Agilent Supports Inaugural Singapore-South Korea Symposium on Glycomics
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Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced support for the inaugural Singapore-South Korea Symposium on Glycomics, where scientists and researchers from both nations will work toward developing biomarkers for diseases, biopharmaceuticals and therapeutic antibody products through glycomics, the study of complex sugars. The symposium will be held Feb. 12-13 in Singapore.
"This joint symposium marks increasing collaboration with our partners from South Korea in the field of glycomics, with the aim to establish Singapore and South Korea as Asian leaders in glycomics research," said professor Lam Kong Peng, executive director of the Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). "Singapore has developed biomedical sciences as a key pillar of our economy-these collaborations will further boost Singapore's reputation as a world-class destination for biologics manufacturing and R&D."
The symposium is organized by BTI; the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), one of South Korea's foremost research institutions; and Chungnam National University's Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology (GRAST), one of South Korea's top universities and a highly regarded research leader in the field of glycomics. KBSI will lead a delegation of 35 scientists and postgraduate students from South Korea to Singapore for the symposium.
"We believe science is integral to our everyday lives, helping us to stay safe and improve our well-being," said Dr. Kwanghwa Chung, president of KBSI. "KBSI is moving forward to be an open and global science research institution, and we are committed to ongoing research and collaboration with notable organizations in Singapore, such as the Bioprocessing Technology Institute."
"GRAST leads the way in developing the biosimilars industry in South Korea," said professor Hee-Sun Chung, dean of GRAST. "We are the only graduate school in South Korea that leverages the synergistic efforts of education and research. We welcome opportunities for our researchers and students to share our work in the field of glycomics and contribute to the discovery of new cures, more effective drugs and vaccines to treat serious medical conditions."
"Agilent has long been the champion of innovation, driving developments and collaborations among members of scientific community," said Dr. Rudolf Grimm, Agilent's director of science and technology and manager of collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region. "We are committed to helping top scientists who work in the important field of glycomics and biopharmaceuticals in Singapore and South Korea to pave the way for discoveries and developments that will help people live better and longer, safely."
In Singapore, BTI is Agilent's reference site in Southeast Asia for the use of the unique mAb-Glyco NanoChip Technology. BTI is home to a number of sophisticated bio-analytical instruments including the Agilent 6550 iFunnel Ultra High Accurate Mass Q-TOF LC/MS which contains the HPLC-Chip breakthrough technology for glycoprotein analysis.
The symposium follows a number of research collaboration initiatives by Agilent in the field of glycomics, which include, among others:
• 2011 - Collaboration with Chungnam National University to develop new applications, methods, technologies and software tools in the field of glycomics.
• 2013 - Establishment of the Asia Glycomics Education, located in GRAST, to support collaborative university/industry education and cross-training. The university will develop and administer training programs for various methods of glycan analysis, which will be made available without charge to scientists and researchers endorsed by Agilent in South Korea and the South Asia-Pacific region.
• 2013 - Memorandum of understanding signed between Agilent, the Glyco-MEV laboratory at the University of Rouen, France, and the Bioprocessing Technology Institute. The three parties plan to develop tools that will analyze biologics and vaccines to ensure they are safe and effective.
• Collaborations with U.C. Davis, Boston University School of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology and Macquarie University in Sydney.
