USA’s Research Program on Natural Products Showcased in Prestigious Conference in Europe

The University of San Agustin (USA) research program on natural products drug discovery was showcased at the 30th International Symposium on the Chemistry of Natural Products (ISCNP) and10th International Conference on Biodiversity (ICOB) last Nov 25-29, 2018 in Athens, Greece. This prestigious conference is sponsored by International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the world’s authority on chemical nomenclature and terminology and a leader in catalyzing scientific expertise in every aspect of chemistry to solve critical global issues with societal impact.
 
Dr. Doralyn S. Dalisay, Director of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology (C2B2) delivered a lecture about the USA’s natural product discovery research on marine sediment-derived actinobacteria as source of new antibiotics. Dr. Dalisay was invited by the organizing committee as a plenary speaker at the symposium for her expertise and role as an emerging leader of marine natural products research in the Philippines.  She was the only Filipino plenary speaker from among the 32 invited speakers from Europe, United States, China, Japan, Brazil and South Africa.  Her travel, accommodation, and symposium registration were covered by the organizing committee as part of the invitation offer.  Another natural product discovery project that was presented during the symposium is the potential application of Philippine honey as antibacterial material for skin infections. The contributed lecture was delivered by Dr. Jonel P. Saludes, Associate Vice President for Research and Global Relations and Principal Investigator at USA Center for Natural Drug Discovery and Development (CND3). Dr. Saludes participation in the symposium was supported by the Human Resource Development Committee of USA.
 
The research programs at USA’s C2B2 and CND3 are supported by National Research Council of the Philippines and Philippine Council for Heath Research and Development of Department of Science and Technology and United States Agency for International Development - Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (USAID-STRIDE) Program.
 
ISCNP and ICOB are biennial conferences held in Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, or South America. Their aim is to shed light on current challenges and advances in natural products, thus eminent experts and emerging young scientists were carefully selected to deliver lectures. The Athens meeting gathered prestigious scientists from all over the world for five days of exciting lectures, covering various aspects of natural products that contributes to a better understanding of the role of natural resources in drug discovery, nutrition, cosmetology, and applied chemistry, bringing together 550 participants from 60 countries. It also served as a venue for USA’s scientists to build network and establish collaborations with colleagues whose expertise are complementary to USA’s research specialty.
 
For more information about the recent conference check this link: https://www.iscnp30-icob10.org