Volume 13, December 2011 Issue

Transcription

1 Issue ACTING HOD S MESSAGE A/P TAN Tin Wee T here is most certainly a buzz in the Biochemistry Department these days. Just look at the list of achievements made by our staff and PG students, especially those published in the media. We definitely have much to be proud of! This is a true reflection of the long tradition of success in our Department as we enter our 85th anniversary in In this issue of the Biochemistry Buzz newsletter, I am pleased to report our recent achievements and success in our Department. Particularly I would like to thank all staff and students who were involved in the FAOBMB Student Symposium. Your support made the event very successful and well-received. In the past, our students have had such symposia before, but never on this large scale. For this, I must congratulate the hard work of organizing committee especially Dr Thilo Hagen and PgSC. As one of the world s recognized universities, NUS has an impact not only at local or regional levels, but also globally. Hence we should always strive to give our best in all we do, governed by good work principles and ethics with a healthy work-life balance. OPPORTUNITIES MULTIPLY AS THEY ARE SEIZED ~Sun Tzu~ Inside this issue: Congratulations! 2 PG Students 4 Grant Awarded 5 New Staff 5 Since this is the last issue for 2011, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year As the year comes to an end, let us take a moment to reflect, refocus & re-strategize as we re-energize to face what may come in the year ahead. Publications 9 Recent Events 11 Heartiest Congratulations 16 Bon Voyage 16 =1=

2 CONGRATULATIONS! - STAFF A/P Tan Tin Wee A/P Tang Bor Luen Mr Wong Veen Seen Senior Laboratory Executive Mr Tan Suan Liang, Kelvin Laboratory Executive Ms Long Lee Hua Senior Laboratory Executive Mrs Tan Boon Kheng Nee Gui Laboratory Technologist Mr Terence Tay Laboratory Executive Ms Lee Mui Khin Laboratory Technologist Ms Qian Feng Senior Laboratory Executive Ms Chai Siaw Ching Laboratory Technologist Mdm Chan Siew Lee Laboratory Technologist Dr Armugam Arunmozhiarasi (PI: Prof Jeyaseelan Kandiah) Advisory Board of the Bio IT World Asia conference which will be held on 7 8 June He is also on the Editorial Board of BMC Bioinformatics. He has also been appointed as Singapore s focal point for the Sub committee for Science and Technology Infrastructure and Resource Development (SCIRD) under the ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology (COST) with effect 15 November A/P Tan also holds an appointment as Chairman for A*STAR Computational Resource Centre (ACRC) from 1 October September Appointed as NGS Deputy Executive Director from 1 August 2011 to 31 July We also congratulate A/P Tang on his publication in Cell Rescue of DF508 CFTR Traf icking via a GRASP Dependent Unconventional Secretion Pathway in July NUHS GEMS Awards NUHS VIA Individual Award NUHS VIA Individual Award Ms Long Lee Hua is also winner of NUHS Value in Action Team Category Award (Top 3) Recipient of The Long Service Award, National Day Awards Mrs Tan Boon Kheng is also winner of NUHS Value in Action Team Category Award (Top 3) Winner of NUHS Value in Action Team Category Award (Top 3) Winner of NUHS Value in Action Team Category Award (Top 3) Winner of NUHS Value in Action Team Category Award (Top 3) Winner of NUHS Value in Action Team Category Award (Top 3) Recipient of The Long Service Award, National Day Awards years long service award. =2=

3 Dr Tong Joo Chuan, Victor (Adjunct Assistant Professor) A/P Khoo Hoon Eng A/P Tan May Chin, Theresa A/P Gan Yunn Hwen A/P Marie Veronique Clement Awarded Outstanding Mentor/Teacher Advisor Awards for Science Mentorship Programmes based on students nominations and feedback. In addition, this is his third consecutive year receiving the award. The ceremony was held at 17th Youth Science Conference on 17 September Appointed as Director, Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs) Of ice of the Yale NUS College with effect from 1 October The appointment is for 2 years. Appointed as Assistant Dean (Academic Affairs) from 1 November June In addition, A/P Tan also holds joint appointment with Residential College 3, U Town from 1 July June Re appointed as member of Institutional Biosafety Committee for another 2 years with effect from 10 October Re appointed as Assistant Dean (Student Affairs) from 1 November June A/P Clement also holds joint appointment with CSI Cancer Science Institute of Singapore from 1 November October Congratulations to the recipients of the NUHS Leadership Awards The ceremony was held during NUHS Dinner & Dance on 8 October Prof Barry Halliwell Faculty Outstanding Research Award. Dr Deng Lih Wen Faculty Research Excellent Award. Dr Yeong Foong May Faculty Teaching Excellent Award (AY2009/2010) =3=

4 A/P Maxey Chung Ching Ming Dr Lim Yoon Pin Ong Lee Sheng Raphael Honour student. (Supervisor: Prof Barry Halliwell) Lin Qifeng (Supervisor: A/P Maxey Chung Ching Ming) Poh Woon Cheng (Supervisor: Dr Takao Inoue) Re elected as HUPO Board of Directors for 3rd term from 1 January 2012 to 31 December A/P Chung is also a recipient of The Long Service Award, National Day Awards Research paper on the discovery of a novel breast cancer oncogene was published in Faseb Journal, September 2011 and chosen for media publicity by NUHS during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October Another article was published in The Straits Times, 19 November 2011 titled: Hope for new drugs after Singapore scientists discover protein that causes breast cancer. Raphael and his team mate are the only two students from Asian universities to qualify as inalists for the Siemens Healthcare competition. In addition, he is working on a project that won the 2nd Prize for Most Innovative Project for developing innovative solutions that addressed medical imaging and therapy challenges. He was presented with a Young Innovative Student Award (also known as Young Student Innovator Award) for the innovative work, personally awarded by Hermann Requardt (CEO, Siemens Healthcare), Roland Koeppel (CEO, Components and Vacuum Technology Business Unit, Siemens Healthcare) and Sultan Haider (Founder and Head of Innovation Think Tank, Siemens Healthcare). Attended HUPO (Human Proteome Organization) 10th Annual World Congress Geneva, Switzerland, from 4 7 September Financed by SoM Attended 18th International C. elegans Meeting at Los Angeles, California, June Financed by SoM STUDENT CONFERMENT Congratulations to the following students on the conferment of their postgraduate degree. Well done! Name Supervisor Programme Month of Conferment Wang Yu A/P Lee Guat Lay, Caroline PhD July 2011 Poh Mee Kian A/P Markus R Wenk PhD August 2011 Wan Guoqiang A/P Too Heng Phon PhD October 2011 =4=

5 GRANTS AWARDED Month awarded Principal Investigator Amount awarded Project title Source of Fund Aug 2011 Dr Wu Qiang $ 160, Dr Sherry Wang $ 160, Whole genome location analysis of CARM1 and CARM1 mediated histone H3 arginine 17 methylation in embryonic stem cells ARF Tier 1 Regulation of apoptosis by TERT on Bax and other Bci 2 family members ARF Tier 1 NEW STAFF WELCOME TO THE FAMILY Academic Staff Dr Long Yun Chau Assistant Professor Assumed Duty Date: 4 July 2011 Dr Ban Hon Kim, Kenneth Assistant Professor Joint Appointment with IMCB Assumed Duty Date: 3 October 2011 Dr Sudhakar Jha Assistant Professor Joint Appointment with CSI Assumed Duty Date: 10 October 2011 =5=

6 Professor Roger Beuerman Adjunct Professor DUKE-NUS Graduate Medical School Assumed Duty Date: 1 August 2011 Adjunct Staff Professor Wang Yue Adjunct Professor Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology Assumed Duty Date: 10 November 2011 Melissa Jane Fullwood Adjunct Research Fellow Lee Kuan Yew Post-Doctoral Fellow, A*STAR-Duke-NUS Neuroscience Research Partnership Assumed Duty Date: 1 August 2011 Executive & Professional Ms Iman Fahim Hameed Lab Executive Supervisor: A/P Tan May Chin, Theresa Assumed Duty Date: 1 July 2011 Ms Lau Pei San Lab Executive Supervisor: Dr Long Yun Chau Assumed Duty Date: 6 September 2011 Ms Low May Yee, Vivian Executive (Funded by SoM) PI: Prof Fu Xin-Yuan, Director of International relation (China), YLLSoM Assumed Duty Date: 19 September 2011 =6=

7 Research Fellow Dr Zhang Yong Supervisor: Dr Wang Xueying Assumed Duty Date: 1 October 2011 Research Assistants Ms Kottaiswamy Amuthavalli Supervisor: A/P Mridula Sharma Assumed Duty Date: 1 July 2011 Ms Sangiah Umamaheswari Supervisor: A/P Mridula Sharma Assumed Duty Date: 1 July 2011 Ms Tay Ling Lee Supervisor: Dr Wang Xueying Assumed Duty Date: 1 August 2011 Ms Sen Paromita Supervisor: A/P Chua Kim Lee Assumed Duty Date: 1 August 2011 Ms Tan Gek San Supervisor: A/P Chung Ching Ming, Maxey Assumed Duty Date: 1 August 2011 Ms Lee Pei Supervisor: Dr Deng Lih Wen Assumed Duty Date: 21 September 2011 Mr Lukas Bahati Tanner Supervisor: A/P Markus R Wenk Assumed Duty Date: 29 September 2011 =7=

8 Teaching Assistants Mr Johann Shane Tian Supervisor: A/P Chung Ching Ming, Maxey Assumed Duty Date: 1 August 2011 Ms Liu Lizhen Supervisor: A/P Tan Tin Wee Assumed Duty Date: 9 September 2011 Ms Yang Xiaoqing Supervisor: A/P Chung Ching Ming, Maxey Assumed Duty Date: 15 September 2011 Ms Liu Xin Supervisor: A/P Tan Tin Wee Assumed Duty Date: 20 October 2011 Laboratory Technologist and Non-Academic Ms Pang Yu Wen Shermaine Laboratory Technologist Supervisor: Dr Chen Ee Sin Assumed Duty Date: 17 August 2011 Ms Norindah Binte Arifin Management Assistant Officer Supervisor: Ms Aniza Binte Abdul Wahid Assumed Duty Date: 12 September 2011 =8=

9 PUBLICATIONS S, Lokireddy, McFarlane C, Ge X, Zhang H, Sze SK, Sharma M and Kambadur R, "Myostatin Induces Degradation of Sarcomeric Proteins through a Smad3 Signaling Mechanism During Skeletal Muscle Wasting." Molecular Endocrinology, 25, no. 11 (2011): (United States). (PMID: ; updated on 3/11/11). Chin, Cheen Fei, Alexis M. Bennett2, Wai Kit Ma, Mark C Hall and F M Yeong*, "Dependence of Chs2 ER export on dephosphorylation by cytoplasmic Cdc14". Molecular Biology of the Cell, 9 Nov (Epub) (2011). (United States). (2010 Impact factor = 5.861). Chua, E L C, B Q Gan and B L Tang*, "Involvement of members of the Rab family and related small GTPases in autophagosome formation and maturation.". CMLS Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 68, no. 20 (2011): (Switzerland). (PMID: updated as at ). C, Zhang, McFarlane C, Lokireddy S, Masuda S, Ge X, Gluckman PD, Sharma M and Kambadur R, "Inhibition of myostatin protects against diet induced obesity by enhancing fatty acid oxidation and promoting a brown adipose phenotype in mice." Diabetologia, (2011). (Germany). (PMID: ;[Epub ahead of print] updated on 3/11/11). Gee, HY, SH Noh, B L Tang, KH Kim and MG Lee*, "Rescue of ΔF508 CFTR Traf icking via a GRASP Dependent Unconventional Secretion Pathway." Cell, 146, no. 5 (2011): (United States). (PMID: , updated as at ). YEW*, C W, P LEE, Wai Keong Chan, K J V LIM, Kuie Tay Sun, T M C Tan and L W Deng*, "A novel MLL5 isoform that is essential to activate E6 and E7 transcription in HPV16/18 associated cervical cancers". Cancer Research, 71, no. 21 (2011): (United States). Lim, S K, O Magali, W Toy, T K Y Tan and Y P Lim*, "Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Transcription Coactivator WW Domain Binding Protein 2 regulates Estrogen Receptor Function in Breast Cancer via Wnt crosstalk". FASEB Journal, 25, no. 9 (2011): (United States). (Epub in June 2011). =9=

10 Seet*, C S R, C Lee, Chan Poon Lap Bernard Chan, K S VIJAY, H L Teoh, V Narayanaswamy, E C H Lim, W L Chong, W F Looi, S H Huang, B K C Ong and B Halliwell, "Oxidative damage in ischemic stroke revealed using multiple biomarkers." Stroke, 42, no. 8 (2011): (United States). (PMID: ; Updated: 5 Oct 2011). Loo*, E K A, R HO and B Halliwell, "Mechanism of hydrogen peroxide induced keratinocyte migration in a scratch wound model." Free Radical Biology and Medicine, (2011). (United States). (PMID: ; Updated on 13/07/11). Cai, Z, DL Simons, X Y Fu, GS Feng, SM Wu and X Zhang, "Loss of shp2 mediated mitogenactivated protein kinase signaling in muller glial cells results in retinal degeneration." Molecular And Cellular Biology, 31, no. 14 (2011): (United States). (PMID: ; Updated on 21/07/11). Shui*, G, W F Cheong, A J Ignasius, A Hoi, Y Xue, Z F Aaron, B K H Tan and M R Wenk*, "Derivatization independent cholesterol analysis in crude lipid extracts by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry: Applications to a rabbit model for atherosclerosis." Journal of Chromatography A, 1218, no. 28 (2011): (Netherlands). (PMID: ; Updated on 28/06/11). =10=

11 RECENT EVENTS Biochemistry Safety Audit Thank You Tea 1st September 2011 All Principal Investigators at MD7 and MD4A were recommended for certi ication. As a gesture of appreciation for everyone s hard work, the Department had a Safety Audit Thank You Tea on 1 September In addition, we would like to specially acknowledge the Biochemistry Safety Committee (A/P Caroline Lee, Dr Takao Inoue, Dr Lim Cheh Peng & Wong Veen Senn). EXCELLENT JOB!!! More photos can be =11=

12 Staff Welfare Lunch at Asian Market Fairmont Hotel 23rd September 2011 Once again, Biochemistry staff went to Asian Market Fairmont Hotel on 23 September 2011 for an afternoon of good food and enjoyable company. More pictures can be lunch11.html =12=

13 FAOBMB Student Symposium 7th October 2011 Dr Thilo Hagen (Organizing Chairman) and Boh Boon Kim (President of Biochemistry Postgraduate Student Society) together with Student Committee successfully organized the FAOBMB Satellite Student Symposium cum Biochemistry Student Symposium during the latest FAOBMB conference at Matrix, Biopolis on 7 October More than 100 students participated in oral and poster presentations. Congratulations to the following best presenters on achieving Professor Barry Halliwell Gold Medal and Professor Sit Kim Ping Gold Medal. Professor Barry Halliwell Gold Medal for Best Oral presentation winners. Prize Student Supervisor 1 st Prize $200: Valentino Migliori Dr Ernesto Guccione 2 nd Prize $150 Sarah Ho A/P Too Heng Phon 3 rd Prize $100 Teh Boon Eng A/P Gan Yunn Hwen Professor Sit Kim Ping Gold Medal for Best Poster presentation winners. Prize Student Supervisor 1 st Prize $200: Wu Wei A/P Maxey Chung 2 nd Prize $150: Jocelyn Wong Tan Chia Yee Vivian Cheung A/P Gan Yunn Hwen Dr Thilo Hagen Dr Yew Wen Shan More pictures can be =13=

14 NUHS Games 2011 Track and Field 29th October 2011 NUHS Games 2011 came to a close with a big bang on 29 October Those who attended enjoyed themselves and had great fun. Our team The Chipmunks came 2nd in the Cheerleading competition. On behalf of The Chipmunk team leader Ms Aniza, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their effort and support. More photos can be inale.html =14=

15 Transcriptional Regulation of Human Papillomavirus Associated Cervical Cancer 14th November 2011 Transcriptional Regulation of Human Papillomavirus Associated Cervical Cancer Mini Symposium was held on 14 November 2011 and organised by Dr Deng Lih Wen & Dr Lim Cheh Peng. Professor Cheng Ming Chiang from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center visited Biochemistry Department and gave a plenary talk in Departmental minisymposium titled "Transcriptional Regulation of Human Papillomavirus Associated Cervical Cancer". More pictures can be obtained via: =15=

16 OUR HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Ms Sha Lanjie (Laboratory Technologist, Supervisor: A/P Too Heng Phon) on her irst born, baby girl Patricia Rong. BON VOYAGE We bid adieu and wish them all the best for their future endeavours to: Ms Wu Guoxiang, MAO. Ms Hu Yongli, TA. Ms Lim Shen Jean, TA. Ms Ang Shu Lin, Executive. Editorial Team Biochemistry Leading the way in biomedical sciences Advisor: A/P Tan Tin Wee Editor: Ms Aniza A Wahid Writers: Ms Dee Pham & Ms Norindah Arifin =16=