NEW MOLECULAR IMAGING LABS TO UNDERPIN SINGAPORE S BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EFFORTS

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1 PRESS RELEASE 20 May 2005 NEW MOLECULAR IMAGING LABS TO UNDERPIN SINGAPORE S BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EFFORTS 1. The newly minted Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC) plans to harness existing imaging expertise and capabilities in Singapore and develop them into a focussed national platform to support the growth of multi-disciplinary research activities here and speed the development of biomedical research discoveries. 2. The Consortium will be led by Professor Sir George Radda, a noted expert on magnetic resonance in medicine, who has served on numerous scientific committees in the UK and is a member of the International Advisory Council to the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC). 3. Having a sound R&D base in bioimaging will have important implications for Singapore s biomedical sciences push and help to speed the process of drug discovery and screening. We are indeed fortunate to have Professor Sir George Radda, a very respected scientist and expert on bioimaging, to help Singapore establish its bioimaging R&D platform, said Associate Professor Lam Kong Peng, Acting Executive Director of the BMRC. 4. Molecular imaging is at the interface of biomedical and physical sciences and is fast developing into an important technology platform that will play a pivotal role in future breakthroughs in medical diagnosis and treatment, and in drug discovery and development, said Professor Sir George Radda, Chairman of the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium. 5. The majority of current imaging tools provide information on structure and anatomy of tissues. However, developments in the field have led to new imaging tools which can now give researchers insight to functional and molecular details. 6. SBIC plans to create an integrated platform for multidisciplinary research involving biologists, chemists, physicists, electrical engineers, computer 1

2 scientists and clinician scientists to work together in a coordinated manner. SBIC will also provide a focal point of interaction with pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to explore joint research collaborations or business ventures. 7. Four technology platforms have been identified for core research programmes: i) Optical imaging ii) Image processing and management iii) Small animal imaging with Magnetic Resonance iv) Development of Chemical/ Biological probes These technology platforms will be used to support research in areas such as cancer, metabolic medicine and regenerative medicine. 8. Currently, Singapore has expertise in biomedical imaging in areas such as optical imaging, quantum dot technology, enhanced imaging software, data transmission and storage, ultrasound technology and nano-magnetic particles. SBIC will facilitate the different parties working together on joint bioimaging research projects and ensure better coordination and greater synergy. The Consortium will also bring together the research expertise of both the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) and the Science and Engineering Council (SERC) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). 9. In line with the Consortium's plans to develop the bioimaging landscape in Singapore, a dedicated bioimaging lab will be created in Biopolis to provide high-end bioimaging technologies such as magnetic resonance, micro CT, ultrasound and optical imaging. 10. The development of a national bioimaging platform will be welcome news to Singapore scientists in the biomedical and physical sciences as well as clinician scientists as the technology offers significant benefits over conventional approaches to medical diagnosis and drug studies. 11. Many vital processes, previously only observable in vitro or through histology, can now be viewed in vivo thanks to imaging advances. It is now possible to treat a test subject with a new drug and observe the effects on the growth of the tumour, without the need to conduct invasive procedures on the test subject. Non-invasive imaging techniques can be used to obtain information about the way the drug is absorbed, distributed and acts in the living system that cannot be obtained in any other way. Information obtainable via imaging also includes determination of desirable effects or undesirable side effects, the interaction of a drug with the desired target, and delivery of the drug to its target. 12. The initial emphasis of the Consortium will be on pre-clinical bioimaging projects, however in the long term, it is envisaged that these will lead to new developments that will result in new applications in clinical practice. 2

3 13. Explaining the significance of the bioimaging initiative, Professor Radda said, We need to know how components of living cells are organised, how they interact, how they are formed and eliminated at various stages of the life cycle of the organism and how they move around within the cell. In addition to the study of fundamental biological processes, developments in molecular imaging are aimed at furthering our understanding of disease since most disease processes have a molecular basis. Clearly, bioimaging is not just another emerging technology, but an important tool which is set to revolutionise our understanding and treatment of disease. 14. Going forward, the scientific strategy for SBIC will be formulated by a Singapore-based Steering Committee under the chairmanship of Professor Sir George Radda. This group will make recommendations on bioimaging related grant calls, details of which are expected to be announced in the second half of the year. ### For media queries, please contact: Geraldine WANG Senior Officer, Corporate Communications Agency for Science, Technology and Research Tel: (65) geraldine_wang@a-star.edu.sg Notes to the Editor: Scientific Glossary CT or Computerized Tomography refers to a diagnostic imaging technique which uses x-rays and a computer to view organs and other features inside the body. It is a method of examining body organs by scanning them with X rays and using a computer to construct a three-dimensional image of that structure. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) refers to a non-invasive nuclear procedure for imaging tissues of high fat and water content that cannot be seen with other radiological techniques. Metabolic medicine is the study of metabolic processes in the body involving the building up of complex substances to form the material of tissues and organs. It refers to a group of overlapping medical disciplines with a common dependence on the detailed understanding of biochemistry and medicine. Examples include the study of diabetes, obesity and the biochemical basis of heart disease. Regenerative Medicine refers to the creation and transplantation of healthy cells, tissues and organs to replace or repair a medical patient s own damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs. 3

4 About the Singapore BioImaging Consortium (SBIC) The Singapore BioImaging Consortium (SBIC) was established by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in August 2004 to serve as a focal point for stimulating, funding, coordinating and reporting on the various bioimaging activities in Singapore. SBIC includes representations from the research institutes of both the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC), the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC), as well as selected groups outside of A*STAR from universities, hospitals and disease centres. For more information on SBIC, please Mythily@sbic.a-star.edu.sg. About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) A*STAR's mission is to foster world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based Singapore. The Agency comprises the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC), the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC), the A*STAR Graduate Academy (A*GA), the Corporate Planning and Administration Division (CPAD) and a commercialisation arm, Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL). The two research councils fund and oversee 12 public research institutes in areas such as bioinformatics, genomics, molecular biology, bioengineering, bioprocessing technology, chemical sciences, materials, high performance computing, information technology and communications, manufacturing technology, microelectronics and data storage. For more information, please visit: About the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) The Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), supports and oversees biomedical research at five national research institutes, with core competencies in bioinformatics; genomics; molecular biology; bioprocessing technology; bioengineering and nanotechnology. BMRC also encourages extramural research work and multi-disciplinary research collaborations in the wider scientific community. As part of its human capital development efforts, the Council offers research scholarships and fellowships. The Council also initiates and promotes societal awareness of biomedical research through outreach programmes. About the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) A*STAR's Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) promotes public sector research and development in Science and Engineering with a focus on fields essential to Singapore's manufacturing industry especially electronics, infocomms, chemicals and precision engineering. SERC's objectives are to develop a foundation of high quality research in key disciplines; to nurture human capital for research; and to promote information dissemination and technology transfer. 4

5 Professor Sir George Radda CBE FRS Professor Sir George Karoly Radda came to Oxford in 1956 from Hungary. He obtained his MA in Chemistry and D.Phil. in Physical Organic Chemistry at Merton College Oxford. He served as Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council (on secondment) from 1996 to 2003 and as Chairman of the National Cancer Research Institute from 2001 to He is Emeritus Professor of Molecular Cardiology and Fellow of Merton College Oxford and is working in the newly established Cardiac Science Centre in the University Laboratory of Physiology. Professor Radda s research interests range from studies of enzyme regulation, bioenergetics and in vivo biochemistry in relation to human disease and in particular heart disease. His early work was concerned with the development of fluorescent probes for the study of structure and function of membranes and enzymes. In 1974 he published the first paper on the use of phosphorus Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to study tissue metabolites. Since then (and later as Director of the MRC Biochemical and Clinical Magnetic Resonance Unit ) he has been involved in the development of this technique for biochemical and Clinical investigations. He was awarded the CBE in 1993 and Knighted in He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in He has been awarded to following prizes The Colworth Medal of the Biochemical Society (1969), Feldberg Foundation prize (1981), British Heart Foundation Gold Medal and Prize for Cardiovascular Research (1982), CIBA Medal and Prize Biochemical Society (1983), Gold Medal Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (1984), Buchanan Medal Royal Society (1987), Skinner Lecture Medal Royal College of Radiologists (1989), and the Rank Prize in Nutrition (1991). Professor Radda has served on numerous scientific committees in the UK and is a member of the International Advisory Council to the Biomedical Research Council of Singapore, as well as a board member of the Biomedical Research Council of Singapore. He is currently the Director of the Laboratory of Metabolic Medicine in Singapore and the Chairman of the newly formed Singapore Bioimaging Consortium. 5

6 Singapore Bioimaging Consortium Steering Committee Chairman 1. Professor Sir George Radda University of Oxford, UK Members 2. Professor N Chandrasekhar Associate Principal Scientist Institute of Materials Research & Engineering 3. Dr Leong Mun Kew Division Director, Services & Applications Institute for Infocomm Research 4. Dr Edward Manser Principal Investigator Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology 5. Dr Malini Olivo Principal Investigator Division of Medical Sciences National Cancer Centre Singapore 6. Professor Colin Sheppard Head, Division of Bioengineering National University of Singapore 7. Dr Stephen Wise Director & Principal Investigator Lilly-NUS Centre for Clinical Pharmacology Pte Ltd 8. Dr Hanry Yu Group Leader Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology 9. Dr Zheng Yuangang Research Scientist Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology #### 6