I am reading "Cell of Cells" by Cynthia Fox and just happen to be on the chapter titled Biopolis. I am amazed at how much money Singapore has put into stem cell research and the number of top scientists that have been recruited to work there. I was in Singapore several years ago and it is a very clean country with signs everywhere cautioning people to not litter, to make sure to flush the toilet, not to chew gum (it's actually illegal there except for a type of medical gum), not to stand in certain areas, etc. If you don't obey you will get a fine. I was always a little worried about the flush the toilet sign or you will be fined as I wasn't sure just who was watching. Anyway, the lovely Singapore people take it in stride and our tour guides would always start out with "Singapore is a fine country - a fine for this and a fine for that". They got a great chuckle out of telling us this. Now, they are one of the leaders in the world of biotechnology which is fine with me. The more research, the better.
Twenty-Four Experts Gather To Discuss Hottest Stem Cell Topics At First Singapore-Germany Meeting
Article Date: 07 Apr 2009
Dr Alan Colman, Executive Director of the Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC) and a renowned scientist who helped clone Dolly the sheep, will deliver the welcome address and a talk at the first Singapore-Germany Stem Cell Symposium, held at the Biopolis today. He will speak on one of the hottest fields in recent stem cell research induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)[1], and how they may be used to study the early pathology of several human diseases. iPSCs have gained much attention in recent years as an alternative source of pluripotent stem cells to human embryos, for use in research and potential therapeutics.
Twenty-three other outstanding scientists from leading research institutes, universities and hospitals in Germany and Singapore will also speak at the two-day symposium. The topics include iPSCs, stem cell behaviour, function, differentiation, reprogramming, and the use of stem cells to treat a host of conditions such as diabetes, neurodegenerative disease and cardiovascular disease. The detailed programme is attached at the Annex.
Other prominent experts who will speak at the symposium include:
- Hans Scholer from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine. Prof Scholer will discuss new approaches on reprogramming various types of cells to the pluripotent state, which will circumvent problems of immunological incompatibility. With this, he aims to develop cell-based therapeutics for conditions such as cardiovascular and Parkinson's disease.
- Thomas Skutella from the University of Tbingen. Prof Skutella managed to harvest cells from male testes and turned them, with the use of chemicals, into other cell types like skin, neurons, structures of the gut, cartilage, bone and muscle. He will discuss the methods that led him to the successful publication of his research paper[2] in the prestigious journal Nature last year, as well as his recent research progress.
- Steve Oh from A*STAR's Bioprocessing Technology Institute. Dr Oh is developing the third generation (3G) method for the scaleable production of pluripotent stem cells on microcarriers. This will allow large quantities of stem cells to be produced in controlled bioreactors to meet the anticipated need for such therapies in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Said Dr Alan Colman, Executive Director of SSCC, "Some of the best stem cell scientists from Germany and Singapore will be meeting at this Stem Cell Symposium. We look forward to an exciting scientific discourse and exchange of ideas, which we hope will lead to new collaborations. This is also one of the SSCC's objectives to connect people from the basic science and clinical research groups, and by doing so, catalyze the translation of basic stem cell research into clinically viable therapies for chronic and debilitating diseases."
The Director for Southeast Asia, International Affairs Division, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Dr Harald Leisch said, "This symposium is a timely one, given the rapid developments in stem cell research and technology taking place in both Germany and Singapore. We are delighted to partner the SSCC in supporting this first joint Stem Cell Symposium, and hope that our researchers find new opportunities for collaboration in the high-tech labs of Singapore. We also welcome Singapore researchers to visit our labs in Germany."
Mr Klaus Herzog, Counsellor for Science and Technology, German Embassy, added, "I would like to commend Dr Gerald Udolph, a principal investigator at A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology, and his colleagues for organising this symposium. This event will lay the important groundwork for such future meetings, which will lead to important scientific outcomes that will contribute to the progress of stem cell research in both countries."
The symposium, which will be attended by 100 researchers from Singapore and Germany, is jointly supported by A*STAR's Singapore Stem Cell Consortium and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a prominent research funding organisation in Germany.
[1] Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are artificially derived from cells such as adult cells from the body, and are believed to share similar characteristics as embryonic stem cells. iPSCs were first produced from mouse cells and human cells, in 2006 and 2007 respectively. A pluripotent stem cell has the potential to become various cell types in the body. [2] Prof Thomas Skutella's research was published in an article titled, "Generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult human testis", in the journal Nature. Reference: Nature (2008) 456, 344-349.
About the Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC)
The Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC) is an initiative of the A*STAR Biomedical Research Council (BMRC). Its objective is to establish a coordinated and focused translational research and development programme in stem cells. It comprises both intramural and extramural components. The SSCC seeks to catalyze the translation of basic stem cell research into clinically viable stem cell therapies for chronic and debilitating diseases, by building strong linkages between basic science and clinical research groups. It also has an interest in using stem cells to create models of mammalian development and disease states, as well as providing cellular assays for the identification of novel signaling molecules, pathways, and the development of new drugs. In addition to supporting intramural stem cell research within the A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), SSCC also coordinates the diverse stem cell research activities in Singapore by funding collaborative grant calls and developing key resources needed by the stem cell research community. SSCC has announced several grant calls and awarded several grants every year since 2006.
About the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) is the central, self-governing research funding organisation that promotes research at universities and other publicly financed research institutions in Germany. The DFG serves all branches of science and the humanities by funding research projects and facilitating cooperation among researchers.
About Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
A*STAR is Singapore's lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based Singapore. A*STAR actively nurtures public sector research and development in Biomedical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, with a particular focus on fields essential to Singapore's manufacturing industry and new growth industries. It oversees 22 research institutes, consortia and centres, and supports extramural research with the universities, hospital research centres and other local and international partners. At the heart of this knowledge intensive work is human capital. Top local and international scientific talent drive knowledge creation at A*STAR research institutes. The Agency also sends scholars for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral training in the best universities, a reflection of the high priority A*STAR places on nurturing the next generation of scientific talent.
Twenty-Four Experts Gather To Discuss Hottest Stem Cell Topics At First Singapore-Germany Meeting
Article Date: 07 Apr 2009
Dr Alan Colman, Executive Director of the Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC) and a renowned scientist who helped clone Dolly the sheep, will deliver the welcome address and a talk at the first Singapore-Germany Stem Cell Symposium, held at the Biopolis today. He will speak on one of the hottest fields in recent stem cell research induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)[1], and how they may be used to study the early pathology of several human diseases. iPSCs have gained much attention in recent years as an alternative source of pluripotent stem cells to human embryos, for use in research and potential therapeutics.
Twenty-three other outstanding scientists from leading research institutes, universities and hospitals in Germany and Singapore will also speak at the two-day symposium. The topics include iPSCs, stem cell behaviour, function, differentiation, reprogramming, and the use of stem cells to treat a host of conditions such as diabetes, neurodegenerative disease and cardiovascular disease. The detailed programme is attached at the Annex.
Other prominent experts who will speak at the symposium include:
- Hans Scholer from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine. Prof Scholer will discuss new approaches on reprogramming various types of cells to the pluripotent state, which will circumvent problems of immunological incompatibility. With this, he aims to develop cell-based therapeutics for conditions such as cardiovascular and Parkinson's disease.
- Thomas Skutella from the University of Tbingen. Prof Skutella managed to harvest cells from male testes and turned them, with the use of chemicals, into other cell types like skin, neurons, structures of the gut, cartilage, bone and muscle. He will discuss the methods that led him to the successful publication of his research paper[2] in the prestigious journal Nature last year, as well as his recent research progress.
- Steve Oh from A*STAR's Bioprocessing Technology Institute. Dr Oh is developing the third generation (3G) method for the scaleable production of pluripotent stem cells on microcarriers. This will allow large quantities of stem cells to be produced in controlled bioreactors to meet the anticipated need for such therapies in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Said Dr Alan Colman, Executive Director of SSCC, "Some of the best stem cell scientists from Germany and Singapore will be meeting at this Stem Cell Symposium. We look forward to an exciting scientific discourse and exchange of ideas, which we hope will lead to new collaborations. This is also one of the SSCC's objectives to connect people from the basic science and clinical research groups, and by doing so, catalyze the translation of basic stem cell research into clinically viable therapies for chronic and debilitating diseases."
The Director for Southeast Asia, International Affairs Division, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Dr Harald Leisch said, "This symposium is a timely one, given the rapid developments in stem cell research and technology taking place in both Germany and Singapore. We are delighted to partner the SSCC in supporting this first joint Stem Cell Symposium, and hope that our researchers find new opportunities for collaboration in the high-tech labs of Singapore. We also welcome Singapore researchers to visit our labs in Germany."
Mr Klaus Herzog, Counsellor for Science and Technology, German Embassy, added, "I would like to commend Dr Gerald Udolph, a principal investigator at A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology, and his colleagues for organising this symposium. This event will lay the important groundwork for such future meetings, which will lead to important scientific outcomes that will contribute to the progress of stem cell research in both countries."
The symposium, which will be attended by 100 researchers from Singapore and Germany, is jointly supported by A*STAR's Singapore Stem Cell Consortium and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a prominent research funding organisation in Germany.
[1] Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are artificially derived from cells such as adult cells from the body, and are believed to share similar characteristics as embryonic stem cells. iPSCs were first produced from mouse cells and human cells, in 2006 and 2007 respectively. A pluripotent stem cell has the potential to become various cell types in the body. [2] Prof Thomas Skutella's research was published in an article titled, "Generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult human testis", in the journal Nature. Reference: Nature (2008) 456, 344-349.
About the Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC)
The Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC) is an initiative of the A*STAR Biomedical Research Council (BMRC). Its objective is to establish a coordinated and focused translational research and development programme in stem cells. It comprises both intramural and extramural components. The SSCC seeks to catalyze the translation of basic stem cell research into clinically viable stem cell therapies for chronic and debilitating diseases, by building strong linkages between basic science and clinical research groups. It also has an interest in using stem cells to create models of mammalian development and disease states, as well as providing cellular assays for the identification of novel signaling molecules, pathways, and the development of new drugs. In addition to supporting intramural stem cell research within the A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), SSCC also coordinates the diverse stem cell research activities in Singapore by funding collaborative grant calls and developing key resources needed by the stem cell research community. SSCC has announced several grant calls and awarded several grants every year since 2006.
About the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) is the central, self-governing research funding organisation that promotes research at universities and other publicly financed research institutions in Germany. The DFG serves all branches of science and the humanities by funding research projects and facilitating cooperation among researchers.
About Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
A*STAR is Singapore's lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based Singapore. A*STAR actively nurtures public sector research and development in Biomedical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, with a particular focus on fields essential to Singapore's manufacturing industry and new growth industries. It oversees 22 research institutes, consortia and centres, and supports extramural research with the universities, hospital research centres and other local and international partners. At the heart of this knowledge intensive work is human capital. Top local and international scientific talent drive knowledge creation at A*STAR research institutes. The Agency also sends scholars for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral training in the best universities, a reflection of the high priority A*STAR places on nurturing the next generation of scientific talent.
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