by Dr Michelle Yap Khai Khun
Senior Lecturer
School of Science

Dr Michelle Yap from the School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, received a Special Award and bronze medal at the  International Research & Information Science Expo (iRISE) 2025 for an invention, MicStrip™ Connect: A Community-Driven Environmental Toxins Monitoring System.

These awards given under the Professional Category recognise the efforts put into empowering the communities to take proactive steps in environmental toxin monitoring and safeguarding public health. The iRISE awards-giving and closing ceremony took place on 12 February 2025, bringing together the brightest minds in research and innovation, showcasing cutting-edge innovations across multiple disciplines.

Environmental toxins contamination is a big concern for water and food security. Yet, the current detection methods are laborious, time-consuming, expensive, and require adequate training—an innovative on-site environmental toxins monitoring system, known as MicStrip™ Connect, is developed. MicStrip™ Connect stood out for its user-friendly, real-time toxin monitoring system.

It comprises a portable detection toolkit, mobile application, and cloud-based data sharing. Users can seamlessly report and monitor on-site toxin analysis results via the mobile application. MicStrip™ Connect is a game-changer, offering a sustainable solution for the communities to be directly involved in monitoring and reporting environmental toxins to local authorities.

This innovation aligns with Monash University’s Impact 2030 on Thriving Communities. It supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on Good Health and wellbeing, Clean Water and Sanitation, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action and Life Below Water.

As Dr Yap and her team transform towards wider community implementation and commercialisation, they remain dedicated to revolutionising innovation for a sustainable and equitable future for the local and global communities.