2016 – Page 124 – Asian Scientist Magazine

Have Your Seaweed (And Drink It, Too)

The National University of Singapore is collaborating with a food manufacturer on food and drink products made from eucheuma, a type of seaweed with an array of health benefits.

Academia

Cambodia And Belgium Strengthen Ties Through Agro-Food Partnership

Universities and partner institutions in Europe and Southeast Asia are partnering on the Erasmus Plus program to further knowledge in agriculture, food science and technology.

Features

Building A Treasure Chest Of Medical Data

Professor Kanagaratnam Shanmugaratnam set up the Singapore Cancer Registry in 1967, a time when everything had to be done by hand; this meant meticulously transferring decades of data to now-obsolete punch cards.

Features

The Defence Science Maverick

Professor Lui Pao Chuen, Singapore's ex-chief defence scientist, took one for the team, literally—he once got hit in the arm with shrapnel from an exploding bullet while testing equipment for the military.

In the Lab

The Electrifying Effect Of Astrocytes On Depression

The benefits of stimulating the brain with an electrical current to reduce depressive symptoms come from its effects on astrocytes, not neurons.

In the Lab

Probiotics Reduce Food Allergy Symptoms In Mice

A protein found in a common probiotic has been found to reduce the effects of egg allergy in mice, opening up possibilities for therapeutic applications.

In the Lab

Gene Linked To Autism Found

Researchers have identified that the PX-RICS gene is responsible for autism found in more than half of patients with Jacobsen syndrome.

Features

Bringing The MIT Blueprint To Singapore’s R&D Startup Community

Dr. Howard Califano, director of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Innovation Centre, on what to expect from Singapore’s R&D startup sector over the next five years.