Editor's Note
In December, Bayer Healthcare announced its growing partnerships with Singapore institutes to accelerate drug discovery and development in Asia. The Singapore Immunology Network also collaborated with CoSMo (Complex Systems Modeling) to investigate how the human immune system can be better modeled with computers using a complex systems approach. Meanwhile, scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology developed a novel injectable hydrogel for tissue repair and regeneration, while Singapore scientists across several institutes participated in a large genome-wide association study that identified two genes which are strongly associated with central corneal thickness - a risk factor of glaucoma.

• Bayer Healthcare Extends Research Collaborations in Singapore
• Singapore Immunology Network Collaborates with CoSMo in Immunology Modeling
• Singapore Scientists Developed Novel Injectable Hydrogel for Tissue Repair and Regeneration
• Singapore Scientists Conducted Large Genome-Wide Association Study on Central Corneal Thickness
• Singapore-Stanford Biodesign Office Announced Its Inaugural Team of Fellows

Bayer Healthcare Extends Research Collaborations in Singapore
Bayer HealthCare Singapore, a subsidiary of Germany-based Bayer AG, had announced an additional S$14.5 million worth of investment that will go into enhancing its expertise in qualifying research and development (R&D) activities in Singapore to improve early diagnosis and treatment outcomes of cancer patients.

In partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS), National University Health System (NUHS), SingHealth and A*STAR's Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC), Bayer HealthCare will launch five new projects to investigate novel approaches to diagnose and treat cancers, including those that are highly prevalent in the region. The partnership will help to accelerate Bayer HealthCare's drug discovery and development in Asia. The collaboration is also part of Bayer HealthCare's S$20 million investment in joint research projects with Singapore-based universities, hospitals, research institutes and companies over six years. Bayer HealthCare will work closely with Singapore's recently set-up Biomedical Sciences Industry Partnership Office (BMS IPO), as it expands its R&D activities in Singapore.

Singapore Immunology Network Collaborates with CoSMo in Immunology Modeling
The Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), a research unit under Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), has signed a Research Collaboration Agreement with CoSMo (Complex Systems Modeling) to investigate how the human immune system can be better modeled with computers using a complex systems approach. Under the agreement, SIgN will explore ways to leverage CoSMo's expertise in modeling complex biological systems to study the immune system. In turn, SIgN will contribute its expertise in the areas such as tumour immune microenvironment in cancer progression, existence and emergence of cytokine fields, and influence of danger signals on immune cell fate. With this agreement, SIgN and CoSMo hope to speed up the discovery of important and novel breakthroughs in immunology, which may potentially lead to a better understanding of areas such as cancer.

For more info, please click here.

Singapore Scientists Developed Novel Injectable Hydrogel for Tissue Repair and Regeneration
Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) have developed a novel injectable hydrogel system with variable stiffness that can control cell proliferation and differentiation in a two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell culture environment. This unique hydrogel invention has important tissue engineering applications, especially in the treatment of neurological disorders, brain and muscle injuries.

For more info, please click here.

Singapore Scientists Conducted Large Genome-Wide Association Study on Central Corneal Thickness
A team of scientists from Singapore has discovered two genes from the collagen family which demonstrate strong association with Central Corneal Thickness (CCT). CCT is a risk factor of glaucoma, the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.

The study was jointly conducted by scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), an institute of Singapore's Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, as well as colleagues from the USA and Australia. Their research was published in Human Molecular Genetics.

Singapore-Stanford Biodesign Office Announced Its Inaugural Team of Fellows
The Singapore-Stanford Biodesign (SSB) Program Office announced the inaugural team of doctors and engineers who would participate in the year-long SSB fellowship programme. This programme will equip them with innovation and entrepreneurship skills to tackle today's healthcare issues.

The Fellows will first be immersed in a customised six-month curriculum in the Biodesign process at Stanford University, where they will have opportunities to interact with and learn from Silicon Valley industry veterans and entrepreneurs, and spend another six months of practical team-based learning, from needs-finding to development of medical device prototypes and business proposals in Singapore. The SSB Fellows will also play an integral role in inspiring and mentoring others in Singapore who are seeking solutions to real medical problems, by being teaching assistants and sharing their experiences in the "Singapore-Stanford Biodesign Process" module in local universities.

For more info, please click here.

To find out more about Singapore's Biomedical Sciences sector,
please visit www.biomed-singapore.com, www.sedb.com/medtech or www.sedb.com/healthcare