To Get Rid of Zika
“Declared an international emergency by the World Health Organisation in 2016, Zika came into the global spotlight when infections caused by the mosquito-borne virus were linked to microcephaly in new-born babies.
To combat the virus, Assoc Prof Cho Nam-Joon of NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering and an international team engineered highly bioactive peptides—short chains of amino acids—that could rupture the lipid envelope coating surrounding Zika virus particles.
The research team tested a lead peptide in Zika-infected mice and showed that it could cross the blood-brain barrier and eliminate virus particles in the brain, improving survival rates. Moreover, the peptide was also able to inactivate Zika-related viruses often co-transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, including those that cause dengue and chikungunya.
The peptide has since been licensed to an NTU spin-off company, TSG Therapeutics. The researchers plan to test its therapeutic efficiency and safety in larger animals, and, if successful, to subsequently start clinical trials.” – NTU
Opposite Sides of the Same Coin
“This fruitful relationship should hardly be surprising, considering that the terms “art” and “technology” share the same root word, says Prof Ute Meta Bauer, Founding Director of the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (NTU CCA).
“The word ‘technology’ comes from the Greek word techne, which means craftsmanship or art, so in that sense, technology comes out of art,” she explains. “People sometimes think of art and technology as very separate things, but actually, they are not.”
Founded in 2013 as a centre in NTU’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, NTU CCA actively fosters cross-disciplinary dialogue and knowledge transfer through its exhibitions, outreach and educational programmes.
“As an anchor institution located in Singapore’s Gillman Barracks international arts precinct, we show how the arts is not purely about economic activity driven by the galleries, but also about knowledge production,” Prof Bauer says.
“We see our role in introducing artistic research and initiating collaborative projects with a variety of partners, the results of which we then share with the wider public.”’ – NTU
EVENTS
Singapore Institutional Research Integrity Offices Network (SIRION)
Conference Date: 11th April 2019
Conference Venue: National University of Singapore (NUS)
Organising Scholarly Association: Joint Conference on Research Integrity
Conference Language: English
Conference Themes: Research Integrity, Healthcare
SIRION serves as a platform for local research institutions to discuss and share best practices in order to promote the responsible conduct of research in Singapore. It hopes to develop the local research integrity climate by creating a uniform and transparent approach in the handling of research integrity matters whilst keeping the research community up to date in relation to current and emerging global standards, practices and initiatives