The 1st meeting of the 1st academic committee and plaque unveiling ceremony of Dr. Neher’s Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery were held successfully

On December 7, 2021, the 1^st meeting of the 1^st academic committee and Plaque Unveiling Ceremony of Dr. Neher’s Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery were held in Macao at the Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.). Chairman Wan-Hei Chan, member Ip Kuai Lam, and senior manager Chan Kong On of the Science and Technology Development Fund Administrative Committee, President Joseph Hun-Wei LEE of Macau University of Science and Technology, and Academician Jian DING, Chairman of the First Academic Committee of Dr. Neher’s Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery attended this ceremony. Nobel Prize Laureate Director Erwin Neher and other two academicians as well as well-known professors attended the conference online. 

Meeting

At the meeting, Chairman Wan-Hei Chan, President Joseph Hun-Wei LEE, and Academician Ding Jian gave speeches, giving full affirmation to the establishment of the laboratory. The Director of the laboratory, Prof. Erwin Neher expressed his gratitude to the support from the Macau Science and Technology Development Fund and the Macau University of Science and Technology. He also expressed his confidence in the establishment and future of the laboratory. Then the Opening Ceremony of the Dr. Neher’s Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery was successfully completed. Executive Director Elaine Lai-Han Leung reported the progress and achievements of the laboratory.

Plaque Unveiling Ceremony

Plaque Unveiling Ceremony

Although the laboratory has been established for a short time, under the excellent leadership of Director Erwin Neher and Executive Director Elaine Lai-Han Leung, some great achievements have already been achieved. The laboratory has published 43 papers, 5 papers with influence factors greater than 10 journals, and 11 papers with influence factors between 7 and 10. The percentage of high-quality papers reached 76.7%. According to the requirements of the Macao government, the laboratory has carried out a series of innovative research, vigorously promoting the industrialization and application of scientific and technological achievements. At present, there are three authorized patents, 11 patents under review and 7 pending patents. In order to promote the scientific and technological transformation and industrial development of Traditional Chinese Medicines in Macao, the laboratory has further strengthened cooperation with the outside world. Three cases following the pattern of Industry-University-Research cooperation have been successfully reached: (1) Ginsengcare developed by Executive Director Leung has obtained the Product Classification Approval in Macao and the laboratory established the world's first WHO registered clinical study of combinational treatment of TCM and immunotherapy on NSCLC patients (ChiCTR2100046431). (2) The class I anti-tumor new drug targeting KRAS gene mutation. (3) Far-Infrared Product researched in the laboratory can significantly increase probiotics. In terms of talent cultivation, the laboratory has reached a cooperation agreement framework with the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Bioland Laboratory, and University of Oxford.

Online meeting

Executive Director Elaine Lai-Han Leung repor

Finally, members of the academic committee discussed the construction progress of the laboratory. The committee members fully affirmed the achievements, believing that the laboratory has made remarkable progress in the development of ideas, platform construction, personnel training, scientific research, and cooperation. The development of the Dr. Neher’s Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery is forming its own direction with an encouraging and bright future.