Bioengineering Seminar with Technology Innovation Institute

On April 24, Kobe University Engineering Biology Research Center (EGBRC) hosted a visit by a delegation from the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in the UAE. During their visit, the EGBRC organized an academic seminar at Kobe University as a part of the center’s initiative to promote international collaboration though the Kobe University Strategic International Collaborative Research Grant (Type B: Fostering Joint Research).

The TII’s delegation, headed by Vice President Thomas Launey, consisted of five researchers working on various aspects of engineering biology in the TII Biotechnology Research Center (BRC). During the seminar, four BRC researchers introduced their latest research and had an active discussion with EGBRC researchers.

The EGBRC also organized a lab tour for the delegation. Since its establishment in 2018 as the only Japanese research center in the engineering biology, it has promoted advanced research and development through industry-university-government collaboration with Kobe University’s core technologies. The delegation learned about the EGBRC’s research platform for a wide range of research and explored future collaboration between the two institutions.

The EGBRC and the BRC agreed to start international collaborative research as an outcome of this visit. The two institutions will promote collaborative activities including staff exchange and joint supervision of PhD students.

Seminar Program
16:00-16:30	Dr. Grégory Guirimand (TII) "Bio-production of vindoline and catharanthine by recombinant yeast cell factories"
16:30-16:45	Dr. Thomas Launey (TII) "High-thruput neuronal cell culture optimization"
16:45-17:15	Dr. Carsten Wolff (TII) "Phylogeny as a driver of large scale (marine) bioactivity patterns; a chemical ecology rationale for biodiscovery"
17:15-17:45	Prof. Filippo Castiglione (TII) “Computer simulations of the immune response”