Editor’s Letter
In our last issue of 2019, we present to you in our features section, written by scientists both passionate and eager in contributing their expertise in advancing the understanding of diseases in order to discover better treatment options.
From the work of a group of scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, they demonstrate the development of a sensor created from laboratory by-products in the detection of hydrogen peroxide in blood samples. (p. 24) Based in our home ground, Singapore, are researchers from the Neuro-Oncology Research Laboratory at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI). Discover how this group of scientists, clinicians, and computational experts are able to make use of artificial intelligence and gene signatures for targeted treatments of aggressive brain tumours. (p. 28) Finally, another research featured this month is from the joint efforts of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)’s Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC), Duke-NUS Medical School, and the Singapore Clinical Research Institute (SCRI). Focused primarily on solving the global health issue of metabolic disease prevalence, their future clinical research studies will see the advancement of metabolic imaging to contribute to the development of targeted methods in metabolic disease treatment and prevention. (p.32)
With rapidly ageing populations and the growing demand for sustainable methods in food production, we interviewed experts who shared with us their thought leadership on value-based healthcare as a paradigm shift for health systems (p. 36) and insights to the research initiative (DiSTAP) by SMART, MIT’s Research Enterprise in Singapore on their research endeavours to amalgamate engineering and plant science in creating innovative methods for food production. (p. 40)
In our final “Life of a Scientist” column for 2019, we feature a clinician-scientist, Associate Professor Ang Beng Ti, from the Neuro-Oncology Research Laboratory at NNI. (p. 44) Take a step into his life and work as both a clinician-scientist and philanthropist.
Looking towards the year 2020, we hope to continue to bring you more insights and updates in the world of science and technology and keeping you updated on the latest trends and hot topics. For many years countless number of researchers in the fields of science and technology have dedicated their lives in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of our human bodies and the world around us. Moving on to the year 2020 our mission at Asia-Pacific Biotech News will remain as such, to provide accurate, objective, and sincere reporting for research and industrial developments in the field of science and technology.
Deborah Emmanuel Seah Qing En
Editor