia.
- MTE 2010, Gold Medal.
- PECIPTA 2009, Bronze Medal
Professor
BSc., Msc. (Malaya)
PhD (USM)
J02 Room 138
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tel : 604-6577888 Ext. 2208
Email : layharn@usm.my
More than seven years ago, the pharmaceutical sector began to invest heavily in genomics to increase the supply of validated drug targets. Upon the completion of the human genome sequence, drug discovery pipeline with more than 75,000 sequences of potential targets has been identified. However, valid drug targets were unable to examine by the gene sequence information as it reveals little about protein function or disease relevance. Proteomics seeks to provide functional information for all proteins, it refers to any protein-based approach that provides new information about proteins on a genome wide scale. In order to determine a protein relevance to a particular disease, it is importance to catalog where, when and to what extent the protein is expressed. Although the level of mRNA can be monitor, mRNA and protein levels do not always correlate in the cell and many regulatory processes occur after transcription. Thus, a direct measure of relative protein abundance is more desirable. We are currently conducting four proteomics research : i) Identification of protein biomarker for colorectal cancer amongst the Malaysia patients ii) Identification of protein biomarker for breast cancer amongst the Malaysian female patients iii) Development of high throughput screening method for kidney stone disease. iv) Differential protein expression between Atypical mycobacteria and clinical M. tuberculosis strains. Lay-Chin Yeoh, Chee-Keat Loh, Boon-Hui Gooi , Manjit Singh and Lay-Harn Gam (in press), Abundant hydrophobic proteins in colorectal cancer in relation to cancer’s stages, grades and patients’ gender. World J. Gastroenterol. Lau WH, Leong WS, Zhari I, Gam LH (in press) SDS-PAGE Quantitative Assay for Screening of Kidney Stone Disease. Biological Procedure Online. Che Nin Man , Ahmed Ibrahim Fathelrahman, Gam Lay Harn, Razak Lajis, Ahmad Shalihin Mohd Samin, Maizurah Omar, Rahmat Awang and Nurulain Abdullah Bayanuddin (2009) Correlation between urinary nicotine, cotinine and self-reported smoking status among educated young adults. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 28:92-96 Lau WH, Leong WS, Zhari I, Gam LH (2009) Proteomics and Detection of Uromodulin in First-time Renal Calculi Patients and Recurrent Renal Calculi Patients. Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 159:221-232 Che Nin Man, Syazwani Ismail, Gam Lay Harn, Razak Lajis and Rahmat Awang (2009). Determination of Hair Nicotine by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Journal of Chromatograpy B, 877:339-342 Izani O, Majid MIA, Manjit S, Gooi, Subatra S, Liang S. Gam LH (2009), Proteomics of Grade Three Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma In Malaysian Chinese Breast Cancer Patients. Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry. (http://www.babonline.org/bab/052/bab0520209.htm) Wai-Hoe Lau, Wing-Seng Leong, Zhari Ismail, Lay-Harn Gam (2008). Qualification and application of an ELISA for the determination of THP in human urine and its use for screening of kidney stone disease. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 4:215-222. or online at http://www.biolsci.org/v04p0125.htm Izani O, Majid MIA, Manjit S, Man CN, Gam LH (2008) Isolation, identification and quantification of differentially expressed proteins from cancerous and normal breast tissues. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry. May 45: 299-306 Leow CH, Manjit S, Gooi BH, Che Min M, Gam LH (2008) Comparison of protein profiles of colorectal cancer tissues extracted using three extraction buffers. Journal Biosceince. 19(1), 1-14. Gam LH, Leow CH, Man CN, Gooi BH, Manjit S. (2006) Analysis of differentially expressed proteins in cancerous and normal colonic tissues. World J. Gastroenterol. 12(31): 4973-4983. Man CN, Gam LH, Ismail S, Lajis R, Awang R. (2006) Simple, rapid and sensitive assay method for simultaneous quantification of unrinary nicotine and cotinine using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography B. 844 (2) 322-327. Saravanan D., Jamaludin A.S., Razak H.M., Valiappan R., Ahmad N.A., Gam LH, Ismail Z. (2006) The classification of Phyllanthus niruri Linn. According to location by infracred spectroscopy. Vibrational Spectroscopy. 41:68-72. Saravanan D, Hossain M.A., Zhari S., Gam LH, Ismail Z. (2006) The use of principal component analysis and self-organizing map to monitor inhibition of Calcium oxalate crystal growth by Orthosiphone stamineus extract. Chemometrics and Inteligent Laboratory System. 81: 21-28. Gam LH and Latiff A. (2006) Tandem mass spectrometic analysis of glycopeptides derived from the tryptic digestion of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Malaysian Journal of Science. 25(2): 87-95. Gam LH, Leow CY & Baie S. (2006) Proteomic analysis of snakehead fish (Channa striata) muscle tissue. Malaysia Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 14: 25-32 Gam LH, Aishah L. (2005) SDS-PAGE Electrophoretic Property of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) and its b-subunit. International Journal of Biological Sciences. 1:103-109. and online at http://www.biolsci.org/v01p0103.htm. Gam LH, Leow CY & Baie S. (2005) Amino acid composition of snakehead fish (Channa striatus) of various sizes obtained at different times of the year. Malaysian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3(2): 19-30. Gam LH & Aishah L (2005) Identification and Confirmatory Method for Human Chorionic Gonadetropin using HPLC/MS/MS Analysis. Malaysian Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 12: 25-30 Gam LH, Tham SK and Aishah L. (2003), Immunoaffinity extraction and tandem mass spectrometric analysis of human chorionic gonadotropin in doping analysis. Journal of Chromatrography B, 79: 187-196. Gam LH and Aishah L. (2002), Identification and confirmation of urinary human chorionic gonadotropin using in-gel digestion and HPLC/MS/MS analysis. Journal Bioscience, 13 (1):27-34 Gam LH and Aishah L. (2002), High throughput screening for urinary human chorionic gonadotropin using ELISA method. Journal Bioscience 13(2): 95-101. Verdugo-Rodriguez, A, Gam, LH, Devi S, Koh, CL, Puthucheary, SD, Calva, E and Pang, T. (1993), Detection of antibodies against Salmonella typhi Outer Membrane Protein (OMP) preparation in typhoid fever patients. Asian Pacific Journal of Allergy and Immunology 11: 45-52.Courses taught
Research Interest
Selected Publication
Seng Liang, Manjit Singh, Lay-Harn Gam (in press) The Differential Expression of Aqueous Soluble Proteins in Breast Normal and Cancerous Tissues in Relation to Ethnicity of the Patients; Chinese, Malay and Indian. Disease Markers.