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Eijkman Molecular Biology Research Center

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Eijkman Center for Molecular Biology
Pusat Riset Biologi Molekuler Eijkman
Logo of Eijkman Molecular Biology Research Center. The logo had not changed since 31 December 1938 when the institute still named as Eijkman Institute
Agency overview
Formed15 January 1888
31 July 1992 (current form)
Preceding agencies
  • Geneeskundig Laboratorium
  • Eijkman Instituut
  • Lembaga Eijkman
  • Lembaga Biologi Molekuler Eijkman
Dissolved1 January 2022 (special status stripped)
Superseding agencies
  • Eijkman Center for Molecular Biology
  • Deputy IV of National Research and Innovation Agency
JurisdictionIndonesia Indonesia
Agency executive
Parent agencyResearch Organization for Health
Website[1]
The institute in 2011
The institute in 1939

The Eijkman Molecular Biology Research Center, formerly Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology is a laboratory in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is most known for the discovery by Christiaan Eijkman that Beriberi was caused by a lack of thiamine in the human body.

History

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Founded as the Geneeskundig Laboratorium, or Medical Laboratory, at Jalan Diponegoro No. 69 in Central Jakarta in 1888, Christiaan Eijkman was stationed there as its first director. During his time there, he discovered that Beriberi, which was commonly believed to be caused by external forces, was caused by a lack of thiamine in the human body. This led to a Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for Eijkman in 1929. In 1938, the laboratory was renamed the Eijkman Instituut (Eijkman Institute) in honor of Eijkman.[1][2]

During World War II, Japanese occupiers accused the center's first Indonesian director, Achmad Mochtar, of poisoning a batch of vaccine that was to be delivered to slave laborers. After Mochtar and his researchers were tortured and interrogated, he made a deal with the Japanese that he would plead guilty if his researchers were released. He was then executed and buried in an unmarked grave.[1] It is possible that Mochtar was a scapegoat for a failed Japanese experiment designed to validate a conjured tetanus toxoid vaccine for their troops.[3]

During the 1960s, the institute closed due to upheaval in the country and was absorbed into the Cipto Mangunkusomo Hospital. It remained closed for the next thirty years until 1992, when B.J. Habibie, the Minister of Research and Technology, decided to reopen the institute. The institute opened formally by Ministry of Research and Technology Decree No. 475/M/Kp/VII/1992. By 1993, it was fully operational, but ran into further troubles in 1998 due to the Asian financial crisis.[1][2][4]

In 2004, the institute identified the suicide bomber who blew himself up in front of the Australian Embassy, which drew recognition to the practical benefits of molecular biology. Today, the institute houses one of the few Biosafety Level 3 laboratories in the country, which is equipped with a gas decontamination chamber.[1]

For long time since its re-formation in 1992, Eijkman Institute was subordinate of Ministry of Research and Technology.[5][6] However, Eijkman Institute somewhat enjoyed unique status within the ministry. The most important was, despite being a government-run institute, their recruitment of their human resources mostly by contract similar to a private company recruitment. As result, the Eijkman Institute researchers and staffs having unusual status in Indonesia government employment system and cannot be categorized as one, they are not a government civil servant but having their salary paid by government. Not only that they do not have proper career track as Indonesian government scientists and government staffs.[7][8][9]

Demotion, strippage, and institutional split

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Since 22 September 2021, Eijkman Institute officially become subordinate of National Research and Innovation Agency (Indonesian: Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, BRIN) rather the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.[5][6] The name of Eijkman Institute changed to Eijkman Molecular Biology Research Center, under the Life Sciences Research Organization of National Research and Innovation Agency.[10] After get captured by National Research and Innovation Agency, Eijkman Institute stripped from its unique status, demoted into a research center, and placed into BRIN supervision for its unusual practice in recruiting researchers and staffs.[9]

Controversy on Liquidation

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On 1 January 2022, there is information that BRIN started the termination of most of Eijkman Molecular Biology Research Center researchers. The information confirmed to be true. BRIN offered them to become government scientists of BRIN thru available government civil servant selection processes, although BRIN returned the choice to the terminated Eijkman researchers and staffs.[8] About 113 Eijkman staffs terminated, with 71 researchers and 42 non-researcher staffs affected by this rationalization.[9][11][12] At the same day, it is announced that current Eijkman Molecular Biology Research Center split into several parts, the Eijkman Molecular Biology Research Center itself, one part to Deputy IV (Research and Innovation Infrastructure) of BRIN, and rest will be relinquished to Ministry of Health.[13]

The move criticized strongly by both ruling coalition[14][15] and opposition.[16][17][18] People's Representative Council, officially requested BRIN for information and explanation for the Eijkman staff's termination in response of the issues.[19][20]

The Ministry of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform confirmed the BRIN's move as legal move. Tjahjo Kumolo, the minister, further broke down that from 71 terminated researchers, 68 are research assistants with bachelor's and master's degree, 2 junior researchers (below 40) with PhD degree, and 1 senior researcher (over 40) with PhD degree. He revealed, either BRIN liquidated it or not, the Eijkman Molecular Biology Research Center eventually will be reformed by government due the past mismanagement of personnel and other irregularities when the institution still existed as Eijkman Institute.[21]

Building

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From the outside, the building has been described as looking like a museum, although the inside has not been renovated in an attempt to keep the building looking as it did when Eijkman was working there. This includes a visitor's lounge which is still furnished with wood and rattan chairs and other furnishings that have not been changed since the opening of the building.[1] The building will be relinquished to Ministry of Health and will be replaced to a new building at Cibinong.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Saptura, Antonny (4 September 2012). "Jakarta: The Eijkman Institute". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  2. ^ a b "History". Eijkman Institute. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  3. ^ Kevin Baird, "War Crimes in Japan-Occupied Indonesia: Unraveling the Persecution of Achmad Mochtar", The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 1, No. 3, January 1, 2016.
  4. ^ Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (2 August 2021). "SIARAN PERS BADAN RISET DAN INOVASI NASIONAL Nomor : 95/SP/HM/BKKP/VIII/2021 Kepala BRIN Sampaikan Selamat Ulang Tahun Ke-29 Kepada LBM Eijkman". Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (in Indonesian). Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  5. ^ a b CNN Indonesia (22 September 2021). "BRIN Kini Jadi Bos Baru Lembaga Biologi Molekuler Eijkman". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ a b CNN Indonesia (22 September 2021). "Peneliti LIPI Gantikan Amin Soebandrio Jadi Kepala Eijkman". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. ^ Nurhadi, M (2 January 2022). "Sejarah Lembaga Eijkman: Rumah Jutaan Riset di Tengah Isu Pemberhentian Tak Layak Peneliti". suara.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  8. ^ a b Wisnuwardani, Dyah Puspita (2 January 2022). "Terintegrasi, BRIN Beri 5 Opsi Perekrutan untuk Periset LBM Eijkman". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  9. ^ a b c Aditya, Nicholas Ryan (2 January 2022). "Penjelasan BRIN soal Kabar Ilmuwan Eijkman Diberhentikan Tanpa Pesangon". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  10. ^ CNN Indonesia (24 September 2021). "BRIN Ungkap Nasib Vaksin Merah Putih Usai Comot Eijkman-LIPI". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ Aditya, Nicholas Ryan (2 January 2022). "Efek Eijkman Dilebur ke BRIN, 71 Orang Peneliti Diberhentikan". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  12. ^ Ray (3 January 2022). "Eijkman Dilebur ke BRIN, Nasib 113 Tenaga Honorer Dipertanyakan". Asumsi. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  13. ^ a b Aida, Nur Rohmi (1 January 2022). "Sejarah Lembaga Eijkman yang Kini Dilebur dengan BRIN". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  14. ^ Andayani, Dwi (3 January 2022). "PPP: Jangan Sia-siakan Para Peneliti Eijkman". detiknews (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  15. ^ Andayani, Dwi (3 January 2022). "Legislator Golkar soal Eijkman: Jangan Sampai Riset Vaksin Terpengaruh". detiknews (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  16. ^ Safitri, Eva (2 January 2022). "Eijkman Dilebur ke BRIN, Legislator PD Singgung Memori Publik soal TWK KPK". detiknews (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  17. ^ Safitri, Eva (2 January 2022). "Eijkman Dilebur ke BRIN, PKS Khawatir Riset Vaksin Merah Putih Mandeg". detiknews (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  18. ^ Safitri, Eva (2 January 2022). "PAN Wanti-wanti Peleburan ke BRIN Jangan Kebiri Riset Eijkman". detiknews (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  19. ^ Murpratomo, Irfan (3 January 2022). "Eijkman Dilebur ke BRIN, Dasco Minta Hak Pegawai dan Peneliti Tak Dilupakan". Kedai Pena (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  20. ^ Mikrefin, Nuhansa (3 January 2022). "DPR Minta Penjelasan BRIN soal Pemberhentian Peneliti Eijkman - Nasional Katadata.co.id". katadata.co.id (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  21. ^ Maharani, Tsarina (3 January 2022). "Menteri PAN-RB: Integrasi atau Tidak, Penataan LBM Eijkman Harus Dilakukan Halaman all". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
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