Armed with little more than the facilities in their school laboratory, a team of six students, guided by their biology teacher, developed a calcium supplement from the bones of the invasive suckermouth catfish or ikan bandaraya as it is commonly known in Malay.
The achievement by the students of Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Pasir Salak in Kampung Gajah, Perak aims to help address the proliferation of the suckermouth catfish (Hypostomus plecostomus), an invasive alien species that has increasingly threatened the ecological balance of the country’s rivers.
Originally from South America, suckermouth catfish breeds rapidly and competes with native fish for space and food.
MRSM Pasir Salak biology teacher Mahfuza Mansor told Bernama the idea of producing a calcium supplement from suckermouth catfish bones stemmed from research she had conducted with students two years ago using discarded chicken bones.
“At the time, we collected chicken bones from the school hostel’s dining hall after noticing that they had the potential to be put to good use.
“Through that research (carried out over a period of five months), we successfully processed the (chicken) bones into calcium supplement powder,” she said.
This innovation earned them a gold medal in the national-level Innovation Development Through Educational Activities Competition (Idea) in September 2024.
When discussions about invasive fish began gaining traction on social media, Mahfuza saw potential in its bones.
“I thought, if chicken bones can be transformed into a source of calcium, why not do the same with the bones of the bandaraya fish?”
The idea evolved into a structured research project in April 2025 under the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), which is a key component of the MRSM education system to foster higher-order thinking.
Before carrying out any experiment, the selected MRSM Pasir Salak students were required to review scientific journals, academic articles and research papers to understand the composition and potential of suckermouth catfish.
Mahfuza said the literature review was essential to ensure that every stage of the research was grounded in sound scientific evidence rather than assumptions.
“We spent almost three months studying research materials.
“From the literature, we discovered that the fish bones contain calcium, collagen and gelatin, all of which have the potential to be developed into health supplements.”
She added that previous studies, including research conducted by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), had also shown that fish bones were rich in calcium, further strengthening the team’s confidence to pursue the project.
With the scientific evidence in hand, Mahfuza began sourcing suckermouth catfish specimens for laboratory experiments.
The samples were obtained from social media content creator Mohd Nur Badri Mat Sidek, better known as Dunia Badol, who is well-known for catching invasive fish.
“I contacted him to ask for several samples of the fish.
“When he asked how many I needed, I told him I only wanted the bones.
“He was surprised because, according to him, people are usually interested in the fish’s roe and flesh.
“I explained that our focus was on turning what is normally discarded as waste into something beneficial.”
Once the samples were obtained, the students began a series of laboratory experiments.
Mahfuza said the raw materials underwent several stages of processing and repeated trials before the team successfully produced stable calcium powder as the project’s prototype.
The powder was subsequently sent to Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) for composition analysis using an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Spectroscopy instrument.
The analysis was conducted to determine the product’s mineral content while also ensuring that heavy metal levels were within safe limits.
“The test results showed that the sample contained a high level of calcium, while the concentration of arsenic, a heavy metal, was extremely low at about 0.008mg per litre, well below the maximum permissible limit of 5mg per litre,” she said.
The findings reinforced the potential of suckermouth catfish bones as a safe alternative source of calcium that could be developed into a health supplement.
Mahfuza said the entire research process, from laboratory experiments at the school to scientific analysis at UTP, took about three months to complete.
The project achieved global recognition at an innovation competition in Jakarta in June, emerging champion in the Sustainable Development Goals category and winning the gold medal at the International Invention & Innovation Competition (13C).
It also won the gold medal at the Innovation World Cup (IWC), also held in Jakarta in June as well as a gold medal and the Excellent Research Award at Expo-Sciences International in Abu Dhabi, held from Sept 27 to Oct 3 last year.
Mahfuza said the accolades affirmed the product’s commercial potential while highlighting its contribution to environmental sustainability.
She said the project aligned with circular economy principles by transforming waste materials or low-value invasive species into useful products, creating opportunities for the development of value-added innovations and new sources of income.
“Once this product (calcium supplement) is commercialised, more suckermouth catfish will be harvested as raw material for production.
“Indirectly, this will help control and reduce the population of this invasive species in our waterways,” she said.
For Muhammad Danish Iman Ahmad Daud, 16, who led the team, participating in the research project provided invaluable exposure, although balancing the project’s demands with his academic responsibilities was tough.
“One of the biggest challenges was time management, as well as ensuring every team member remained committed to attending meetings, completing assigned tasks and meeting the project deadlines,” he said.
His teammate Muhammad Rayyan Zafri Che Amat, 16, said the project gave him the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in laboratory experiments that required precision and strict adherence to procedures.
He said the greatest challenge was conducting experiments involving chemicals and complex scientific procedures, which had to be done with caution to ensure safety, as well as the accuracy of research findings.
“Even a minor error could affect the study’s results,” he said.
MRSM Pasir Salak principal Mohd Fadzli Muhammad said the project was testament to its efforts to cultivate a strong culture of research and innovation among its students.
“This research culture is nurtured through the implementation of SEM, which is one of the key components of the MRSM education system.
“Through SEM, students are exposed to the entire research process in a systematic manner, from generating ideas and collecting data to conducting research, preparing reports and presenting their findings.”
He added that the programme enabled students to develop initial ideas into innovations possessing greater value and impact.
