Prof. Ahmad began his lecture by introducing agarwood as a plant often associated with mystical connotations, yet in Paris, Mecca, and London, it is actually one of the world’s most luxurious perfume ingredients, known as oud.

“It’s a material that, in one place, we burn, while in another, it’s bottled—and once bottled, its price usually changes quite drastically,” he said.

What connects these two worlds, he explained, is chemistry.

The Paradox of the Healthy Tree

Indonesia is home to more than 10 species of agarwood-producing plants, primarily from the genera Aquilaria and Girinops. However, behind their high economic value lies a biological paradox that has been at the heart of Prof. Ahmad’s research for many years. Healthy agarwood trees actually do not produce agarwood resin. The resin only forms when the tree sustains an injury or faces environmental stress.

“It turns out that humans aren’t the only ones who are sometimes more productive when under pressure,” he explained.

Biologically speaking, what happens is the tree’s self-defense mechanism: when a wound serves as a signal, that signal activates genes, the genes alter metabolism, and metabolism produces the aroma.

Wounds Alone Are Not Enough

However, the most important finding of his research actually shows that wounding alone is not enough. In a study published in the journal Symbiosis (2020), Prof. Ahmad and his team compared untreated trees, trees that were only wounded, and trees inoculated with the fungus *Fusarium solani*. The results showed that fungal inoculation produced far more pronounced tissue changes and a significant increase in resin accumulation compared to wounding alone.

“To produce agarwood with a stronger response, these trees also need a partner. And in the case of our study, that partner is Fusarium solani,” he explained.

Furthermore, tests involving various biotic and abiotic stresses showed that plants not only respond to stress but are also selective about the source of that stress.

“Trees are quite selective about who is allowed to make their lives more complicated,” Prof. Ahmad emphasized.

For this reason, he prefers to describe agarwood formation not merely as a post-wounding response, but as a molecular dialogue between the tree, microorganisms, and its environment. Microbes send signals; the tree reads them and activates its defenses; the chemical changes produced by the tree, in turn, influence the microbes, resulting in a two-way interaction that ultimately leads to resin accumulation.

From Reading to Mastery

To decipher this invisible molecular dialogue, the research team utilizes omics technologies: transcriptomics to identify active genes, proteomics to track protein changes, and metabolomics to identify the compounds formed. The challenge is that thousands of genes can change simultaneously, so the researchers’ task is to filter out which ones are truly important from among those thousands of “voices.”

Looking ahead, Prof. Ahmad is directing his research toward the concept of a plant biofactory that does not merely rely on nature, but moves toward cell culture, bioreactors, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology approaches. Plants are viewed not merely as sources of raw materials, but as biological systems that can be engineered to produce high-value molecules such as sesquiterpenes and chromones—compounds characteristic of agarwood that define its aroma and economic value.

Knowledge for Farmers, Not Just a Journal

Prof. Ahmad emphasized that the research journey must not end in the laboratory or with scientific publications. The results must be returned to the community in the form of seedling development, inoculation technology, and other innovations that agarwood farmers can directly benefit from. The three main goals he outlined are increased productivity, increased economic value, and the conservation of Indonesian agarwood species.

Concluding his speech, he reflected on his academic journey with a simple yet powerful statement: “The title of professor is not the finish line, but rather the next kilometer on the journey to continue learning and making a positive impact.”

Profile of Prof. Dr. Ahmad Faizal, S.Si., M.Si

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Faizal, S.Si., M.Si., was born in Nipa, South Sulawesi, on July 2, 1981. He is a Full Professor in the Plant Science and Biotechnology Group at the School of Life Sciences and Technology (SITH) at ITB, specializing in plant biotechnology. Currently, he serves as Chair of the Doctoral Program in Biology and Chair of the Advisory Board for the Indonesian Biology Olympiad Team.

His academic journey is deeply rooted in the field of plant science. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at ITB before pursuing his doctoral studies at Ghent University in Belgium. In addition to his active research, he consistently contributes to the development of young talent through biology olympiads at both the national and international levels.

His research productivity is reflected in his track record over the past five years, which includes 12 research projects and 29 scientific publications. Furthermore, together with his colleagues, he has authored one monograph, five reference books, and secured one patent.

For his dedication, Prof. Ahmad was recognized as an outstanding faculty member in the field of research by ITB in 2017 and received the Satyalencana Karya Satya 10-Year Award in 2023.

(Jekky, Mining Engineering 2023)