International Symposium on “Model Organisms and Stem Cells in Development, Regeneration and Disease”

The symposium is interdisciplinary and covers signaling and developmental mechanisms in stem cells, the immune system and a variety of model organisms – Zebra fish, Drosophila and the Mouse.

For more information, please click here.

Editorial Team

Lim Chwee Teck
Ellice Lim
Siti Haryanti
Aziz Salim

Seminar by Neurobiology Programme

“Function and signaling mechanisms of the axon guidance molecule Plexin-B3”

Dr Alan Lee
Physiology, NUS

Psychotropic drugs and neural stem cells

Dr Gavin Dawe
Pharmacology, NUS

Date: Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Time: 12 -1 pm
Venue: CeLS Seminar Room 1

__________

Title to be announced

Prof Ralph Martinst
Edith Cowan University, Australia

Date: Friday, 12 October 2007
Time: 12 -1 pm
Venue: CeLS Seminar Room 1

__________

Title to be announced

Dr Tan Eng King
National Neuroscience Institute

Date: Tuesday, 31 October 2007
Time: 12-1 pm
Venue: CeLS Seminar Room 1

On 12 September 2007, Mr Geng Xiaoli, Director (Investment and Promotion) and Mr Zhou Tao, Deputy Director (Technology Coordination) from Taizhou Medical City Administrative Committee called at the Centre for Life Sciences.

Prof Hew receiving memento from
Mr Geng Xiaoli (left).

The Tohoku University Global COE Programme “Global Nano-Biomedical Engineering Education and Research Network Centre” and the Division of Bioengineering, National University of Singapore will co-organize the 3rd Tohoku-NUS Joint Symposium on Nano-Biomedical Engineering in the East Asian-Pacific Rim Region (4th International Symposium of Tohoku University Global COE Programme “Global Nano-Biomedical Engineering Education & Research Network Centre”). This is a continuation of the last symposium held in December 2006 in Singapore.

As two of the leading universities for bioengineering and nano-medicine in Asia, we would like to construct a longstanding collaboration between our two institutions; co-organize various activities including this joint symposium. Subjects are focused on biomechanics, bioimaging, biodevices and biointervention but any other related topics are also welcomed. Young investigators of both universities are strongly encouraged to present their ongoing work. [READ MORE]

Office of Life Sciences, NUS and Baden Württemberg Universities will be jointly organizing the NUS-Baden Württemberg Joint Scientific Conference in Life Sciences. The Conference will be held at the CeLS Auditorium on 29 and 30 October 2007. Please visit the webpage at ols.nus.edu.sg/nus_badenwurttemberg for more details as well as to register. Registration is free.

The Mechanobiology Workshop 2007 brings together experts from multiple disciplines to define how the mechanical factors, force and geometry, in addition to biochemical stimuli control biological form, cell growth and differentiation. Using nanotechnology, molecular and cell biology, biophysics and computational biology, the basic mechanosensing and mechanotransduction functional modules used by cells can be understood at the nanometer (molecular) and piconewton level.

These processes underlie cellular mechanical functions that are critical in normal and disease states such as cancer and bacterial pathogenesis. For more information and registration, please visit webpage at ols.nus.edu.sg/mechanobiology2007. Registration is free.

We would like to welcome Dr Anant Sumita Ananthakrishnan who joined OLS as a Safety and Health Officer on 10 September 2007 . She has replaced Ms Poon Yoke Yin who has since left the University service.

We would also like to welcome Mr Clement Chua Chiang Lin who joined Neurobiology Programme as a Lab Manager on 17 September 2007.

OLS/NUS-COE/Tohoku University Joint Symposium

This is the first joint symposium between the NUS Office of Life Sciences and the Tohoku University’s Centre of Excellence, and is the culmination of discussions which began last year between Professors Yoshiaki Ito and Kazuo Sugamura.

Prof Kazuo Sugamura, Dean, Tohoku
University Graduate Medical School

Both universities have much in common. They began in the early 1900s within 2 years of each other. NUS started from a modest medical school in 1905 while Tohoku University was founded in 1907 as the third imperial university, during the period when Japan had begun to transform itself into a modernized society. Since then, both have played a leading role in research and education in their respective countries, and both are now ranked among the top universities in the Asia-Pacific region.

The joint symposium brought together scientists and researchers from Singapore and Japan for an exciting exchange of scientific ideas and will hopefully lead to the inevitable building of multiple bridges between the two countries. The programme spanned a gamut of topics from immunology to stem cells linking basic to clinical and translational science with a total of 11 speakers, who are some of the best in their fields.

The joint symposium involved both the OLS’ Immunology and Cancer programmes as well as participation of research collaborators in A*Star institutes; the Genome Insitute of Singapore and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology. This is illustrative of the strong ties and interactions between Singapore’s two major centres of life science research. Joint symposiums of this nature serve both universities well especially when there is common interest on both sides to come together in the exploration of good science.

OLS will be organizing a safety course for undergraduate students who work in the labs at CeLS on 12 October 2007 between 1.00pm – 5.00 pm at the CeLS Auditorium. Typically undergrads have little experience of research labs. The course therefore aims to provide a general overview on safety with focus on laboratory safety aspects such as chemical, biological, radiation and fire safety. They will learn about the legislative requirements in Singapore and NUS and CeLS-specific guidelines they must follow while at work. They will also learn how to handle emergency situations like spills that may occur in their labs.

Below are the details:

CeLS Safety Course for Undergraduate Students

October 12, 2007
CeLS Auditorium-Level 1
1.00pm – 5.00 pm

Course Objective

The Centre for Life Sciences (CeLS) is committed to providing a safe working and learning environment for all its occupants. This course is therefore designed to enable undergraduate students who work at CeLS to increase their awareness of safe work practices and adopt measures that will improve the safety of their workplace. The course will include legislative requirements, NUS guidelines and CeLS-specific procedures.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Programme

1.00pm – 1.30pm : General safety practices – Sumita Anant

1.30pm – 2.00pm : Fire safety and emergency evacuation – Arnel Zornosa

2.00pm – 2.50pm : Biological safety – Sumita Anant

2.50pm – 3-10pm : Break

3.10pm – 4.00pm : Chemical Safety – Viji Vijayan

4.00pm – 5.00pm : Radiation safety – Viji Vijayan

Course instructors

Dr. Viji Vijayan
Email: olsvv@nus.edu.sg
Phone: 65167003

Dr. Sumita Anant
Email: olsasa@nus.edu.sg
Phone: 65167543

Mr Arnel Zornosa
Email: olszab@nus.edu.sg
Phone: 65166752

Young Investigator Seminar Series Cum Networking Session

“A Retinal Scan Can Save Your Life”

Wong Tien Yin
(BMRC Young Investigator Award Recipient 2003)
Professor and Deputy Chair
Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne
Associate Professor
Department of Ophthalmology
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS

“Pinning Down Neurofilament Phosphorylation”

Dr Sashi Kesavapany
Assistant Professor
OLS Neurobiology Programme
Department of Biochemistry
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS

Date: Friday, 5 October 2007
Time: 4 -5 pm
Venue: CeLS Auditorium

There will be a networking session after the seminar. More information of the seminar can be obtained by clicking here.

OLS Distinguished Lecture Series

“Genetic Studies in the Framingham Heart Study”

Prof Adrienne Cupples
Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology,
Boston University School of Public Health

Date: Thursday, 11 October 2007
Time: 4 pm
Venue: CeLS Auditorium

NUS-Baden Württemberg Joint Scientific Conference in Life Sciences

Date: 29 – 30 October 2007
Time: 9am
Venue: CeLS Auditorium

For more info, please visit http://ols.nus.edu.sg/
nus_badenwurttemberg

Mechanobiology Workshop 2007

Date: 16 – 18 October 2007
Time: 9am
Venue: CeLS Auditorium

For more info, please visit http://ols.nus.edu.sg/
mechanobiology2007

The following grant calls were recently announced:

NMRC: Call for Clinician Scientist Award (CSA)
Submission to OLS – 10 October 2007
More information can be obtained from http://www.nmrc.gov.sg/corp/
fellowship.aspx?id=308

NMRC: Translational & Clinical Research (TCR) Flagship Programme, Cadiovascular & Metabolic Disorders/Infectious Diseases
Submission to OLS – 27 November 2007
For more info please go to http://www.nmrc.gov.sg/corp/
grants.aspx?id=450&ekmensel=8
_submenu_72_link_3

OLS organized a special Fire Safety Training held on 19 September 2007 at the CeLS Auditorium. 90 participants took part in the training for staff and students who are attached to the various research programmes in CeLS. This course was conducted with the help of the Office of Safety, Health and Environment, to enhance safety awareness amongst staff and students.

A participant putting out a fire in a mock fire drill.

AALAS Seminar

Laboratory Animals Centre (LAC), in conjunction with the Singapore Association for Laboratory Animal Science (SALAS), hosted an evening seminar session on 28 August at CeLS for two Office Bearers of the American Association for Laboratory Animals Science (AALAS). Dr Ann Turner, Executive Director, and Dr Nicole Duffee, Director, Education and Scientific Affairs, spoke on: “Inside AALAS: Programs, Services and Products – overview of all programs offered by AALAS, including the potential Biosafety certification”, and “The AALAS Learning Library and How to Get the Most from It”, respectively.

Dr Nicole Duffee and Dr Ann Turner
(4th and 5th from left) with LAC and
CARE staff.

Attended by about 60 people involved in laboratory animal science throughout Singapore, the session provided insights on how to obtain continuing education through AALAS. Outside of North America, Singapore has the largest number of AALAS-certified laboratory animal technicians. And more than half are from NUS.

Earlier in the day, Drs Ann and Nicole also visited the Centre for Animal Resources (CARE), and on campus animal research facilities to get an insight on the standard of laboratory animal care at NUS. They were impressed with what Singapore has achieved over the last 5 years in the field of laboratory animal science.

OLS Distinguished Lecture Series

On 11 September 2007, Dr Zheng-Gang Liu from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA was our OLS Distinguished Lecture speaker.

Dr Zheng-gang Liu from the National Institutes of Health, USA.

Office of Life Sciences hosted a visit by Prof Syed E. Hasnain, Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad. He was accompanied by Prof A.S. Raghavendra, Dean, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad and Dr. Nasreen Z. Ehtesham, Deputy Director, National Institute for Nutrition. The visit took place on 11 September 2007.

Prof Hew Choy Leong with the
Hyderabad delegation.

A meeting took place to discuss
potential collaboration between
the two universities.