Wan Yue First Singaporean To Win Branco Weiss Fellowship

Dr. Wan Yue has been awarded the Branco Weiss Fellowship for her work using RNA to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

AsianScientist (Jul 21, 2014) – A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) fellow, Dr. Wan Yue, has become the first Singaporean to receive the Branco Weiss Fellowship given by the Swiss-based ‘Society in Science’ philanthropic organisation.

Every year, the organisation gives out ten fellowships to outstanding scientists. These come with a grant to further each scientist’s research. In recognition of Wan’s work, ‘Society in Science’ has awarded S$700,000 (~US$560,000) towards her research to tackle the global health issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

According to a 2014 World Health Organization report, AMR threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. This is because common bacteria are becoming resistant to treatments in many parts of the world. WHO says that there is an urgent need to develop new ways to deal with the rise in AMR.

A key step to tackling AMR is to find out how pathogenic microorganisms attain their ability to resist the effects of antimicrobial drugs. Wan aims to shed light on microbial drug resistance by studying the genes or RNA of microbes. It is hoped that her research will uncover critical genetic junctures in microbes that will come in useful in the search for new antimicrobial treatments.

Wan was one of the first scientists to develop a high throughput approach to study RNA shapes in microorganisms. An aspect of the study is to look at how pathogenic microorganisms sense and respond to their environment for survival and pathogenesis, such as Listeria monocytogenes bacteria that utilizes an RNA switch that encodes virulent proteins that harm the body.

At room temperature, the bacteria’s RNA is inactive, but when exposed to higher temperatures, like in the body, the RNA switch is “turned on” and activates the bacteria’s production of virulent proteins. Many such RNA switches remain to be discovered in clinically important pathogens. By understanding the biological pathway that switches microbial RNA on and off, Wan plans to identify elements within the pathway that can be targeted by future drugs.

“I am extremely honoured to receive the Branco Weiss Fellowship for Society in Science,” said Wan. “The ultimate goal of scientific discoveries is to advance human society. I am excited that my technology can contribute innovative solutions to existing problems, such as anti-microbial resistance, in our society. I hope that this investment in science will help shape our future.”

Wan graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego, and received her PhD in Cancer Biology from Stanford University, USA. She was also a recipient of the A*STAR National Science Scholarship.

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Source: A*STAR.
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